Sequence variation of the Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) gene in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and healthy volunteer subjects.

Epstein-Barr virus-related malignancies have been linked to variations in the sequences of EBV genes, notably EBNA1. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the DBD/DD domain and USP7 binding domain sequences at the C-terminus of the EBNA1 gene in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). This study included 40 CLL patients and 21 healthy volunteers. Using commercial kits, total DNA was extracted from buffy coat samples, and each sample was tested for the presence of the EBV genome. The C-terminus of EBNA1 was then amplified from positive samples, using nested PCR. Sanger sequencing was used to identify mutations in the PCR products, and the results were analyzed using MEGA11 software. The mean ages of CLL patients and healthy individuals were 61.07 ± 10.2 and 59.08 ± 10.3, respectively. In the EBNA-1 amplicons from CLL patients and healthy individuals, 38.5% and 16.7%, respectively, harbored mutations in the DBD/DD domain of the C-terminal region of the EBNA1 gene (P = 0.378). The mutation frequency at locus 97,320 was significantly higher in CLL patients than in healthy individuals (P = 0.039). Three EBV subtypes based on residue 487 were detected. The frequency of alanine, threonine, and valine in both groups was 88, 8, and 4 percent, respectively (P = 0.207). Moreover, all of the isolates from healthy donors had alanine at this position. The findings indicated that the presence of threonine or valine at residue 487 as well as a synonymous substitution at residue 553 in the C-terminal region of EBNA1 might be involved in the pathogenesis of EBV in CLL patients.

Rosmarinus officinalis L. Essential Oils Impact on the Microbiological and Oxidative Stability of Sarshir (Kaymak).

This study investigated the effect of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil, REO (one, two and three percent) on the microbiological and oxidative stability of Sarshir during 20 days of refrigerated storage (4 °C). Initially, the chemical composition (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, GC/MS), antimicrobial (paper disc diffusion) and antioxidant (DPPH) properties of REO were evaluated. Then, the microbial safety, oxidative stability (peroxide and anisidine values) and overall acceptability of the product after addition of REO to Sarshir and the subsequent storage period were determined. According to GC/MS analysis, the major components of REO were α-pinene (24.6%), 1,8-cineole (14.1%), camphor (13.5%), camphene (8.1%) and limonene (6.1%), respectively. Moreover, it was also found that Limosilactobacillus fermentum (inhibition zone (IZ) of 23.5 mm) and Salmonella Typhi (IZ of 16.4 mm) were the most sensitive and resistant spoilage and pathogenic bacteria against REO, respectively. In addition, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the REO was measured at 24.8 mg/mL, while the IC50 value of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) was 16.6 mg/mL. The highest and lowest bacterial populations were detected in the control and the sample containing 3% REO, respectively. The control had the highest extent of lipid oxidation, while the lowest peroxide and anisidine values were measured in Sarshir containing 3% REO.

Correction: Hashemi et al. Effects of Abiotic Elicitors on Expression and Accumulation of Three Candidate Benzophenanthridine Alkaloids in Cultured Greater Celandine Cells. Molecules 2021, 26, 1395.

The authors wish to make the following correction to the paper [...].

Human gene polymorphisms and their possible impact on the clinical outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has become one of the most serious health concerns globally. Although multiple vaccines have recently been approved for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an effective treatment is still lacking. Our knowledge of the pathogenicity of this virus is still incomplete. Studies have revealed that viral factors such as the viral load, duration of exposure to the virus, and viral mutations are important variables in COVID-19 outcome. Furthermore, host factors, including age, health condition, co-morbidities, and genetic background, might also be involved in clinical manifestations and infection outcome. This review focuses on the importance of variations in the host genetic background and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2. We will discuss the significance of polymorphisms in the ACE-2, TMPRSS2, vitamin D receptor, vitamin D binding protein, CD147, glucose-regulated protein 78 kDa, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), neuropilin-1, heme oxygenase, apolipoprotein L1, vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1 (VKORC1), and immune system genes for the clinical outcome of COVID-19.

Effects of Abiotic Elicitors on Expression and Accumulation of Three Candidate Benzophenanthridine Alkaloids in Cultured Greater Celandine Cells.

Efforts to develop the necessary biotechnologies in Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus L.), a leading plant resource for the development of plant-derived medicines, have been hampered by the lack of knowledge about transcriptome and metabolome regulations of its medicinal components. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of abiotic elicitors, methyl jasmonate (MJ) and salicylic acid (SA), at different time courses (12, 24, 48, and 72 h), on expression and metabolome of key benzophenanthridine alkaloids (BPAs) in an optimized in vitro culture. Gene expression analysis indicated the upregulation of CFS (cheilanthifoline synthase) to 2.62, 4.85, and 7.28 times higher than the control at 12, 24, and 48 h respectively, under MJ elicitation. Besides, MJ upregulated the expression of TNMT (tetrahydroprotoberberine N-methyltransferase) to 2.79, 4.75, and 7.21 times at 12, 24, and 48 h respectively, compared to the control. Investigation of BPAs revealed a significant enhancement in the chelidonine content (9.86 µg/mg) after 72 h of MJ elicitation. Additionally, sanguinarine content increased to its highest level (3.42 µg/mg) after 24 h of MJ elicitation; however, no significant enhancement was detected in its content in shorter elicitation time courses. Generally, higher gene expression and BPAs' level was observed through longer elicitation courses (48 and 72 h). Our findings take part in improving the understanding of transcription and metabolic regulation of BPAs in cultured Greater Celandine cells.

Application of microwave and ohmic heating for pasteurization of cantaloupe juice: microbial inactivation and chemical properties.

BACKGROUND: Cantaloupe melon (Cucumis melo L.) is one of the most important dessert fruits and is cultivated in many countries of the world. The effects of microwave (400 and 800 W for 110 s), ohmic (100 and 200 V for 110 s) and conventional heating (27-75 °C for 30 min) treatments on inactivation of Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, S. Enteritidis and Staphylococcus aureus pathogens; pH and degradation of vitamin C, ß-carotene and phenolic compounds of cantaloupe juice were investigated. RESULTS: As time passed, all of the treatments resulted in significant (P ≤ 0.05) decreases in the number of pathogens and vitamin C, ß-carotene and phenolic compound content, whereas the pH of samples did not show significant changes. The mentioned parameters were more reduced by increasing the power, voltage and temperature of ohmic, microwave and conventional heating treatments, respectively. Comparison of the results for conventional heating with those of ohmic and microwave heating revealed that the complete inactivation time of pathogens by the two latter treatments was much shorter than that of the former. After 20 s, the effect of ohmic heating at 200 V on decreasing vitamin C content was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher than that of the other treatments. The amounts of ß-carotene and phenolic compounds showed the most reduction under 800 W microwave treatment. CONCLUSION: The results obtained for conventional, ohmic and microwave heating treatments indicated a higher degradation of ß-carotene and phenolic compounds and a lower loss of vitamin C in the former. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Characterizations and rheological study of the purified polysaccharide extracted from quince seeds.

BACKGROUND: The functional characteristics of hydrocolloids are mainly dependent on their physicochemical properties. Thus, it is essential to characterize the new sources of hydrocolloids. RESULTS: Quince seed gum (QSG) is a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide (9.61 × 106 g mol-1 ) composed of 85.04 ± 2.87% carbohydrate (6.39% l-arabinose, 40.43% d-xylose, 5.60% d-galactose, 5.75% d-glucose and 31.11% d-mannose), 13.16 ± 1.73% uronic acid, 5.77 ± 0.83% moisture, 2.78 ± 0.21% protein, 5.64 ± 0.21% ash, and 0.75 ± 0.09% fat. Our findings indicated that this gum could be introduced as a value-added by-product in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested a highly substituted xylan structure for QSG. In the dilute regime, an increase in the ion concentration was accompanied by a decrease in intrinsic viscosity of QSG. When the salt concentration increased from 0 to 50 mmol L-1 , the consistency coefficient (as a measure of apparent viscosity) declined. On the other hand, with further increasing of salt concentration, the consistency coefficient (as a measure of apparent viscosity) values increased. Similarly, the G' and G″ values for 10 and 50 mmol L-1 calcium chloride concentrations were less than in control samples. CONCLUSION: The rheological behavior of the QSG studied in this paper can provide insight into its potential application in food and pharmaceutical industries. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

A modified magnetic resonance wireless power transfer system for capsule endoscopy.

BACKGROUND: The current study presents a fully planar wireless power transfer (WPT) scheme with the aim of providing enough power for capsule endoscopy performance. The method's implementation on patients is more convenient than that of the previous conventional WPT plans in which a cylindrical wire coil is placed around the patient's body. In addition to this, while using the present printed power receiver structure, the capsule's internal space of opens up for other components such as the image sensors and data transmitting components. To improve the efficiency, a two-layer printed coil has been used as the transmitter, a two-layer printed coil as the receiver and a power coil on the transmitter side excited at 13.56 MHz. RESULTS: Applying this method, the efficiency has increased to more than 2% for the proposed structure. Moreover, the effect of the body tissue on power efficiency has been simulated and measured and the maximum specific absorption rate (SAR) value considered for the desired system. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results indicate that the proposed system meets the medical standards requirements.

The association between genetic polymorphisms of the interleukin-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and annexin A5 gene loci and restenosis after percutaneous coronary angioplasty and stenting.

BACKGROUND: Advances in the technology for percutaneous coronary angioplasty, such as coated stents, have reduced its complications, but restenosis remains an important clinical problem. The factors associated with an increased risk of restenosis include diabetes mellitus and multiple coronary artery disease. It is also possible that genetic factors play a role in restenosis although there are little data on this. We have investigated the association of three genetic markers of genes involved in inflammation leading to restenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case-control study, 306 unrelated Iranian patients who were thought to have restenosis on clinical grounds were investigated. Based on the results of angiography, 104 patients were found to have >50% stenosis within an implanted stent, and these were allocated to the in-stent restenosis (ISR) group; 202 patients with no in-stent stenosis or stenosis ≤50% were allocated to the non-ISR (NISR) group. Demographic data were collected from medical records. Biochemical parameters were measured using routine methods. Genotypes of the interleukin-10 (IL-10), annexin A5 (AnxA5), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) loci were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction and a high-resolution melting assay. RESULTS: Fasting blood glucose, serum triglycerides, and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations were higher in the ISR group than in the NISR group (P < 0.05), and a history of diabetes mellitus was significantly related to the presence of restenosis (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the frequency of the genetic polymorphisms of IL-10, AnxA5, and TNFα genes and the presence of ISR. CONCLUSION: After adjustment for clinical variables, the genetic polymorphisms at the IL-10, TNFα, and ANXA5 gene loci do not appear to be risk factors for >50% ISR in our population. However, our data suggested a significant association between diabetes mellitus, serum hs-CRP, stent type, and restenosis.

Effect of ultrasound on lactic acid production by Lactobacillus strains in date (Phoenix dactylifera var. Kabkab) syrup.

Date syrup is rich in fermentable sugars and may be used as a substrate for different microbial fermentations, including lactic acid fermentation processes. The beneficial effects of ultrasounds (US) on bioprocesses have been reported for several microorganisms, due to the enhancement of cell growth, as well as improvements in yields and productivities. Therefore, US treatments (30 kHz, 100 W, 10-30 min) were applied to two lactobacilli (Lactobacillus helveticus PTCC 1332 and Lactobacillus acidophilus PTCC 1643), during fermentation using date syrup as substrate. The effects on lactic acid fermentation were evaluated by analyzing cell growth (dry cell weight and viable cell count), substrate consumption (quantification of glucose and fructose), and product formation (quantification of lactic acid) over time. The effects of US were also evaluated on cell membrane permeability. Both lactobacilli were able to grow well on date syrup without the need for addition of further ingredients. The US effects were highly dependent on treatment duration: treatments of 10- and 20-min stimulated lactobacilli growth, while the treatment extension to 30 min negatively affected cell growth. Similarly, the 10- and 20-min treatments increased sugar consumption and lactic acid production, contrarily to the 30-min treatment. All US treatments increased cell membrane permeability, with a more pronounced effect at more extended treatments. The results of this work showed that application of appropriate US treatments could be a useful tool for stimulation of lactic acid production from date syrup, as well as for other fermentative processes that use date syrup as substrate.

Current advances in biological production of propionic acid.

Propionic acid and its derivatives are considered "Generally Recognized As Safe" food additives and are generally used as an anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory agent, herbicide, and artificial flavor in diverse industrial applications. It is produced via biological pathways using Propionibacterium and some anaerobic bacteria. However, its commercial chemical synthesis from the petroleum-based feedstock is the conventional production process bit results in some environmental issues. Novel biological approaches using microorganisms and renewable biomass have attracted considerable recent attention due to economic advantages as well as great adaptation with the green technology. This review provides a comprehensive overview of important biotechnological aspects of propionic acid production using recent technologies such as employment of co-culture, genetic and metabolic engineering, immobilization technique and efficient bioreactor systems.

Fermentation of sarshir (kaymak) by lactic acid bacteria: antibacterial activity, antioxidant properties, lipid and protein oxidation and fatty acid profile.

BACKGROUND: The antioxidant and antibacterial activities of fermented sarshir (traditional dairy food), with three probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum strains (LP3, AF1, and LU5), were investigated. The oxidative stability and the lipid profile of non-fermented and fermented sarshir were compared, in addition to radical scavenging activity, as well as peroxide, anisidine and carbonyl values (PV, AnV and CV, respectively). RESULTS: The strong antibacterial activity of fermented sarshir against common pathogenic bacteria, including Gram-negative Escherichia coli O157: H7 ATCC 35150 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, as well as Gram-positive Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, was established. Among the strains examined, L. plantarum LP3 exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity (53.1 ± 1.8%) and lowest PV (3.0 meq kg-1 ), AnV (1.31 ± 0.06) and CV (1.4 ± 0.08). The pH of sarshir decreased from 6.2 ± 0 to 3.5 ± 0.1 during 14 h of fermentation. Incorporated bacterial cells exhibited notable viability during 10 days of cold storage (4 °C). CONCLUSION: The fermentation of sarshir by L. plantarum strains, especially LP3, resulted in beneficial changes in radical scavenging activity, as well as PV, AnV and carbonyl values, in addition to a broad spectrum of inhibitory activity against strains of P. aeruginosa, E. coli O157:H7, B. cereus and S. aureus. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Essential managerial skills for financial and budgetary management in medical universities: The top managers' perspective.

Background: Achieving organizational objectives depends on the effectiveness of administrators. However, managerial efficacy largely depends on the knowledge and skills of managers. This study aimed at assessing the skills of financial and budget management of the Ministry of Health from the perspective of resource development assistants of universities of medical sciences nationwide. Methods: This cross- sectional study was conducted in 2012. Study participants were resource development assistants of universities of medical sciences in Iran. We adopted simple random sampling method in locating participants. Data were collected using pretested questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney test (as a non-parametric test) and Friedman test. Results: The highest mean recorded under financial management skills was technical skills (3.58±0.50), followed by human skills (3.50±.048), and perceptual skills (3.32±0.52). With regards to financial and budget management and performance monitoring, the means of technical skills, as prioritized by directors, was 3.72±0.71, followed by human skills (3.72±0.70), and perceptual skills (3.66±0.75). A significant association was found between perceptual skills of financial managers and budgeting and performance monitoring managers (p= 0.014). Conclusion: Operational level managers, such as financial and budgetary managers, need to acquire more technical skills. Therefore, we support activities that promote technical skills and awareness of managers within organizations, such as organizational training courses and distribution of educational materials like brochures.

Out-of-pocket and informal payments in Iran's health care system: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Out-of-pocket and informal payments are considered as 2 most important topics for equity in health care financing. Therfore, this study was conducted to systematically review and meta-analyze the status of these payments in Iran's health care system. Methods: Required data were collected through searching the following key terms: "Unofficial", "Informal Payment", "Iran", "Health Financing", "Health expenditure", and "Out-of-pocket" on Scopus, PubMed, IranMedex, SID, and Google Scholar databases. After extracting and screening previous studies, data were collected from the articles using PRISMA pattern. To perform the metaanalysis, Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA: 2) software was used. Results: A total of 15 studies were entered in this review. Overall, the rate of out-of-pocket payments was estimated to be 50% (95% CI: 45-57%). A significant correlation was found between gender and the rate of out-of-pocket payments (p≤0.05). Moreover, the overall rate of informal payments was found to be 35%. Most of the informal payments were in form of cash, and the main reasons for informal payments were appreciating the staff and medical team as well as requests made by the hospital staff. Length of stay, marital status, employment status, income, and insurance coverage were key factors in the field of informal payments. Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, out-of-pocket and informal payments are more prevalent in Iran. Considering the negative effects of these payments on the health care system, it is of prime importance to implement extensive interventions to reduce or even prevent these payments.

Patient waiting time in hospital emergency departments of Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Waiting time in emergency department is a key indicator in measuring the quality of hospital services and has a significant impact on patient satisfaction The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the patients' waiting time in hospital emergency departments in Iran. Methods: Data were collected from databases of Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Google scholar, SID, and Iran Medex using the following key words: "emergency ward", "emergency room", "waiting time", " time delay", "first visit", "first treatment" , "emergency department", "Iran", and their Persian equivalents. The timeframe of 2000 to 2016 was selected to search the articles. CMA 2 (Comprehensive Meta-Analysis) software was used in this meta-analysis. Results: A total of 236 articles were extracted from databases and other sources, and finally 17 articles were included in the analysis. In total, waiting time in different parts of the emergency department was measured for 15 943 patients. Mean±SD waiting time was 5.9 ± 0.6 minutes from the arrival to the first visit by a physician, it was 45 ± 5 minutes between the first visit and the first therapeutic steps, 94± 33.9 minutes between referring to the laboratory and receiving the result, 23.2 ± 3 minutes between referring to the radiology and receiving the result, and 32.2 ± 7 minutes between referring to ECG and receiving the result; moreover, waiting time for the first specialist consultation was 99.3 ± 32.8 minutes. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that waiting time in the emergency rooms of Iranian hospitals was higher than the national and international standards. According to the high rate of heterogeneity in the results and probability of publication bias, we highly recommend that readers use the results of this study and pay sufficient attention to this issue.

Kolkhoung (Pistacia khinjuk) Hull Oil and Kernel Oil as Antioxidative Vegetable Oils with High Oxidative Stability and Nutritional Value.

In this study, in order to introduce natural antioxidative vegetable oil in food industry, the kolkhoung hull oil and kernel oil were extracted. To evaluate their antioxidant efficiency, gas chromatography analysis of the composition of kolkhoung hull and kernel oil fatty acids and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of tocopherols were done. Also, the oxidative stability of the oil was considered based on the peroxide value and anisidine value during heating at 100, 110 and 120 °C. Gas chromatography analysis showed that oleic acid was the major fatty acid of both types of oil (hull and kernel) and based on a low content of saturated fatty acids, high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, and the ratio of ω-6 and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, they were nutritionally well--balanced. Moreover, both hull and kernel oil showed high oxidative stability during heating, which can be attributed to high content of tocotrienols. Based on the results, kolkhoung hull oil acted slightly better than its kernel oil. However, both of them can be added to oxidation-sensitive oils to improve their shelf life.

Synbiotic potential of Doogh supplemented with free and encapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum LS5 and Helianthus tuberosus inulin.

The survival and effect of free and encapsulated probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum LS5 on acidity, exopolysaccharide production, phase separation and influence on the sensory attributes of probiotic and synbiotic Doogh (typical Iranian drink based on fermented milk) supplemented with Helianthus tuberosus inulin were studied over 22 days storage. Results showed addition of L.plantarum LS5 (free or encapsulated) increased acid development (°D) in Doogh during storage. In addition, phase separation in Doogh with encapsulated probiotic bacteria was slower compared to Doogh with free probiotic bacteria. More exopolysaccharides were observed in Doogh with encapsulated culture compared to those without encapsulated culture. The results confirmed that there was an increased survival of L.plantarum LS5 due to protection of cells by microencapsulation. Also addition of inulin improved survival of free or encapsulated cells in Doogh during storage, but effect of inulin on acidity, exoploysaccharide content and phase separation of samples containing free or encapsulated cells was not significant (P > 0.05). Moreover, sensory evaluation results indicated addition of free or encapsulated probiotic cells and inulin did not significantly affect appearance and color, acidity, flavor and after taste of the Doogh samples over the storage period. Therefore, probiotic and synbiotic Doogh (supplemented with free or encapsulated L.plantarum LS5 and Helianthus tuberosus inulin) are potentially suitable for using as functional dairy foods.

Thermodynamics, kinetics, and computational fluid dynamics modeling of Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhi inactivation during the thermosonication process of celery juice.

In this study, thermosonication (37 KHz, 300 W; 50, 60, and 70 °C) of celery juice was performed to inactivate Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhi in 6 min. The inactivation of pathogens and the process were modeled using mathematical, thermodynamic, and computational fluid dynamics models. The findings indicated that the distribution of power dissipation density was not uniform across the entire domain, including the beaker area, with a maximum value of 27.8 × 103 W/m3. At lower temperatures, E. coli showed a 9.4 % higher resistance to sonication, while at higher temperatures, S. Typhi had a 5.4 % higher durability than E. coli. Increasing the temperature decreased the maximum inactivation rate of both S. Typhi and E. coli by 15.5 % and 20.5 % respectively, while increasing the thermal level by 20 °C reduced the log time to achieve the maximum inactivation rate by 20.3 % and 34.9 % for S. Typhi and E. coli respectively, highlighting the stronger effect of sonication at higher temperatures. According to the results, the positive magnitudes of ΔG were observed in both E. coli and S. Typhi, indicating a similar range of variations. Additionally, the magnitude of ΔG increased by approximately 5.2 to 5.5 % for both microorganisms which suggested the inactivation process was not spontaneous.

Differentiation of Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells into insulin-producing beta cells with the enhanced functional level on electrospun PRP-PVP-PCL/PCL fiber scaffold.

Diabetes is a global problem that threatens human health. Cell therapy methods using stem cells, and tissue engineering of pancreatic islets as new therapeutic approaches have increased the chances of successful diabetes treatment. In this study, to differentiate Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) into insulin-producing cells (IPCs) with improved maturity, and function, platelet-rich plasma (PRP)-Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-Polycaprolactone (PCL)/PCL scaffold was designed. The two-dimensional (2D) control group included cell culture without differentiation medium, and the experimental groups included 2D, and three-dimensional (3D) groups with pancreatic beta cell differentiation medium. WJ-MSCs-derived IPCs on PRP-PVP-PCL/PCL scaffold took round cluster morphology, the typical pancreatic islets morphology. Real-time PCR, immunocytochemistry, and flowcytometry data showed a significant increase in pancreatic marker genes in WJ-MSCs-derived IPCs on the PRP-PVP-PCL/PCL scaffold compared to the 2D-experimental group. Also, using the ELISA assay, a significant increase in the secretion of insulin, and C-peptide was measured in the WJ-MSCs-derived IPCs of the 3D-experimental group compared to the 2D experimental group, the highest amount of insulin (38 µlU/ml), and C-peptide (43 pmol/l) secretion was in the 3D experimental group, and in response to 25 mM glucose solution, which indicated a significant improvement in the functional level of the WJ-MSCs-derived IPCs in the 3D group. The results showed that the PRP-PVP-PCL/PCL scaffold can provide an appropriate microenvironment for the engineering of pancreatic islets, and the generation of IPCs.

Effect of ultrasound geometry on the production efficiency of damaged starch: Determining rheology parameters, and non-isothermal reaction kinetics.

Present study investigates the effects of probe size geometry on thermodynamic kinetics, rheology, and microstructure of wheat and tapioca starch. Ultrasound treatment using different probe diameters (20 mm and 100 mm) significantly influenced the gelatinization process. Results showed reduced enthalpy (ΔH) and Gibbs energy (ΔG), indicating enhanced gelatinization efficiency. According to the results, using a 20 mm and 100 mm probe leads to a reduction of 52.7 % and 68.6 % in reaction enthalpy for wheat starch compared to native starch, respectively. Microstructure analysis revealed structural changes, with ultrasound treatment leading to granular fractures and a sheet-like structure with air bubbles. The rheological behavior of the starches is found to exhibit shear thinning behavior, with the Casson model providing the best fit for the experimental data. Moreover, rheology modeling using Herschel-Bulkley and power law models showed increased viscosity and shear stress in larger probes. Numerical simulation data demonstrated that probe size influenced ultrasonic pressure, sound pressure level, and thermal power dissipation density, affecting fluid motion and velocity field components. Moreover, the maximum dissipated power decreases from 8.43 to 0.655 mW/m3 with an increase in probe diameter from 20 to 100 mm. The average yield shear stress values are calculated as 3.36 and 3.14 for wheat and tapioca starches, respectively. The larger probe diameter leads to greater entropy increases, with tapioca starch showing a 4.72 % increase and wheat starch a 4.97 % increase, compared to 2.56 % and 3.11 %, respectively, with the smaller probe. Additionally, the Keller-Miksis model provided insights into bubble dynamics, revealing increased pressure and temperature with higher pressure amplitudes.