Detection of Various Rickettsial Species in Ticks Collected from Small Ruminants in Western Iran.

Background: Most of the rickettsioses are transmitted by ticks, and often overlooked by the medical profession, but are clinically important as they cause major human diseases. Recent studies have shown the existence of some rickettsial species in Iran, but very little information is available about the status of rickettsial epidemiology and ecology. This study investigated the presence of Rickettsia spp. in ticks and ruminants in western of Iran by molecular methods. Materials and Methods: 250 blood samples were collected from sheep and goats, as well as 244 ticks were collected opportunistically from ruminants in the Kurdistan province. The collected samples were tested using a real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay targeting the Rickettsia 16SrRNA gene. Rickettsia spp. positive by the qPCR were further amplified by conventional PCR of the gltA and OmpA genes. These ampliqons were further analyzed by sequencing. Results: The ticks species collected in this study included Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Rh. turanicus, Haemaphysalis concinna, and Dermacentor marginatus. In total, DNA of Rickettsia spp. was detected in 131 collected ticks (53.7%). Of the positives, Rickettsia slovaca (59.2%) and Ri. hoogstraalii (16.3%) were the most common species identified followed by Ri. raoultii, Ri. massiliae, Ri. sibirica, and Ri. conorii subsp. israelensis. In contrast, there were no positives observed in the blood samples collected from ruminants. Conclusion: The results indicate the presence of rickettsial species in ticks. The detection of these pathogens is significant because they cause clinical disease in humans. The results support the notion that the Iranian public health system needs to be more aware of these diseases.

Transparency interventions to improve health system outcomes in low and middle-income countries: a narrative systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the types of transparency interventions in the health systems of the low-income and middle-income countries and the outcomes of such interventions in those systems. METHOD: We searched major medical databases including PubMed, Embase and Scopus, for any kind of interventional study on transparency in health systems. We also looked for additional sources of information in organisational websites, grey literature and reference checking. Using the PRISMA algorithm for identifying related studies, we included 24 articles. RESULTS: Our initial search, from 1980 to August 2021, retrieved 407 articles, 24 of which were narratively analysed. Response to a problem (mostly corruption) was the main reason for the initiation of a transparency intervention. Transparency interventions differed in terms of types, performance methods, collaboration partners and outcomes. They help improve the health system mostly in the short term and in some cases, long term. CONCLUSION: Although our findings revealed that transparency initiatives could reduce some problems such as counterfeit drugs and corruption, and improve health indicators in a short term, still their sustainability remains a concern. Health systems need robust interventions with clearly defined and measured outcomes, especially sustainable outcomes to tackle corruption fundamentally.

Assessment of Physicochemical Properties of Orange Juice Concentrate Formulated with Pectin, Xanthan, and CMC Hydrocolloids.

Orange concentrate (OC) is one of the main raw materials in the nonalcoholic beverage industry. Considering the difference in orange varieties, preserving its natural quality is essential to yield a product with favorable attributes and physical stability. Thus, the present study is aimed at assessing the effect of pectin, xanthan, and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in a concentration range of 0-0.2% (w/v) along with mixing temperature on Brix, pH, acidity, density, turbidity, and viscosity of OC and at calculating the model equation for each attribute. The results showed that, except for CMC, the influence of concentration, type, and amount of hydrocolloid on pH changes was insignificant. Adding each hydrocolloid individually, in pairs, or threes reduced the density, and the measured density was lower at a mixing temperature of 4°C. Also, it was observed that mixing temperature was the only factor influencing turbidity, and the values were significantly lower at 80°C compared to 4°C. A significant interaction effect of xanthan concentration and mixing temperature on the Brix was observed. Adding hydrocolloids, except pectin, resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in viscosity, and xanthan had the greatest effect on the viscosity. A suitable model was designed using pectin and xanthan, pectin and CMC, and all three gums, resulting in a final OC product with high stability and improved physical and chemical attributes. The optimized values for Brix, pH, acidity, density, turbidity, and OC viscosity were achieved using 0.08% pectin, 0.19% xanthan, and 0.08% CMC at 80°C mixing temperature.

Enhanced identification of women at risk for preterm birth via quantitative ultrasound: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Historically, clinicians have relied on medical risk factors and clinical symptoms for preterm birth risk assessment. In nulliparous women, clinicians may rely solely on reported symptoms to assess for the risk of preterm birth. The routine use of ultrasound during pregnancy offers the opportunity to incorporate quantitative ultrasound scanning of the cervix to potentially improve assessment of preterm birth risk. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of quantitative ultrasound measurements at relatively early stages of pregnancy to enhance identification of women who might be at risk for spontaneous preterm birth. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective cohort study of pregnant women was conducted with volunteer participants receiving care from the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Participants received a standard clinical screening followed by 2 research screenings conducted at 20±2 and 24±2 weeks. Quantitative ultrasound scans were performed during research screenings by registered diagnostic medical sonographers using a standard cervical length approach. Quantitative ultrasound features were computed from calibrated raw radiofrequency backscattered signals. Full-term birth outcomes and spontaneous preterm birth outcomes were included in the analysis. Medically indicated preterm births were excluded from the analysis. Using data from each visit, logistic regression with Akaike information criterion feature selection was conducted to derive predictive models for each time frame based on historical clinical and quantitative ultrasound features. Model evaluations included a likelihood ratio test of quantitative ultrasound features, cross-validated receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, sensitivity, and specificity. RESULTS: On the basis of historical clinical features alone, the best predictive model had an estimated receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.56±0.03. By the time frame of Visit 1, a predictive model using both historical clinical and quantitative ultrasound features provided a modest improvement in the area under the curve (0.63±0.03) relative to that of the predictive model using only historical clinical features. By the time frame of Visit 2, the predictive model using historical clinical and quantitative ultrasound features provided significant improvement (likelihood ratio test, P<.01), with an area under the curve of 0.69±0.03. CONCLUSION: Accurate identification of women at risk for spontaneous preterm birth solely through historical clinical features has been proven to be difficult. In this study, a history of preterm birth was the most significant historical clinical predictor of preterm birth risk, but the historical clinical predictive model performance was not statistically significantly better than the no-skill level. According to our study results, including quantitative ultrasound yields a statistically significant improvement in risk prediction as the pregnancy progresses.

Fair-split distribution of multi-dose vaccines with prioritized age groups and dynamic demand: The case study of COVID-19.

The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and new viral variations with higher transmission and mortality rates have highlighted the urgency to accelerate vaccination to mitigate the morbidity and mortality of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, this paper formulates a new multi-vaccine, multi-depot location-inventory-routing problem for vaccine distribution. The proposed model addresses a wide variety of vaccination concerns: prioritizing age groups, fair distribution, multi-dose injection, dynamic demand, etc. To solve large-size instances of the model, we employ a Benders decomposition algorithm with a number of acceleration techniques. To monitor the dynamic demand of vaccines, we propose a new adjusted susceptible-infectious-recovered (SIR) epidemiological model, where infected individuals are tested and quarantined. The solution to the optimal control problem dynamically allocates the vaccine demand to reach the endemic equilibrium point. Finally, to illustrate the applicability and performance of the proposed model and solution approach, the paper reports extensive numerical experiments on a real case study of the vaccination campaign in France. The computational results show that the proposed Benders decomposition algorithm is 12 times faster, and its solutions are, on average, 16% better in terms of quality than the Gurobi solver under a limited CPU time. In terms of vaccination strategies, our results suggest that delaying the recommended time interval between doses of injection by a factor of 1.5 reduces the unmet demand up to 50%. Furthermore, we observed that the mortality is a convex function of fairness and an appropriate level of fairness should be adapted through the vaccination.

Production-sharing of critical resources with dynamic demand under pandemic situation: The COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 virus's high transmissibility has resulted in the virus's rapid spread throughout the world, which has brought several repercussions, ranging from a lack of sanitary and medical products to the collapse of medical systems. Hence, governments attempt to re-plan the production of medical products and reallocate limited health resources to combat the pandemic. This paper addresses a multi-period production-inventory-sharing problem (PISP) to overcome such a circumstance, considering two consumable and reusable products. We introduce a new formulation to decide on production, inventory, delivery, and sharing quantities. The sharing will depend on net supply balance, allowable demand overload, unmet demand, and the reuse cycle of reusable products. Undeniably, the dynamic demand for products during pandemic situations must be reflected effectively in addressing the multi-period PISP. A bespoke compartmental susceptible-exposed-infectious-hospitalized-recovered-susceptible (SEIHRS) epidemiological model with a control policy is proposed, which also accounts for the influence of people's behavioral response as a result of the knowledge of adequate precautions. An accelerated Benders decomposition-based algorithm with tailored valid inequalities is offered to solve the model. Finally, we consider a realistic case study - the COVID-19 pandemic in France - to examine the computational proficiency of the decomposition method. The computational results reveal that the proposed decomposition method coupled with effective valid inequalities can solve large-sized test problems in a reasonable computational time and 9.88 times faster than the commercial Gurobi solver. Moreover, the sharing mechanism reduces the total cost of the system and the unmet demand on the average up to 32.98% and 20.96%, respectively.

HBoV-1: virus structure, genomic features, life cycle, pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis and clinical manifestations.

The single-stranded DNA virus known as human bocavirus 1 (HBoV-1) is an icosahedral, linear member of the Parvoviridae family. In 2005, it was discovered in nasopharyngeal samples taken from kids who had respiratory tract illnesses. The HBoV genome is 4.7-5.7 kb in total length. The HBoV genome comprises three open-reading frames (ORF1, ORF2, and ORF3) that express structural proteins (VP1, VP2, and VP3), viral non-coding RNA, and non-structural proteins (NS1, NS1-70, NS2, NS3, and NP1) (BocaSR). The NS1 and NP1 are crucial for viral DNA replication and are substantially conserved proteins. Replication of the HBoV-1 genome in non-dividing, polarized airway epithelial cells. In vitro, HBoV-1 infects human airway epithelial cells that are strongly differentiated or polarized. Young children who have HBoV-1 are at risk for developing a wide range of respiratory illnesses, such as the common cold, acute otitis media, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis. The most common clinical symptoms are wheezing, coughing, dyspnea, and rhinorrhea. After infection, HBoV-1 DNA can continue to be present in airway secretions for months. The prevalence of coinfections is considerable, and the clinical symptoms can be more severe than those linked to mono-infections. HBoV-1 is frequently detected in combination with other pathogens in various reports. The fecal-oral and respiratory pathways are more likely to be used for HBoV-1 transmission. HBoV-1 is endemic; it tends to peak in the winter and spring. This Review summarizes the knowledge on HBoV-1.

Phage therapy of antibiotic-resistant strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, opportunities and challenges from the past to the future.

Klebsiella spp. is a commensal gram-negative bacterium and a member of the human microbiota. It is the leading cause of various hospital-acquired infections. The occurrence of multi-drug drug resistance and carbapenemase-producing strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae producing weighty contaminations is growing, and Klebsiella oxytoca is an arising bacterium. Alternative approaches to tackle contaminations led by these microorganisms are necessary as strains enhance opposing to last-stage antibiotics in the way that Colistin. The lytic bacteriophages are viruses that infect and rapidly eradicate bacterial cells and are strain-specific to their hosts. They and their proteins are immediately deliberate as opportunities or adjuncts to antibiotic therapy. There are several reports in vitro and in vivo form that proved the potential use of lytic phages to combat superbug stains of K. pneumoniae. Various reports dedicated that the phage area can be returned to the elimination of multi-drug resistance and carbapenemase resistance isolates of K. pneumoniae. This review compiles our current information on phages of Klebsiella spp. and highlights technological and biological issues related to the evolution of phage-based therapies targeting these bacterial hosts.

Assessment of properties of gluten-based edible film formulated with beeswax and DATEM for hamburger bread coating.

Using edible films and coatings is one of the effective methods of improving the quality of bread. The aim of the present work was the development of gluten-based films containing lipids to be applied as bread coating, intending to improve quality and delay staleness. In this study, two types of lipids including beeswax and DATEM (diacetyl tartaric ester monoglycerides) were incorporated into gluten film at different levels. The findings showed that inserting both lipids together into gluten for film preparation, weakened the developed films in terms of mechanical and moisture barrier properties. Adding DATEM to the gluten film formulae decreased the elongation at the break and the tensile strength of the film. Using gluten-beeswax coatings for hamburger bread, compared to gluten-DATEM coatings, indicated a significant decrease in the hardness and staling feature. Moreover, applying sorbate as a preservative along with the solvents used in the film preparation prevented the growth of mold during the bread shelf life. In conclusion, the findings in this study indicated that the type and levels of lipids added to the edible gluten-based films and coatings affected the film properties and coated hamburger bread quality, significantly.

Clinical, hematological and molecular evaluation of piroplasma and Anaplasma infections in small ruminants and tick vectors from Kurdistan province, western Iran.

Tick-borne haemoparasite infections are a major challenge in small ruminant (SR) production across tropical areas. The present study evaluated the prevalence of Theileria, Babesia and Anaplasma in SRs and their tick vectors and estimated the association between pathogen prevalence with clinical hematological findings among SR populations in Kurdistan province, western Iran. In total, 250 blood samples and 250 tick species (one per animal) were collected from SR populations, along with clinical and hematological examinations. Microscopy of blood smears and molecular analysis were performed to detect potential infection with Theileria, Babesia and Anaplasma. Moreover, haemoparasites were explored in the isolated ticks using semi-nested PCR. Based on microscopy, the prevalence of Theileria, Anaplasma and Babesia infections was 91.2%, 23.2% and 2.4%, respectively. Semi-nested PCR analysis of blood samples demonstrated 86.8%, 78.8% and 14% prevalence for T. ovis, A. ovis and B. ovis, respectively. Dermacentor marginatus and Rhipicephalus turanicus were predominant isolated tick vectors from SR, while D. marginatus was the most contaminated tick in all investigated counties. There were, also, a statistically significant association between the estimated molecular prevalence rates with semi-yellow conjunctiva (A. ovis), body temperature (T. ovis and A. ovis), heart rate (T. ovis and B. ovis), mean white blood cell count (T. ovis and A. ovis), mean red blood cell count (T. ovis and B. ovis), as well as mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration in all haemoparasite infections. Future studies are recommended to reveal the epidemiology of such infections in SRs in Iran.

Effects of green tea phytosome on growth performance and intestinal integrity under coccidiosis infection challenge in broilers.

This research examined the effects of feeding phytosomal green tea on broilers infected with coccidia. To provide phytosome, green tea extract was loaded into soy lecithin. Groups of chicks included uninfected and untreated control (NC), infected and untreated control (PC), infected and treated with salinomycin control (SC), infected and treated with 300 and 400 mL of green tea extract (GTE300, GTE400), infected and treated with 200, 300, 400 and 500 mL of green tea phytosome (GTP200, GTP300, GTP400, and GTP500). At 14-days posthatch, chickens were orally gavaged, except the NC group with a coccidia vaccine 30 times larger than the approved dose. Body weight (BW), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined at 7, 14, 20, 28, 35, and 42 d. The characteristics of the carcass, internal organs and intestinal morphology were assessed on d 42. Applying overdose of coccidiosis vaccine showed experimental Eimeria infection, led to decrease in FI and BW, and increased FCR compared to PC group (P < 0.001). Meanwhile salinomycin, green tea extract, and green tea phytosome compensated the negative effects of Eimeria infection on growth performance. The treatments did not affect carcass, breast, and thigh relative weights. Interestingly, abdominal fat percent was significantly lower in chickens fed GTP300, GTP400, and GTP500 than in those fed GTE300, GTE300, and GTP200 (P < 0.0001). In comparison to the basal diet plus green tea extract forms and NC groups, the PC group increased the relative weights of the liver, spleen, bursa, and pancreas (P < 0.05). The highest values of villus height and villus height to crypt ratio were obtained in duodenum, jejunum and ileum in GTP300 group (P < 0.0001), while, villi diameter in duodenum and ileum decreased the most in GTP300 and GTP500, respectively (P < 0.0001). Consequently, as natural anticoccidial drug delivery systems, 300 mL of green tea phytosome can be introduced as the optimal dose to maximize the benefits of phytosome for intestinal integrity and reduce the consumption of green tea extract.

Predicting Spontaneous Pre-term Birth Risk Is Improved When Quantitative Ultrasound Data Are Included With Historical Clinical Data.

OBJECTIVE: Predicting women at risk for spontaneous pre-term birth (sPTB) has been medically challenging because of the lack of signs and symptoms of pre-term birth until interventions are too late. We hypothesized that prediction of the sPTB risk level is enhanced when using both historical clinical (HC) data and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) data compared with using only HC data. HC data defined herein included birth history prior to that of the current pregnancy as well as, from the current pregnancy, a clinical cervical length assessment and physical examination data. METHODS: The study population included 248 full-term births (FTBs) and 26 sPTBs. QUS scans (Siemens S2000 and MC9-4) were performed by registered diagnostic medical sonographers using a standard cervical length approach. Two cervical QUS scans were conducted at 20 ± 2 and 24 ± 2 wk of gestation. Multiple QUS features were evaluated from calibrated raw radiofrequency backscattered ultrasonic signals. Two statistical models designed to determine sPTB risk were compared: (i) HC data alone and (ii) combined HC and QUS data. Model comparisons included a likelihood ratio test, cross-validated receiver operating characteristic area under the curve, sensitivity and specificity. The study's birth outcomes were only FTBs and sPTBs; medically induced pre-term births were not included. DISCUSSION: Combined HC and QUS data identified women at risk of sPTB with better AUC (0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57-0.78) compared with HC data alone (0.53, 95% CI: 0.40-0.66) and HC data + cervical length at 18-20 wk of gestation (average AUC = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.38-0.64). A likelihood ratio test for significance of QUS features in the classification model was highly statistically significant (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Even with only 26 sPTBs among 274 births, value was added in predicting sPTB when QUS data were included with HC data.

Isolation, characterization, therapeutic potency, and genomic analysis of a novel bacteriophage vB_KshKPC-M against carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains (CRKP) isolated from Ventilator-associated pneumoniae (VAP) infection of COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is a significant clinical problem, given the lack of therapeutic options. The CRKP strains have emerged as an essential worldwide healthcare issue during the last 10 years. Global expansion of the CRKP has made it a significant public health hazard. We must consider to novel therapeutic techniques. Bacteriophages are potent restorative cases against infections with multiple drug-resistant bacteria. The Phages offer promising prospects for the treatment of CRKP infections. OBJECTIVE: In this study, a novel K. pneumoniae phage vB_KshKPC-M was isolated, characterized, and sequenced, which was able to infect and lyse Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae host specifically. METHODS: One hundred clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae were collected from patients with COVID-19 associated with ventilator-associated acute pneumonia hospitalized at Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran, from 2020 to 2021. Initially, all samples were cultured, and bacterial isolates identified by conventional biochemical tests, and then the ureD gene was used by PCR to confirm the isolates. The Antibiotic susceptibility test in the disc diffusion method and Minimum inhibitory concentrations for Colistin was done and interpreted according to guidelines. Phenotypic and molecular methods determined the Carbapenem resistance of isolates. The blaKPC, blaNDM, and blaOXA-23 genes were amplified for this detection. Biofilm determination of CRKP isolates was performed using a quantitative microtiter plate (MTP) method. The phage was isolated from wastewater during the summer season at a specific position from Beheshti Hospital (Kashan, Iran). The sample was processed and purified against the bacterial host, a CRKP strain isolated from a patient suffering from COVID-19 pneumoniae and resistance to Colistin with high potency for biofilm production. This isolate is called Kp100. The separated phages were diluted and titration by the double overlay agar plaque assay. The separate Phage is concentrated with 10% PEG and stored at -80 °C until use. The phage host range was identified by the spot test method. The purified phage morphology was determined using a transmission electron microscope. The phage stability tests (pH and temperature) were analyzed. The effect of cationic ions on phage adsorption was evaluated. The optimal titer of bacteriophage was determined to reduce the concentration of the CRKP strain. One-step growth assays were performed to identify the purified phage burst's latent cycle and size. The SDS-PAGE was used for phage proteins analysis. Phage DNA was extracted by chloroform technique, and the whole genome of lytic phage was sequenced using Illumina HiSeq technology (Illumina, San Diego, CA). For quality assurance and preprocessing, such as trimming, Geneious Prime 2021.2.2 and Spades 3.9.0. The whole genome sequence of the lytic phage is linked to the GenBank database accession number. RASTtk-v1.073 was used to predict and annotate the ORFs. Prediction of ORF was performed using PHASTER software. ResFinder is used to assess the presence of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in the genome. The tRNAs can-SE v2.0.6 is used to determine the presence of tRNA in the genome. Linear genome comparisons of phages and visualization of coding regions were performed using Easyfig 2.2.3 and Mauve 2.4.0. Phage lifestyles were predicted using the program PHACTS. Phylogenetic analysis and amino acid sequences of phage core proteins, such as the major capsid protein. Phylogenies were reconstructed using the Neighbor-Joining method with 1000 bootstrap repeat. HHpred software was used to predict depolymerase. In this study, GraphPad Prism version 9.1 was used for the statistical analysis. Student's t-test was used to compare the sets and the control sets, and the significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: Phage vB_KshKPC-M is assigned to the Siphoviridae, order Caudovirales. It was identified as a linear double-stranded DNA phage of 54,378 bp with 50.08% G + C content, had a relatively broad host range (97.7%), a short latency of 20 min, and a high burst size of 260 PFU/cell, and was maintained stable at different pH (3-11) and temperature (45-65 °C). The vB_KshKPC-M genome contains 91 open-reading frames. No tRNA, antibiotic resistance, toxin, virulence-related genes, or lysogen-forming gene clusters were detected in the phage genome. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that phage vB_KshKPC-M has sequence similarity to the Klebsiella phages, phage 13 (NC_049844.1), phage Sushi (NC_028774.1), phage vB_KpnD_PeteCarol (OL539448.1) and phage PWKp14 (MZ634345.1). CONCLUSION: The broad host range and antibacterial activity make it a promising candidate for future phage therapy applications. The isolated phage was able to lyse most of the antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates. Therefore, this phage can be used alone or as a phage mixture in future studies to control and inhibit respiratory infections caused by these bacteria, especially in treating respiratory infections caused by resistant strains in sick patients.

Monkeypox: An emerging zoonotic pathogen.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV), which belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus, causes zoonotic viral disease. This review discusses the biology, epidemiology, and evolution of MPXV infection, particularly cellular, human, and viral factors, virus transmission dynamics, infection, and persistence in nature. This review also describes the role of recombination, gene loss, and gene gain in MPXV evol-vement and the role of signal transduction in MPXV infection and provides an overview of the current access to therapeutic options for the treatment and prevention of MPXV. Finally, this review highlighted gaps in knowledge and proposed future research endeavors to address the unresolved questions.

An insight to potential application of synbiotic edible films and coatings in food products.

Edible films and coatings have gained significant consideration in recent years due to their low cost and decreasing environmental pollution. Several bioactive compounds can be incorporated into films and coatings, including antioxidants, antimicrobials, flavoring agents, colors, probiotics and prebiotics. The addition of probiotics to edible films and coatings is an alternative approach for direct application in food matrices that enhances their stability and functional properties. Also, it has been noted that the influence of probiotics on the film properties was dependent on the composition, biopolymer structure, and intermolecular interactions. Recently, the incorporation of probiotics along with prebiotic compounds such as inulin, starch, fructooligosaccharide, polydextrose and wheat dextrin has emerged as new bioactive packaging. The simultaneous application of probiotics and prebiotics improved the viability of probiotic strains and elevated their colonization in the intestinal tract and provided health benefits to humans. Moreover, prebiotics created a uniform and compact structure by filling the spaces within the polymer matrix and increased opacity of edible films. The effects of prebiotics on mechanical and barrier properties of edible films was dependent on the nature of prebiotic compounds. This review aims to discuss the concept of edible films and coatings, synbiotic, recent research on synbiotic edible films and coatings as well as their application in food products.

Bi-objective optimization of a stochastic resilient vaccine distribution network in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper develops an approach to optimize a vaccine distribution network design through a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model with two objectives: minimizing the total expected number of deaths among the population and minimizing the total distribution cost of the vaccination campaign. Additionally, we assume that a set of input parameters (e.g., death rate, social contacts, vaccine supply, etc.) is uncertain, and the distribution network is exposed to disruptions. We then investigate the resilience of the distribution network through a scenario-based robust-stochastic optimization approach. The proposed model is linearized and finally validated through a real case study of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in France. We show that the current vaccination strategies are not optimal, and vaccination prioritization among the population and the equity of vaccine distribution depend on other factors than those conceived by health policymakers. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a vaccination strategy mixing the population prioritization and the quarantine restrictions leads to an 8.5% decrease in the total number of deaths.

The epidemiological survey of Coxiella burnetii in small ruminants and their ticks in western Iran.

BACKGROUND: Q fever is one of the most important zoonotic diseases caused by Coxiella burnetii. Although Q fever is an endemic disease in Iran, epidemiological data on C. burnetii infection are not yet complete in reservoirs and vectors in some parts of Iran. This survey investigated C. burnetii infection in small ruminants (sheep and goat blood samples) and their ticks in western Iran (Kurdistan province) in 2020. The presence of C. burnetii DNA was identified in these samples by targeting the IS1111 gene using the quantitative PCR (qPCR) method. RESULTS: Out of 250 blood samples (232 sheep and 18 goats), C. burnetii was detected in two samples (0.8%) belonging to the sheep (0.9%). In addition, 34 of 244 collected ticks (13.9%) from infested animals (244) were positive for C. burnetii infection. The highest prevalence of infection was found in Dermacentor marginatus (18.3%) and Haemaphysalis concinna (12.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that ticks could have a possible role in the epidemiology of Q fever in Iran.

Assessment of BIV1-CovIran inactivated vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibody against the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

OBJECTIVES: The BIV1-CovIran vaccine is highly effective against COVID-19. The neutralizing potency of all SARS-CoV-2 vaccines seems to be decreased against variants of concern. We assessed the sensitivity of the Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), and Delta (B.1.617.2) variants to neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) present in sera from individuals who had received the BIV1-CovIran candidate vaccine compared with an original Wuhan-related strain. METHODS: The ability of vaccine serum to neutralize the variants was measured using the conventional virus neutralization test. The correlation of spike (S) protein antibody and anti-receptor binding domain with neutralizing activity was investigated. RESULTS: The current study demonstrated that 29 of 32 (90.6%; 95% CI: 75.0-98.0) of the vaccinees developed NAbs against a Wuhan-related strain. It is noteworthy that 28 (87.50%) and 24 of 32 (75%) of the recipients were able to produce NAbs against Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants, respectively. Serum virus-neutralizing titres for different SARS-CoV-2 strains were weakly correlated with anti-receptor binding domain antibodies (Spearman r = 36-42, p < 0.05), but not S-binding antibodies (p > 0.05). DISCUSSION: Although there was a reduction in neutralization titres against the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants compared with the Wuhan strain, BIV1-CovIran still exhibited potent neutralizing activity against the SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

Molecular detection of Francisella tularensis in small ruminants and their ticks in western Iran.

Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia an infectious zoonotic disease. We attempted the molecular detecting of F. tularensis in small ruminants and ticks attached to these animals in Kurdistan province (the west of Iran). In this study, 250 blood and 244 tick samples were collected from sheep and goats and were tested for F. tularensis ISFtu2 gene detection using the Real Time-TaqMan PCR method. The collected ticks were morphologically classified as Dermacentor marginatus (67.2%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (12.30%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (10.66%), and Haemaphysalis concinna (9.83%). No positive F. tularensis were identified in animal blood samples. F. tularensis was detected in 2 (0.82%) ticks samples. Positive samples were identified as F. tularensis subsp. holarctica and collected from D. marginatus ticks and Divandareh county. In this study, the presence of F. tularensis in ticks of Kurdistan province was confirmed, the possible role of ticks in the transmission to livestock and human through tick bites in this region should be considered.

Effects of ultrasound on the techno-functional properties of milk proteins: A systematic review.

Techno-functional properties of proteins, including foaming capacity, water holding capacity, solubility, emulsifying properties, and gelling formation, are known to play an important role in food processing technologies and be considered significant contributors in the development of new food products. In recent years, research has proven that ultra-sonication can influence the techno-functional properties of proteins through modification of their molecular structure. In this study, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, ProQuest, and FSTA (Food Science and Technology Abstracts) databases were searched to find all related articles from 2000 to 2021. The results showed that the improving effects of ultrasound on each of the functional properties of proteins is entirely dependent on the ultrasound conditions and the type of ultrasound-treated protein. The results of functional parameters of milk proteins also showed that ultrasound could modify these properties. However, further studies are required to reach conclusive results that permit the employment of ultrasound to improve the techno-functional properties of milk proteins.