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1.
Phytother Res ; 2024 May 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38699839

ABSTRACT

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the physiopathology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which is associated with impaired antioxidant defenses. This study aimed to investigate the effects of curcumin supplementation on serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and disease activity in women with RA. In this clinical trial, 48 women with RA were treated with one capsule of curcumin (500 mg daily) or placebo for 8 weeks. Anthropometric measurements and fasting blood samples were collected at baseline and end of the study. Finally, we assessed the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS-28), dietary intake, and physical activity levels. While curcumin supplementation for 8 weeks significantly increased the serum levels of TAC (p < 0.05), it decreased tender joint counts, swollen joint counts, visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, and DAS-28 compared to the placebo at the end of the study (p < 0.001 for all). MDA levels significantly decreased in the curcumin group (p < 0.05). However, changes in MDA concentration were not significant between groups at the end of the trial (p = 0.145). Curcumin supplementation had a beneficial effect on increasing the serum levels of TAC and decreased DAS-28 in women with RA.

2.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 3971, 2024 Feb 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38368468

ABSTRACT

Reuse of wastewater is one of the ways to develop water resources. In addition to the need for drinking water, many industries also need high-quality water in the production line. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the advanced treatment of the wastewater treatment plant of Morche Khort industrial town using the processes of coagulation, flocculation with aeration, multi-layer filter, and disinfection by ultraviolet radiation to increase the quality of wastewater and reuse it in industries. In this study, to investigate the effect of coagulation and flocculation units along with aeration, filtration, and disinfection by ultraviolet rays (UV), on the quality of the secondary effluent from the wastewater treatment plant of Morche Khort industrial town, they were operated on a pilot scale. Polyaluminum chloride (PAC) was used as a coagulant. Layering of three layers of sand filter, from bottom to top including granulated silica at a height of 10 cm, sand at a height of 20 cm, and activated carbon at a height of 70 cm was used. The input and output sampling points of each unit were considered. By repeating twice in five stages of flow rates of 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 (L/min), the samples were collected to determine COD, TSS, TDS, turbidity, pH, hardness, total coliform, and fecal coliform. Jar test results showed that Alum coagulant works almost the same as PAC in removing turbidity, but the efficiency of removing organic substances by PAC coagulant is higher than that of Alum at lower doses. The results of this study showed that the efficiency of the coagulation and flocculation process in removing turbidity, COD, TSS, TDS, and fat was 56.88%, 46.66%, 38%, 23.19%, and 91.43% respectively. In the current study, the results of the wastewater entering the sand filter showed that the percentage of removal efficiency with a loading rate of 1 (L/min) was turbidity, TSS, COD, TDS, and fat was 16. 93%, 56.84%, 50%, 5.67%, 33.44% respectively. In the UV disinfection unit, the removal efficiency percentage with a loading rate of 1 (L/min) for COD, TSS, turbidity, hardness, total coliform, and fecal coliform is 16%, 3.45%, 3.58%, 5.21%, 99.88%, and 98.37% respectively. Coagulation and flocculation system-multi-layer filter and disinfection can remove chemical-physical and microbial parameters to an acceptable level for using water in advanced purification systems and also for irrigation.

4.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int ; 31(5): 6628-6648, 2024 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38153574

ABSTRACT

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and advanced reduction processes (ARPs) are a set of chemical treatment procedures designed to eliminate organic (sometimes inorganic) contamination in water and wastewater by producing free reactive radicals (FRR). UV irradiation is one of the factors that are effectively used in oxidation-reduction processes. Not only does the UV beam cause the photolysis of contamination, but it also leads to the product of FRR by affecting oxidants-reductant, and the pollutant decomposition occurs by FRR. UV rays produce active radical species indirectly in an advanced redox process by affecting an oxidant (O3, H2O2), persulfate (PS), or reducer (dithionite, sulfite, sulfide, iodide, ferrous). Produced FRR with high redox potential (including oxidized or reduced radicals) causes detoxification and degradation of target contaminants by attacking them. In this review, it was found that ultraviolet radiation is one of the important and practical parameters in redox processes, which can be used to control a wide range of impurities.


Subject(s)
Water Pollutants, Chemical , Water Purification , Hydrogen Peroxide/chemistry , Ultraviolet Rays , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Oxidation-Reduction , Oxidants , Water Purification/methods
5.
Sci Rep ; 13(1): 12421, 2023 Aug 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37528123

ABSTRACT

Sustainable municipal solid waste leachate (MSWL) management requires a paradigm shift from removing contaminants to effectively recovering resources and decreasing contaminants simultaneously. In this study, two types of humic substances, fulvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA) were extracted from MSWL. HA was extracted using HCl and NaOH solution, followed by FA using a column bed under diversified operations such as flow rate, input concentration, and bed height. Also, this work aims to evaluate efficiency of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Dynamic adsorption models in predicting FA. With the flow rate of 0.3 mL/min, bed height of 15.5 cm, and input concentration of 4.27 g/mL, the maximum capacity of FA was obtained at 23.03 mg/g. FTIR analysis in HA and FA revealed several oxygen-containing functional groups including carboxylic, phenolic, aliphatic, and ketone. The high correlation coefficient value (R2) and a lower mean squared error value (MSE) were obtained using the ANN, indicating the superior ability of ANN to predict adsorption capacity compared to traditional modeling.

6.
J Environ Sci Health B ; 58(9): 594-602, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37605342

ABSTRACT

Pesticide residues in the environment have irreparable effects on human health and other organisms. Hence, it is necessary to treat and degrade them from polluted water. In the current work, the electrochemical removal of the fenitrothion (FT), trifluralin (TF), and chlorothalonil (CT) pesticides were performed by catalytic electrode. The characteristics of SnO2-Sb2O3, PbO2, and Bi-PbO2 electrodes were described by FE-SEM and XRD. Dynamic electrochemical techniques including cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, accelerated life, and linear polarization were employed to investigate the electrochemical performance of fabricated electrodes. Moreover, evaluate the risk of toxic metals release from the catalytic electrode during treatment process was investigated. The maximum degradation efficiency of 99.8, 100, and 100% for FT, TF, and CT was found under the optimal condition of FT, TF, and CT concentration 15.0 mg L-1, pH 7.0, current density 7.0 mA cm-2, and electrolysis time of 120 min. The Bi-PbO2, PbO2, and SnO2-Sb2O3 electrodes revealed the oxygen evolution potential of 2.089, 1.983, 1.914 V, and the service lifetime of 82, 144, and 323 h, respectively. The results showed that after 5.0 h of electrolysis, none of the heavy metals such as Bi, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Ti were detected in the treated solution.


Subject(s)
Fenitrothion , Trifluralin , Humans , Electrodes , Risk Assessment , Delivery of Health Care , Water
7.
Immunol Med ; 46(4): 175-181, 2023 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37073815

ABSTRACT

The current study aims to investigate the relationship betweSen serum IL-17 (IL-17) levels and systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLE-DAEI) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. In this case-control study, 36 patients with SLE and 40 healthy individuals matched for age and sex were included as the control group. The study measured serum IL-17 in both groups. The correlation between serum IL-17 with disease activity (as per SLE-DAI) and organ involvement in SLE patients. The case group in this study consisted of 4 males and 32 females with a mean age of 35 (17-54) years old, and the control group included six males and 34 females with a mean age of 37 (25-53) years old (p = .35). Serum IL-17 was higher in the cases than in the controls (536 pg/mL vs. 110 pg/mL; p < .001). There was a positive correlation between the serum levels of IL-17 and disease activity index (p < .001, rho = 0.93) among cases. Additionally, the serum levels of IL-17 were higher in patients with renal (p = .003) or central nervous system involvement (p < .001) than in patients without such involvement. Serum Il-17 is associated with SLE, and its serum levels correlate positively with the disease activity and renal and nervous system involvement.


Subject(s)
Interleukin-17 , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic , Male , Female , Humans , Adult , Adolescent , Young Adult , Middle Aged , Case-Control Studies , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/complications , Kidney , Severity of Illness Index
8.
Chemosphere ; 311(Pt 1): 137001, 2023 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36419269

ABSTRACT

In this work, modified Bi-PbO2 electrode was fabricated and employed for simultaneous degradation of fenitrothion (FT), trifluralin (TF), and chlorothalonil (CT) from synthetic and pesticide wastewater through the anodic oxidation process. A novel high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed and optimized to identify the pesticides simultaneously. Quadratic models were developed to investigate the effects of main operating parameters and predict the degradation efficiencies of the treatment processes. The R2 of the degradation efficiencies were obtained of 0.9847, 0.9910, and 0.9821 for FT, TF, and CT, respectively, which indicates the degree of conformity between the experimental and the actual values of degradation efficiencies, and the adjusted R2 values for the degradation efficiency of FT, TF, and CT in proposed models were 0.9826, 0.9898, and 0.9796, and the values of the predicted R2 were 0.9792, 0.9875, and 0.9755, respectively. The maximum degradation efficiencies of 99.7, 100, and 100% obtained for FT, TF, and CT, respectively, under the optimal operating condition of FT, TF, and CT concentration of 10.0, 6.0, and 8.0 mg L-1, respectively, pH 6.0, the current density 6.0 mA cm-2, and electrolysis time of 60 min. Chemical oxygen demand removal and energy consumption were 64.7% and 5.1 kWh m-3. Eventually, the generated intermediates and other produced species of pesticides through the treatment process was evaluated using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method, and their degradation pathways were proposed.


Subject(s)
Pesticides , Titanium , Electrodes , Trifluralin , Fenitrothion
9.
Clin Case Rep ; 10(9): e6288, 2022 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36093464

ABSTRACT

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease and may be associated with many autoimmune conditions. Hypoparathyroidism is a rare disease. The leading cause of hypoparathyroidism is postsurgical hypoparathyroidism. However, hypoparathyroidism as an initial presentation of SLE is still a rare condition. Here, we report a case of SLE presented with hypoparathyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

10.
Environ Monit Assess ; 194(8): 533, 2022 Jun 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35763174

ABSTRACT

Heavy metals are threatening the lives of people around the world. This study aims to quantify the adverse health risks of seven heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, lead, manganese, and nickel in taxi drivers in an urban desert city, Yazd, Iran. The exposure concentrations were determined through air sampling in the breathing zone of 40 randomly selected intercity taxi drivers, 20 in winter and 20 in summer, in 2019. An ICP-MAS spectrometer was applied to measure the elements. Target hazard quotient (THQ) and excessive cancer risk (ECR) indices were applied to calculate the non-cancer and cancer risks based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) guidelines, respectively. The results showed that arsenic and lead had the highest exposure concentrations among the seven measured heavy metals while cobalt and chromium metals had the lowest concentrations. Arsenic, cadmium, manganese, and nickel would probably cause some adverse non-carcinogenic health problems (THQ > 1) in the drivers over their working life. The percentile 95% ECR of measured heavy metals was 1.3E - 03 in total, which is much higher than the value of 1E - 06. The concentration of arsenic and nickel was higher in winter than in summer. Taxi drivers in Yazd city are at considerable health risk; therefore, swift and serious controlling measures should be taken by responsible authorities. Besides, the taxi drivers should be educated about heavy metals' health effects and their protective behaviors.


Subject(s)
Arsenic , Metals, Heavy , Arsenic/analysis , Cadmium , Chromium , Cobalt , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Humans , Manganese , Metals, Heavy/analysis , Nickel , Risk Assessment , United States
11.
Phytother Res ; 36(4): 1797-1806, 2022 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35178811

ABSTRACT

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to cartilage damage with mostly accompanied by metabolic disorders. This study aimed to investigate the effects of curcumin supplementation on metabolic parameters (lipid profile and glycemic indices), inflammatory factors, visfatin levels, and obesity values in women with RA. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 48 women with RA. The patients were treated with curcumin (500 mg once a day) or placebo for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples, anthropometric measurements, dietary intakes, and physical activity levels of subjects were collected at baseline and the end of the study. Curcumin supplementation significantly decreased homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and triglycerides, weight, body mass index, and waist circumference of patients compared with the placebo at the end of the study (p < .05 for all). HOMA-IR and triglyceride levels significantly increased within the placebo group. Changes in fasting blood sugar, insulin, other lipids profile, and visfatin levels were not significant in any of the groups (p > .05). These results support the consumption of curcumin, as a part of an integrated approach to modulate metabolic factors, inflammation, and adiposity in women with RA.


Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid , Curcumin , Insulin Resistance , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy , Blood Glucose , Curcumin/pharmacology , Curcumin/therapeutic use , Dietary Supplements , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Male , Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase , Obesity/drug therapy
12.
Clin Rheumatol ; 41(4): 1033-1044, 2022 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34766228

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Stachys schtschegleevii (SSC) is a herbal medicine used to treat infections. To date, this is the first study aimed to investigate the effects of SSC tea on disease activity score (DAS), serum inflammatory biomarkers and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1 and MMP-3) among women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: This pilot, triple-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted among forty-four women (age: 30-65 years) diagnosed with moderately active RA. Subjects were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) into either SSC group (2.4 g/day SSC + 2.4 g/day black tea, n=22) or placebo (2.4 g/day black tea, n=22) for 8 weeks. Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), and MMPs were measured using ELISA. According to the American College of Rheumatology guideline considering hs-CRP, DAS28 was assessed. RESULTS: Both study groups had respondent rates above 94.9%. The SSC intervention caused significant reductions in the number and the percent changes of the tender joints (SSC: -74.39% vs. placebo: -57.15%, mean differences= -0.77; P<0.05) and DAS28 [SSC: -32.44% vs. placebo: -22.32%, mean differences= -0.41, P<0.05). Unlike the intervention within SSC group that showed significant reductions in the mean serum levels of hs-CRP, IL-1ß, and MMP-3, SSC caused significant MMP-3 reductions (SSC: -20.59% vs. placebo: 1.29%, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The SSC intervention showed an appropriate clinical efficacy for female RA patients, accompanying remarkable reductions in the number of tender and swollen joints, DAS28, and serum levels of MMP-3. This can provide additional insights to the interventional studies controlling RA-related pathological and inflammatory outcomes. Trial registration Prospectively registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT), linked to the WHO Registry Network ( https://en.irct.ir/trial/11602 , IRCT registration number: IRCT2015032011335N5, Registration date:2015-05-12). Key Points • Stachys schtschegleevii improved clinical outcomes and attenuated disease severity in RA patients. • Stachys schtschegleevii ameliorated serum level of MMP-3 in RA patients.


Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid , Stachys , Adult , Aged , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Iran , Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 , Middle Aged , Severity of Illness Index , Tea
13.
Sci Rep ; 11(1): 17906, 2021 09 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34504114

ABSTRACT

In general, ecological findings indicate a positive correlation between MS and the intake of certain foods. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between radon (Rn) gas concentration and nutrition of patients in food groups with MS. Demographic information, diet, and building characteristics were collected by a questionnaire. Indoors Rn gas was measured using CR-39 detectors. Three models were used in the study of food intake. The interaction analysis between MS prevalence, diet, residential building characteristics, and Rn gas content was performed using SPSS 2020. The total Rn was significantly associated with cooling devices (P = 0.021). Buildings > 20 years had higher Rn concentrations than buildings < 20 years (P = 0.038). Also, no significant relationship was found between Rn-total and MS concentrations, but the total Rn concentration was higher in people homes with MS. Case group used more processed meat than the control (P < 0.001). The case group consumed more butter than the control, which was significant in Model III (P < 0.04). Tomato consumption in the case group was significantly higher than the control (P < 0.03). According to the results there was no interaction between Rn gas concentration in any of the food groups in each cases. However, future studies with larger sample sizes will be needed prospectively.


Subject(s)
Air Pollutants, Radioactive/toxicity , Air Pollution, Indoor/adverse effects , Multiple Sclerosis , Radon/toxicity , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Female , Housing , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Multiple Sclerosis/chemically induced , Multiple Sclerosis/epidemiology , Nutritional Status , Prevalence , Radiation Monitoring , Residence Characteristics
14.
Sci Rep ; 11(1): 16937, 2021 08 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34417486

ABSTRACT

This study was aimed to investigate the air pollutants impact on heart patient's hospital admission rates in Yazd for the first time. Modeling was done by time series, multivariate linear regression, and artificial neural network (ANN). During 5 years, the mean concentrations of PM10, SO2, O3, NO2, and CO were 98.48 µg m-3, 8.57 ppm, 19.66 ppm, 18.14 ppm, and 4.07 ppm, respectively. The total number of cardiovascular disease (CD) patients was 12,491, of which 57% and 43% were related to men and women, respectively. The maximum correlation of air pollutants was observed between CO and PM10 (R = 0.62). The presence of SO2 and NO2 can be dependent on meteorological parameters (R = 0.48). Despite there was a positive correlation between age and CD (p = 0.001), the highest correlation was detected between SO2 and CD (R = 0.4). The annual variation trend of SO2, NO2, and CO concentrations was more similar to the variations trend in meteorological parameters. Moreover, the temperature had also been an effective factor in the O3 variation rate at lag = 0. On the other hand, SO2 has been the most effective contaminant in CD patient admissions in hospitals (R = 0.45). In the monthly database classification, SO2 and NO2 were the most prominent factors in the CD (R = 0.5). The multivariate linear regression model also showed that CO and SO2 were significant contaminants in the number of hospital admissions (R = 0.46, p = 0.001) that both pollutants were a function of air temperature (p = 0.002). In the ANN nonlinear model, the 14, 12, 10, and 13 neurons in the hidden layer were formed the best structure for PM, NO2, O3, and SO2, respectively. Thus, the Rall rate for these structures was 0.78-0.83. In these structures, according to the autocorrelation of error in lag = 0, the series are stationary, which makes it possible to predict using this model. According to the results, the artificial neural network had a good ability to predict the relationship between the effect of air pollutants on the CD in a 5 years' time series.


Subject(s)
Air Pollution/analysis , Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology , Neural Networks, Computer , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Air Pollutants/analysis , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Geography , Hospitalization , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Iran/epidemiology , Linear Models , Male , Middle Aged , Multivariate Analysis , Patient Admission , Seasons , Time Factors , Young Adult
15.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int ; 28(46): 65945-65951, 2021 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34327641

ABSTRACT

Regular monitoring and measurement of Legionella in tower water and preventive measures against contamination are particularly important in hospitals. This study aimed at risk assessment and disease burden because of legionella presence in cooling towers of Iran's central hospitals. Then its correlation with temperature, pH, turbidity, residual chlorine, and EC was investigated by the Pearson test. The health risk and burden of diseases caused by Legionella exposure were determined using QMRA and DALY models. Statistical analysis and modeling were performed in MATLAB2018. Of the total samples, 30-43% was infected with Legionella. The mean concentrations in hospital A and B were 5-102.5 ± 10 and 5-89.7 ± 0.7 CFU/L, respectively. Among environmental factors, turbidity and pH were the most effective factors in increasing and decreasing Legionella concentration, respectively. According to the QMRA model, the risks of Legionella infections and annual mortality in both hospitals were 0.2-0.3, 0-0.19, 2-2.9 × 10-5, and 0-0.7 × 10-5, respectively, which was higher than the acceptable risk range for Legionella (10-4-10-7). However, the trend of its change was negatively correlated with time (RB = - 0.77). According to the results, the concentration of Legionella and the exposure risk in both hospitals were higher than the permissible range, which is necessary to decrease to 0.1 current concentrations.


Subject(s)
Legionella pneumophila , Legionella , Cost of Illness , Hospitals , Iran , Risk Assessment , Water Microbiology
16.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int ; 28(7): 8907-8914, 2021 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33078352

ABSTRACT

Long-term inhalation of radon gas can cause harm to humans and lead to many diseases. One of these diseases is multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common chronic disease of the central nervous system, which alters the brain structure and impedes the rapid transmission of nerve signals throughout the neuron system. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship of the radon gas concentration in residential homes of MS and non-MS individuals with their results of paraclinical MRI and VEP in Yazd City, Iran. The radon gas concentration was measured in residential homes of 44 people with MS and 100 healthy people. To this end, the questionnaire of radon gas monitoring in residential buildings was administered, and the radon gas concentration was measured by CR-39 detectors. The mean radon concentrations in the homes of MS and non-MS people were 69.51 and 70.83, respectively. A significant positive relationship was found between radon concentration and building's age (P = 0.038). Furthermore, radon concentration had a significant inverse relationship with the building's ventilation (P = 0.053) and cooling systems (P = 0.021). No significant relationship was observed between total radon concentration and MS incidence (P = 0.88). Moreover, no significant correlation was found between radon concentration and location of the plaque in MRI test results of the patients. However, it showed an inverse non-significant correlation with the plaque's number (r = - 0.12, P = 0.42). Further studies in this area are recommended.


Subject(s)
Air Pollutants, Radioactive , Air Pollution, Indoor , Multiple Sclerosis , Radiation Monitoring , Radon , Air Pollutants, Radioactive/analysis , Air Pollution, Indoor/analysis , Cities , Evoked Potentials , Housing , Humans , Iran , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Radon/analysis
17.
J Environ Health Sci Eng ; 18(2): 403-412, 2020 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33312569

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Transmission of pathogens such as fecal coliforms is regarded as a significant concern about using livestock manure in agricultural applications. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of vermicomposting on fecal coliforms in cow manure containing co-trimoxazole as a widely used drug for cow diseases in animal husbandry. METHODS: Adaptation process of earthworms was carried out in two phases for 6 weeks; then, the main process was fulfilled in 9 weeks. The final weight of cow manure per reactor was 3.5 kg. 120 g of earthworms added to each reactor (approximately 280-300 numbers in the reactor). Co-trimoxazole was also prepared with a purity of 99% from Pakdarou Co., Iran, and added to the reactors at concentrations of 10, 20, 50, and100mg/kg. Organic carbon, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio, as well as phosphorus content of the reactors were measured. Fecal coliforms and parasite eggs were counted using standard laboratory methods (i.e. the Iranian Compost Standard) for 8 weeks. RESULTS: The results revealed a decrease in organic carbon, C:N ratio, and co-trimoxazole content but a rising trend in TKN and phosphorus levels. The weight of earthworms also increased at the end of the process in all reactors, except for one case. A significant reduction was observed in fecal coliforms and parasite eggs at the end of the vermicomposting. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, earthworms could be active in cow manure vermicomposting including 10-100 mg/kg concentration of co-trimoxazole antibiotic. The vermicomposting seems to be an effective method for reducing fecal coliforms and parasites in cow manure. As well, co-trimoxazole in common concentration could not have any effects on the ability of earthworms. At the end of the vermicomposting, all parameters were placed within the ICS (National) - Grade 1.

19.
Avicenna J Phytomed ; 10(2): 181-189, 2020.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32257890

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent oral and genital aphthous ulcers, uveitis and skin lesions. Oxidative stress and inflammation have important role in the pathogenesis of BD. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Nigella sativa (NS) oil administration on malondialdehyde (MDA), total anti-oxidant capacity (TAC), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-10 and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs- CRP) levels in patients with BD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trial, 96 BD patients were randomly assigned to NS or placebo groups. Study groups received 1000 mg/day NS oil and placebo soft gels for 8 weeks. Serum levels of TNF-α, IL-10, hs-CRP, MDA and TAC were measured before and after treatment. RESULTS: Eighty-nine individuals completed the study. Significant decreases in the serum levels of MDA and increases in the serum levels of TAC were found in the NS group. However, differences in the changes of MDA and TAC in the NS and placebo groups were not significant. Pre- and post-intervention changes of TNF-α, IL-10 and hs-CRP levels in the NS group were non-significant. CONCLUSION: NS 1000 mg per day is probably not effective in reducing the inflammatory and oxidative markers in BD.

20.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int ; 27(14): 16350-16361, 2020 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32124296

ABSTRACT

This case-control study aimed to investigate the relationship of indoor radon gas concentration and residential building characteristics with mental health with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Yazd City, Iran. The participants included 45 patients with MS and 100 healthy individuals. The participants' socio-economic status and residential building characteristics were investigated using a questionnaire. The radon gas concentration was also measured by CR-39 detectors over a 6-month period. Furthermore, the participants' mental health data were collected using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The mean concentrations of radon gas were 66.77 and 65.33 Bq/m3 in the homes of patients with MS and healthy individuals, respectively, but the difference was not significant (p = 0.882). However, the radon gas concentration had a significant relationship with the building's age (p = 0.038), ventilation (p = 0.053), and cooling system (p = 0.021). A significant difference was observed between the two study groups in terms of the mental health (p = 0.018), depression (p = 0.037), somatic symptoms (p ≤ 0.001), and physical activity (p = 0.030). Since the indoor radon gas concentration did not have any significant relationship with MS prevalence, more studies are required in this regard, especially in long-term exposure.


Subject(s)
Air Pollutants, Radioactive/analysis , Air Pollution, Indoor/analysis , Multiple Sclerosis , Radiation Monitoring , Radon/analysis , Case-Control Studies , Cities , Housing , Humans , Iran
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