Assessing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the performance indicators of safety management using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in an electricity industry.

Introduction: The importance of evaluating the performance of different management systems in industries necessitates examining the performance of the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) management system along with other management systems. Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a greater need than ever to assess the impact of the COVID-19 spread on the performance of the HSE management system compared to before this pandemic. This research aims to investigate safety performance indicators (SPIs) on the performance of the HSE management system and the impact of the COVID-19 spread on these indicators. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted to evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on the safety performance to revise the industry safety index in an electricity distribution company using the multi-criteria decision-making method before and after the disease epidemic in three stages. In the first part, the safety indicators were identified according to the comprehensive safety indicators available in the industries and experts' opinions. In the second part, safety indicators were ranked, weighted, and prioritized using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). In the third part, these indicators were calculated and compared in the periods before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. Results: Two main criteria, namely the "effectiveness criterion" and the "applicability/calculation criterion", were identified for the evaluation and pairwise comparisons of performance indicators. Among these two criteria, the applicability/calculation criterion had higher priority and importance for the evaluation of indicators. Pairwise comparisons of the indicators indicated that the "accident frequency rate" and "safe T-factor" indicators (with weights of 0.238 and 0.023 respectively) had the highest and lowest priorities, respectively, for the assessment of organizational safety performance among the SPIs. Conclusion: Based on the calculations of the indicators and their analyses before and after the outbreak of COVID-19, the current status of the safety performance of the HSE unit was not significantly affected by this pandemic. However, the investigations carried out while collecting the data needed to calculate the indicators and evaluate the performance of this unit demonstrated that some indicators were not considered sufficiently in the studied electricity industry. Since conducting regular performance evaluations greatly impacts the achievement of continuous improvement, more attention should be paid to compiled indicators, which should be periodically assessed in the organization to achieve continuous improvement.

SPAAC Pulse-Chase: A Novel Click Chemistry-Based Method to Determine the Half-Life of Cellular Proteins.

Assessing the stability and degradation of proteins is central to the study of cellular biological processes. Here, we describe a novel pulse-chase method to determine the half-life of cellular proteins that overcomes the limitations of other commonly used approaches. This method takes advantage of pulse-labeling of nascent proteins in living cells with the bioorthogonal amino acid L-azidohomoalanine (AHA) that is compatible with click chemistry-based modifications. We validate this method in both mammalian and yeast cells by assessing both over-expressed and endogenous proteins using various fluorescent and chemiluminescent click chemistry-compatible probes. Importantly, while cellular stress responses are induced to a limited extent following live-cell AHA pulse-labeling, we also show that this response does not result in changes in cell viability and growth. Moreover, this method is not compromised by the cytotoxicity evident in other commonly used protein half-life measurement methods and it does not require the use of radioactive amino acids. This new method thus presents a versatile, customizable, and valuable addition to the toolbox available to cell biologists to determine the stability of cellular proteins.

Semi-Synthesis of New 1,2,3-Triazole Derivatives of 9-Bromonoscapine and their Anticancer Activities.

Novel 1,2,3-triazole-tethered 9-bromonoscapine derivatives were synthesized by the propargylation of N-nornoscapine followed by Huisgen's 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the terminal alkynes with different azides. Cytotoxicity of the products was studied by MTT assay against the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Most of the compounds revealed a better cytotoxicity than N-nornoscapine and 9-bromonornoscapine as the parent compounds. Among the synthesized compounds, those with a hydroxylated aliphatic side chain (5p, 5q, and 5r) showed the highest activities (IC50s: 47.2, 37.9, and 32.3 µg/mL, respectively). Molecular docking studies showed that these compounds also had the highest docking scores and effective interactions with binding sites equal to -8.074, -7.425 and -7.820 kcal/mol, respectively.

The Association Between Demographic Characteristics and Attempting of Pregnancy with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety Among Women Referring to Community Health Centres: A Cross Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety are considered as a risk factor for mother and infant health. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the association between demographic characteristics and pregnancies with PPD and anxiety. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 Iranian women referring to health centres of the Zarand City four weeks to six months from the date of their childbirth, in the first half of 2018. RESULT: The results showed that employed women with pregnancies who were categorised as depression and anxiety were more likely to have low gestational age, food insecurity, several deliveries, cesarean delivery and unintended pregnancy as well as they were not satisfied with their infant's gender. Also, women with several deliveries had lower risk for PPD before and after adjustment for confounders (odds ratio [OR] = 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.88-0.97, P < 0.001) and had lower risk for postpartum anxiety only after adjustment for confounders (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.75-0.89, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Eventually, demographic characteristics and attempting of pregnancy were independently associated with PPD and postpartum anxiety in women. There need to be more social and governmental support of employed women after delivery to decrease their occupational stresses to deal with PPD and anxiety in the studied population.

Inhibitory Effect of Viola odorata Extract on Tumor Growth and Metastasis in 4T1 Breast Cancer Model.

Viola odorata as a medical herb is used in liver disorders and relieving cancer pain. In the present study, the cytotoxic, antioxidant, and anti-metastatic properties of Viola odorata hydro-alcoholic extract (VOE) were investigated in 4T1 breast cancer model. After treatment of 4T1 breast cancer cells with VOE, cell viability was measured by MTT assay. The implanted mice were treated with different concentration of VOE (50, 150 and 250 mg/kg) for 21 days. Levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), γ -glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cancer antigen 15-3(CA15-3) in serum, and also catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in tumor tissue were measured. Metastatic rate was investigated in liver, spleen and lung tissues. VOE decreased cell viability of 4T1 cells, significantly. VOE significantly inhibited the cell proliferation, but not vasculature in the tumors that revealed by immunohistochemical analysis for Ki-67 and CD31 expression, respectively. VOE increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in VOE250-treated group compared to control group. Serum analysis showed that treatment with 250 mg/kg of VOE significantly reduced LDH (not ALP and GGT) levels compared to controls. No linear correlation was found between the values of CEA and CA15-3 with tumor size. The rate of CAT activity was increased in VOE250-treated rats whereas, CAT and SOD activities were reduced in VOE50 group. VOE250 significantly decreased the metastatic rate in liver and lung compared to the other doses of VOE. Consequently, Viola odorata has cytotoxic effects on 4T1 cells and affects antioxidant activity and metastasis in breast cancer.

Labdane Diterpenoids from Salvia leriifolia: Absolute Configuration, Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities.

Fractionation of an n-hexane extract of the aerial parts of Salvia leriifolia led to the isolation of two new (1, 2) and two known (3, 4) labdane diterpenoids, together with three other known compounds. The structures were established by a combination of 1D and 2D NMR, and HRESIMS. The structures of 1 and 3 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The absolute configuration of 1-4 was established by electronic circular dichroism spectroscopy. Compounds 1-4 were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Labdanes 3 and 4 were additionally tested against MDA-MB231 human breast cancer and DU-145 human prostate cancer cell lines. Compound 4 showed IC50 values of 25, 50, and 50 µM against MCF-7, MDA-MB231, and DU-145 cells, respectively. Compounds 1-4 were tested for activity against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. Compound 3 showed an MIC of 213 µM against methicillin-resistant S. aureus.

Combination of siRNA-directed gene silencing with epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) reverses drug resistance in human breast cancer cells.

Elevated expression of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a nuclear transcription factor, is a frequent genetic abnormality seen in this malignancy and is an important contributor to chemoresistance in cancer therapy. In the present study, we investigated if Nrf2 was associated with drug resistance in tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 (MCF-7/TAM) cells, and whether EGCG, major flavonoid isolated from green tea, could reverse drug resistance in MCF-7/TAM cells. Our results showed that the endogenous expression of Nrf2 as well as its target proteins heme oxygenase-1, NADP (H):quinone oxidoreductase in MCF-7/TAM cells was higher than that in MCF-7 cells. Epicatechin gallate (EGCG) significantly sensitizes MCF-7/TAM cells to tamoxifen and dramatically reduced Nrf2 expression at both the messenger RNA and protein, leading to a reduction of Nrf2-downstream genes. In addition, using siRNA technique, we found that the intracellular Nrf2 protein level was significantly decreased in MCF-7/TAM cells and tamoxifen resistance was partially reversed by Nrf2 siRNA. Combination of siRNA-directed gene silencing with EGCG downregulated the Nrf2-dependent response and partly reversed tamoxifen resistance in MCF-7/TAM cells in a synergic manner. These results suggested that combining the chemotherapeutic effect of EGCG with siRNA-mediated Nrf2 knock-down results in the feasibility of using Nrf2 inhibitors to increase efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs.

Viola plant cyclotide vigno 5 induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis via cytochrome C release and caspases activation in cervical cancer cells.

Cyclotides describe a unique cyclic peptide family that displays a broad range of biological activities including uterotonic, anti-bacteria, anti-cancer and anti-HIV. The vigno cyclotides consist of vigno 1-10 were reported recently from Viola ignobilis. In the present study, we examined the effects of vigno 5, a natural cyclopeptide from V. ignobilis, on cervical cancer cells and the underlying mechanisms. We found that vigno 5-treated Hela cells were killed off by apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner within 24h, and were characterized by the appearance of nuclear shrinkage, cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and DNA fragmentation. The mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis revealed that cytochrome C is released from mitochondria to cytosol, associated with the activation of caspase-9 and -3, and the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Overall, the results indicate that vigno 5 induces apoptosis in part via the mitochondrial pathway, which is associated with a release of cytochrome C and elevated activity of caspase-9 and -3 in Hela cells.

Seco-ursane-type Triterpenoids from Salvia urmiensis with Apoptosis-inducing Activity.

Fractionation of an acetone extract of the aerial parts of Salvia urmiensis led to the isolation of a new (1) and a known (2) E-seco-ursane-type triterpenoid, together with four other known compounds. Their structures were established by 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance as well as high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The effect of compounds 1 and 2 on cell viability of HeLa and HepG2 cells was investigated with the MTT assay. We also report the mechanism of action of compound 2 as a potential anticancer agent in HeLa cells. Bcl-2, Bax, and caspases signaling pathway expression in HeLa cells was analyzed. HeLa cells treated with compound 2 were assayed for the cleavage of poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase and DNA fragmentation resulting in nuclear shrinkage. Taken together, these results suggest that treatment of HeLa cells with compound 2 can induce apoptosis by regulating Bcl-2 family members and by suppressing caspase cascade activation.

Anticancer effect of calycopterin via PI3K/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways, ROS-mediated pathway and mitochondrial dysfunction in hepatoblastoma cancer (HepG2) cells.

Calycopterin is a flavonoid compound isolated from Dracocephalum kotschyi that has multiple medical uses, as an antispasmodic, analgesic, anti-hyperlipidemic, and immunomodulatory agents. However, its biological activity and the mechanism of action are poorly investigated. Herein, we investigated the apoptotic effect of calycopterin against the human hepatoblastoma cancer cell (HepG2) line. We discovered that calycopterin-treated HepG2 cells were killed off by apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner within 24 h, and was characterized by the appearance of nuclear shrinkage, cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and DNA fragmentation. Calycopterin treatment also affected HepG2 cell viability: (a) by inhibiting cell cycle progression at the G2/M transition leading to growth arrest and apoptosis; (b) by decreasing the expression of mitotic kinase cdc2, mitotic phosphatase cdc25c, mitotic cyclin B1, and apoptotic factors pro-caspases-3 and -9; and (c) increasing the levels of mitochondrial apoptotic-related proteins, intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species, and nitric oxide. We further examined the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK 1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p-38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and found they all were significantly increased in HepG2 cells treated with calycopterin. Interestingly, we discovered that treated cells had significantly lower Akt phosphorylation. This mode of action for calycopterin in our study provides strong support that inhibition of PI3K/Akt and activation of MAPKs are pivotal in G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of human hepatocarcinoma cells mediated by calycopterin.

Naringenin attenuates CCl4 -induced hepatic inflammation by the activation of an Nrf2-mediated pathway in rats.

The possible protective effects of naringenin, a naturally occurring citrus flavonone, on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 )-induced liver injury in rats and the mechanism underlying its effects were investigated. Forty rats were divided into five groups. Rats in Groups I and II served as the normal and injured liver groups, respectively; Group III rats were treated with the standard drug silymarin as a positive control; and rats in Groups IV and V (naringenin-treated groups) were administrated 50 mg/kg, p.o., naringenin for 7 days. Liver samples were collected to evaluate mRNA and protein expression, histological changes and oxidative stress. Naringenin inhibited lipid peroxidation and reduced serum levels of hepatic enzymes induced by CCl4 . In addition, naringenin increased the liver content of reduced glutathione and the activity of anti-oxidant enzymes in rats treated with CCl4 . Naringenin attenuated liver inflammation by downregulating CCl4 -induced activation of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclo-oxygenase (COX-2) at both the protein and mRNA levels. Naringenin treatment significantly increased NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase (HO-1) expression in injured livers. In rats treated with CCl4 alone, decreases were seen in nuclear Nrf2 expression and in the mRNA levels of its target genes (e.g. HO-1, NQO1 and glutathione S-transferase alpha 3 (GST-a3)). Together, the results suggest that naringenin can protect the liver against oxidative stress, presumably by activating the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 as well as attenuating the TNF-α pathway to elicit an anti-inflammatory response in liver tissue.

Oxidative stress protective effect of Dracocephalum multicaule essential oil against human cancer cell line.

In this study, we report the antioxidative and protective effect of essential oil of Dracocephalum multicaule on K562 cells. Our results demonstrated that monoterpenoids, including oxygenated and hydrocarbons, 71.5% and 28.3%, respectively, were the principal essential oils of D. multicaule. Perilla aldehyde (71.5%) and limonene (28.1%) were identified as the main components. Antioxidant studies based on the 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl assay indicated that the D. multicaule essential oil possesses a marked antioxidant and radical-scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 438.2 µg/mL. Pretreatment with essential oil and main constituents protected K562 cells 49.5% against H2O2-induced oxidative damage throughout increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and glutathione content in K562 cells. Collectively, D. multicaule essential oil and its main compounds especially in combinatory condition at a ratio of 7:3 with high antioxidant properties may be able to protect cells against oxidative stress induced by H2O2 through antioxidative mechanisms.

A lupane triterpenoid and other constituents of Salvia eremophila.

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of Salvia eremophila led to the isolation of a lupane triterpenoid, 3ß, 20-dihydroxylupane-28-oic acid (1), together with eight other compounds, comprising three diterpene, two triterpene, two flavonoids and a steroidal glucoside. Their structures were elucidated by interpretation of their one-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR spectra and completed by the analysis of the HRESIMS data. Compounds 1, 2-4 and 8 were evaluated for their cytotoxicities against five human tumour cell lines. Compounds 1 and 3 hold a good potential for use in future studies due to their anti-cancer properties.

Neuroprotective effect of Salvia sahendica is mediated by restoration of mitochondrial function and inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Herein, we investigated the protective effect of Salvia sahendica against H(2)O(2)-induced cell death in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Our data show that S. sahendica blocks apoptosis pathway by inhibition of cytochrome c release from mitochondria and leakage of calcium from endoplasmic reticulum. It also activates/inactivates two members of Bcl-2 family, Bax and Bcl-2. Bax inhibition and Bcl-2 activation suppress release of cytochrome c from mitochondria that prevents cleavage of caspase-3. Besides S. sahendica suppresses ER stress via attenuation of intracellular levels of calcium. Suppression of ER stress decreased calpain activation and subsequently cleavage of caspase-12. Altogether, these results indicate that S. sahendica protects PC12 cells treated with H(2)O(2) via suppression of upstream factors of apoptosis pathway. While oxidative stress is an early event in Alzheimer disease, it seems that S. sahendica prevents deleterious effects of reactive oxygen species by stabilizing mitochondrial membranes and inhibiting ER stress.

Chemical composition analysis, antioxidant, antiglycating activities and neuroprotective effects of S. choloroleuca, S. mirzayanii and S. santolinifolia from Iran.

This study was designed to examine antioxidant activities, antiglycating abilities and neuroprotective effects of methanolic extracts of Salvia choloroleuca, Salvia santolinifolia and Salvia mirzayanii from Iran. The extracts were screened for their possible antioxidant activities by several biochemical assays such as DPPH, FRAP, ß-carotene bleaching and TEAC assays. HPLC analysis of these extracts led to the separation of a number of components such as catechine and rosmarinic acid. Based on our results, all these plants had antioxidant and antiglycating activities, among them S. choloroleuca seems to be the most effective one. Furthermore, these species not only showed no cytotoxic effects in neuron-like PC12 cells, but also protected them against oxidative stress-induced cell death, exerted by H(2)O(2). We further showed that these plants increase superoxide dismutase and catalase levels, reduce lipid peroxidation and up regulate hemeoxygenase-1 and glutamylcysteine synthetase proteins. This study raised the possibility of developing these plants as potential neuroprotective agents.

Antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles on Staphylococcus aureus.

Antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was investigated using Staphylococcus aureus PTCC1431 as a model of Gram-positive bacteria. The mechanism of antibacterial activity of AgNPs was then studied by analyzing the growth, morphology, and molecular variations in the cell wall. Experimental data showed that AgNPs at a concentration of 4 µg/ml completely inhibited bacterial growth. Transmission electron microscopy results confirmed cell wall damage produced by AgNPs as well as accumulation of AgNPs in the bacterial membrane. Meanwhile, the AgNP-treated bacteria were monitored by circular dichroism to reveal peptidoglycan variations. Some degree of variation in the α-helix position of the peptide chain was observed. Moreover, increasing the AgNP concentration to 8 µg/ml resulted in release of muramic acid (MA) into the medium, which could be attributed to cell wall distraction. A gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis and release of MA, as a bacterial indicator, showed that glycan strands may also be decomposed as a result of AgNP treatment.

Antioxidant and antiglycating activities of Salvia sahendica and its protective effect against oxidative stress in neuron-like PC12 cells.

Increased oxidative stress is widely accepted to be a factor in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we introduced Salvia sahendica as a protective agent in differentiated PC12 cells, which are commonly considered to be a reliable model of neuronal cells. Our results demonstrated that S. sahendica has antioxidant and antiglycating properties in in vitro system and these properties are expanded into H(2)O(2)-induced model. S. sahendica inhibited H(2)O(2)-induced cell death in PC12 cells. We further showed that this plant exerts its protective effect by increasing superoxide dismutase and catalase levels, reducing lipid peroxidation and upregulating hemoxygenase-1 and glutamylcysteine synthetase proteins. This study raises the possibility of developing S. sahendica as a potential neuroprotective agent.

Composition, cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity of the essential oil of Dracocephalum surmandinum from Iran.

The composition of the hydrodistilled essential oil from the aerial parts of Dracocephalum surmandinum was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Monoterpenoids, including oxygenated compounds and hydrocarbons, comprising 63.4 and 33.9%, respectively, were the principal compound groups of the essential oil. In total, 25 constituents accounting for 97.8% of the oil were identified. Perilla aldehyde (54.3%) and limonene (30.1%) were characterized as the main components. The essential oil of D. surmandinum and its two main constituents showed a marked antioxidant and radical scavenging activity using different model systems, including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and beta-carotene-linoleic acid blenching assays. The results of cytotoxicity activity using the MTT assay exhibited that the oil of D. surmandinum has a good effect against human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and erythromyeloblastoid leukemia cell lines (K562) with IC50 values of 14 and 16 microg/mL, respectively. The cytotoxic potential of D. surmandinum oil against rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cell line (PC 12) was weak (IC50 of >100 microg/mL). Perilla aldehyde and limonene, the main constituents of D. surmandinum essential oil, inhibited all investigated cell growth in a dose- and time-dependent manner with IC50 values ranged from 0.25-5.0 mmol/L.

In vitro antioxidant activities and an investigation of neuroprotection by six Salvia species from Iran: a comparative study.

Methanolic extracts of six species of Salvia (S. hydrangea, S. lachnocalyx, S. macilenta, S. multicalis, S. sclarea and S. xanthocheila) were analyzed for their antioxidant properties, ability to prevent DNA damage by free radicals, and neuroprotective effects. Several biochemical assays were used to evaluate their antioxidant properties: DPPH(), FRAP, beta-carotene bleaching and TEAC assays. The amounts of phenolics and flavonoids were also determined. Comparison study of Salvia species showed that extracts from S. hydrangea and S. macilenta are strong antioxidants and that from S. lachnocalyx is a weak one. Furthermore, extracts from all of these species can at high concentrations (50mug/ml) inhibit DNA damage by free radicals. Furthermore, these species not only showed no cytotoxic effects in nerve growth factor (NGF)-differentiated PC12 cells, they also protected them against H(2)O(2)-induced cell death. Thus these plants may be candidates for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Antioxidant, free radical scavenging activities of Salvia brachyantha and its protective effect against oxidative cardiac cell injury.

In this study, antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of an endemic Salvia species (Salvia brachyantha (Bordz) probed. was assessed in vitro using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, beta-carotene linoleic acid, superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical, and reducing power assays. Regarding our data, the plant extract exhibited antioxidant and radical scavenging activities at different magnitudes of potency. In addition, this study was undertaken to assess whether methanol extract of S. brachyantha could increase the endogenous antioxidant enzymes in cells, and where such increased cellular defences could provide protection against oxidative cell injury. Pre treatment of rat heart cell lines with 100 microg/ml of plant extract for 24h significantly prevented cell damage and enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes induced by a treatment with xanthine/xanthine oxidase. Increased reactive oxygen species and cell apoptosis induced by xanthine/xanthine oxidase was dose-dependently prevented when cells were pre treated for 24h with plant extract. These results indicated that S. brachyantha could protect against cell injury via induction of the antioxidant enzyme defences. The extract of this plant might be valuable antioxidant natural sources and seemed to be applicable in both healthy medicine and food industry.