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Background and Objective: The exposures related to the department of radiology can be considered as harmful agent for human. This study was done to assess the partial distribution of the equivalent dose in radiology waiting room in Ardabil, Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive analytical study was done in the radiology department and related waiting rooms of 4 teaching hospital and 3 private radiology sonography centers in Ardabil, Northwest of Iran, during 2011. The variables including type of radiography, the number and condition, staying duration in waiting room were considered for dosimetry. Data were analyzed using SPSS-18 and Chi-Square test. Results: The lowest radiation dose belong to one specialist radiology sonography center with 0.2±0.002 µS.h-1V, but for each radiography were determined to be 0.00275±0.004 µS.h-1V. The highest radiation dose belong to one specialist radiography sonography center with 0.4±0.045 µS.h-1V and for each radiography was 0.016±0.0006 µS.h-1V. Two teaching hospitals accompanied with three privates centers showed to have radiation dose-rate higher than 0.3 µS.h-1V (P

Background and Objective: Lead threaten living creature’s life as air pollutant and causes several diseases such as degenerative disease of nervous system. This research was conducted to determine the effect of Curcumin on BDNF changes and oxidative/antioxidative process in rat’s hippocampus which exposed to Lead acetate. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 40 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups of ten: Base, Sham(control), lead and Curcumin+Lead. lead and Curcumin+Lead groups received 20 mg/kg lead acetate and Curcumin+Lead group also received 30 mg/kg Curcumin, peritoneally for 8 weeks (3 days in weeks). MDA (oxidative stress biomarker) and TAC (total antioxidative capacity) levels were measured by TBARS and FRAP methods, respectively, and hippocampus BDNF level was measured by ELISA method in rat hippocampus region. Data was analyzed by one-way ANOVA test and Tukey at P

Objective (s): To assess the quality care services for 0 to 6 years children in Urban Health Centers of Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 2001-2b02. Methods: This was a cross - sectional research with aim of determining the quality of O to 6 years children care services provided by the personnel of urban health centers, affiliated to University of Shahid Beheshti Medical Sciences. In this research 49 personnel of urban health centers of Shemiranat, North and East of District Health Centers affiliated to University of Shahid Beheshti Medical Sciences were selected through a multiple stage sampling. Type of services provided for 490 children were observed and recorded. Results: The age of personnel was 32.3±7.9, and 71 % were married. The academic degree of 63% of the personnel was bachelor degree, and 37 % had an associate degree. 82% of personnel were midwifery graduated and 18% family health, and 71 % had passed in-service education. The quality of growth assessment services provided, was good by 59 % of staff and 41 % were in medium range. The quality of measuring weight for less than two and 2-4 years children was good by 67 % and 85 % of the staff respectively. The quality of measuring height was good by 74 % of the staff for. less than two years children and was 67 % in medium range for 2 to 4 years children. The quality of measuring the head was good in the all of the staff (l00%) in less than two years children. The quality of parentschr('39') growth assessment education in less than two and 2-4 years children was in medium range (59 % and 70 % of the staff). Conclusion: The findings showed poor quality of services provided for this age group.

Background: Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) are raised in extremely strict ecological conditions of deserts. Camels are vulnerable to many zoonotic infections. There are limited data on the occurrence of Q fever and borreliosis in camels, in Iran. Aims: The current study was focused on the occurrence of Coxiella burnetii and Borrelia spp. infection in the blood samples of Iranian camels using molecular assays. Effect of the presence of these infections on various hematological factors and some acutephase proteins (Hp, a1AGP, SAA) were also investigated. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 113 clinically healthy camels to investigate the presence of the infections using nested PCR. Moreover, the sequence of positive samples was analyzed phylogenetically. Routine haematological tests were performed and the concentrations of acute-phase proteins were measured in serum using enzyme immunoassay. Results: PCR result showed that 6.19% (95% CI: 2.53-12.35%) (7/113) of camels were positive for C. burnetii. In addition, sequencing results of the corresponding gene of the outer membrane protein (com1) revealed two different genotypes of C. burnetii agent in camels from Southern Iran. In the PCR assay, Borrelia spp. DNA was not detected in the samples. No significant difference was observed in hematological parameters or acute-phase proteins between positive and negative Q fever camels except for mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and red cell distribution width (RDW). Conclusion: Clinically healthy camels might be very important reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens. Q fever is not considered a notifiable disease in camels of Iran, and clinical cases may scarcely be recognized by the healthcare system. Due to a lack of adequate information, additional studies on the molecular epidemiology and clinical pathology aspects of C. burnetii infection in Iran are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the genomics aspect of curve variable allows for the combination of genomic regions of such model-based variables from multiple measurements into a few biologically meaningful variables. With this motivation, the aim of the current study was a model-based quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection for growth curve variables in Ghezel fat-tailed sheep. We tested the following items during research: 1) Determining the best nonlinear growth models using six nonlinear equations (Von Bertalanffy, Gompertz, Logistic, Richards, Weibull and Brody) according to 24905 obtained data sets collected from the Ghezel Sheep Breeding Center, Iran, during the 1994-2013 period; 2) Conducted partial genome scan to identify significant QTl controlling best growth model parameters in Ghezel sheep using three half-sib families (Family size=25-50) and 8 microsatellite markers distributed on ovine chromosome 1. In addition, QTL effects for two paternal half-sibs using two models, individual families and across families were calculated. Molecular data were analyzed using SAS and GridQTL programs. Observed results demonstrated the Brody model was the best growth model for growth data according to the lower values of RMSE, AIC and BIC and generally greater values of R² adj than other models. Thus, Brody model parameters (A, B, and C) were subjected to further QTL analysis. Also, our observation identified one significant QTL between the markers INRA11-CSSM004 associated with Brody model A variable (maturity) located in 123 CM in chromosome 1 (P<0.01). Analyses using more families and advance massive genotyping tools will be useful to confirm or to reject these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the flow of non-Newtonian blood fluid with nanoparticles inside a vessel with a porous wall in presence of a magnetic field have been investigated. This study aimed to investigate various parameters such as magnetic field and porosity on velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles. In this research, three different models (Vogel, Reynolds and Constant) for viscosity have been used as an innovation. The governing equations are solved by Akbari-Ganji's Method (AGM) analytical method and the Finite Element Method (FEM) is used to better represent the phenomena in the vessel. The results show that increasing the Gr number, porosity and negative pressure increase the blood velocity and increasing the magnetic field intensity decrease the blood velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1 An in vitro model to approve the roles of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) on wound healing. 2 Investigation on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of PPE on wound healing. 3 Study the mechanism of wound healing mediated by fibroblasts. 4 Effects of PPE on the proliferation and migration of human dermal fibroblasts, evaluate the expression of fibronectin 1 (FN1) and cyclin B1 (CCNB1) genes and collagen synthesis Pomegranate is a fruit widely used in folk medicine. The positive effect of pomegranate peel on the skin wound healing process has been evaluated in various in vivo studies. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of pomegranate peel ethanolic-extract (PPE) on the proliferation and migration of human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells, and also to evaluate levels of fibronectin1 (FN1) and cyclin B1 (CCNB1) genes expression and glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and collagen synthesis in these cells. The total phenolic content of PPE was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu method. Cultured HDF cells were exposed to different concentrations of PPE and the cell viability for HDF cells was assessed by MTT test, then the cell migration rate was determined using scratch-wounded test. Expression level of FN1 and CCNB1 genes and the amount of GAG and collagen were analyzed after 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h incubation with PPE. The value of total phenolic content of PPE was 80 ± 0.083 mg GAE/g. The MTT test and scratch assay showed that incubation with PPE at a concentration of 25 µg/ml for 24 h increased cell proliferation and migration (p ˂0.05). FN1 gene expression was upregulated after 48 h exposure to PPE at 25 µg/ml (p ˂0.05). GAG and collagen content increased after incubation with PPE at 25 µg/ml for 72 h (p ˂0.05). These findings suggest that PPE promoted wound healing through increasing FN1 gene expression and extracellular matrix components including GAGs and collagen contents, and therefore can be considered as a therapeutic agent for wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The quality of colostrum is affected by IgG level and microbial load. Aims: The quality of colostrum used in feeding dairy calves and passive immunity transfer in selected dairy farms in Fars province, Iran was investigated. Methods: A total of 75 colostrum and neonatal blood samples were collected from 11 herds. The immunological quality of colostrum was assessed using a Brix digital refractometer. The bacteriological quality was assessed by performing total plate count (TPC), total coliform count (TCC), spore-former count, fungi count, and species-specific PCR assay to detect some bacterial species. Results: The mean Brix of colostrum samples was 25.4% and 72% of the samples had a Brix score =22%. The mean serum Brix and the prevalence of failure of passive transfer (FPT) were 10% and 4%, respectively. The mean TPC, TCC, spore-former count, and fungi count were 3.6 × 105, 2.8 × 104, 3.2 × 104, and 1.1 × 104 CFU/ml, respectively. The results showed that 50, 5.9, and 4% of colostrum samples were positive for Staphylococcus spp., Salmonella spp. and Maycobacterium paratuberculosis, respectively. There was no evidence of contamination with Brucella spp., Corynebacterium bovis and Mycoplasma bovis. Conclusion: Considering all colostrum quality indicators comprehensively, only 37.3% of the studied samples met the industry standard. A large number of calves were at risk of receiving poor quality colostrum, especially in terms of microbial contamination. Further researches are needed to evaluate the colostrum management and the effect of bacterial contamination of colostrum on the health of neonate calves in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA‐4) haploinsufficiency (CHAI) and lipopolysaccharide‐responsive beige‐like anchor (LRBA) deficiency (LATAIE) are newly identified inborn errors of immunity with shared molecular pathomechanisms and clinical manifestations. In this review, we aimed to provide differential comparisons regarding demographic, clinical, immunological and molecular characteristics between these two similar conditions. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases and included studies were systematically evaluated. Overall, 434 (222 CHAI and 212 LATAIE) patients were found in 101 eligible studies. The CHAI patients were mainly reported from North America and western Europe, while LATAIE patients were predominantly from Asian countries. In CHAI, positive familial history (P < 0·001) and in LATAIE, consanguineous parents (P < 0·001) were more common. In CHAI patients the rates of granulomas (P < 0·001), malignancies (P = 0·001), atopy (P = 0·001), cutaneous disorders (P < 0·001) and neurological (P = 0·002) disorders were higher, while LATAIE patients were more commonly complicated with life‐threatening infections (P = 0·002), pneumonia (P = 0·006), ear, nose and throat disorders (P < 0·001), organomegaly (P = 0·023), autoimmune enteropathy (P = 0·038) and growth failure (P < 0·001). Normal lymphocyte subsets and immunoglobulins except low serum levels of CD9+ B cells (14·0 versus 38·4%, P < 0·001), natural killer (NK) cells (21 versus 41·1%, P < 0·001), immunoglobulin (Ig)G (46·9 versus 41·1%, P = 0·291) and IgA (54·5 versus 44·7%, P = 0·076) were found in the majority of CHAI and LATAIE patients, respectively. The most frequent biological immunosuppressive agents prescribed for CHAI and LATAIE patients were rituximab and abatacept, respectively. Further investigations into the best conditioning and treatment regimens pre‐ and post‐transplantation are required to improve the survival rate of transplanted CHAI and LATAIE patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of three Bacillus probiotics on Salmonella Typhimurium, and interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) gene expression in the co‐culture of the Bacillus and the pathogen in vitro. Methods and Results: Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus indicus and Bacillus coagulans were initially turned to spore and heat‐inactivated forms. The cellular damages of the probiotics on the HT‐29 cells were investigated individually and in combination with S. Typhimurium using 3‐(4,5 dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and fluorescence assays. To extract cell free supernatants (CFS) of the probiotics, they were cultured in selective media. The inhibitory activity of CFSs were then assayed against the pathogen. The gene expression of IL‐8 of the HT‐29 cells was evaluated by real‐time PCR in all the groups. The results showed that the CFSs of three probiotics could inhibit the growth of S. Typhimurium by more than 50%. Inhibitory effects of B. indicus and B. subtilis CFSs were related to the production of pepsin‐sensitive compounds, except B. coagulans in which the high inhibitory effect was due to organic acids. The spores of the three probiotics and the heat‐inactivated forms of B. subtilis and B. coagulans could reduce the cytotoxicity of S. Typhimurium. The cell viability also increased applying both forms probiotics against the pathogen. In all co‐culture groups, the IL‐8 gene expression induced by S. Typhimurium was reduced. Conclusions: The three Bacillus probiotics can be considered as proper candidates for the prevention and treatment of S. Typhimurium food poisoning. Significance and Impact of the Study: Applying probiotics as live bacteria is universally noted in foods. This study tried to discover the effects of Bacillus probiotics in the form of spore or even heat‐killed bacteria against S. Typhimurium and evaluate ratio of IL‐8 gene expression in cell culture. The most effective Bacillus probiotic will be recommended. This approach will help to use probiotics as nonvegetative cells in foods to fight gastrointestinal pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The quality of shrimp, as high perishable seafood, can readily be effected by microbial, chemical, and physical alterations during storage. Aims: In this study, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) coating either alone or incorporated with variable levels of clove oil nanoemulsion (CNE) (10, 20, and 30 mg/ml) was developed to sustain the quality of shrimp during refrigerated storage. Methods: Changes in microbial, chemical, textural, color (L*, a*, b*), and sensory parameters of the studied groups evaluated through distinct experimental approaches. Results: Based on our results, the pattern of increase in the aerobic plate count (APC) and psychrotrophic bacterial count (PBC) in different groups were reported as the following order: CMC + CNE < CMC < control. Also, CMC and CNE integration decreased the upward trend of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) compared to that of the control group during storage at 4°C for 10 days (P<0.05). During the storage period, the decrease of the L* value in the control group was greater than the others; whereas, the lowest a* and b* values were observed in this group (P<0.05). Besides, the textural and sensory properties of coated shrimp were significantly more acceptable (P<0.05). Conclusion: Integration of CNE in CMC coating promisingly improves the quality of shrimp during refrigerated storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics may improve milk quality and the general health status of animals. Aims: The effects of dietary Bacillus coagulans PRM101 on milk components, milk fatty acids (FA), and some health indicators of dairy cows were investigated. Methods: The probiotic was added to the feed of 12 Holstein cows (2 g/cow: 2 × 1011 CFU/cow) for 63 days compared to a control group fed on the basal ration (n=11). Milk and blood samples were taken on days 0, 21, 42, and 63. Results: The yields of milk and energy corrected milk (ECM; computed from milk weight and its fat and protein content) decreased linearly and similarly (P=0.60) in both groups. The treatment cows, however, showed quadratic increases in the weights of milk (P=0.03) and ECM (P=0.04) at d42 of the study. Energy corrected milk (d42, P<0.05) and crude protein content of milk (d42, P<0.05; d63, P<0.1) were higher in the cows receiving the probiotic. The proportions of heptadecanoic (C17:0; P=0.002) and linoleic (C18:2; P=0.077) acids in milk fat (g/100 g fat) were higher in the treatment cows on d63. Milk total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and similarly, amyloid A (AA) and haptoglobin (Hp) of milk and blood were not affected. Total antioxidant capacity and MDA were negatively correlated in the control group (r=-0.669, P=0.005). Heptadecanoic acid correlated negatively with milk MDA (r=-0.611, P=0.035) and positively (r=0.591, P=0.043) with serum Hp in the treatment cows. Conclusion: Dietary B. coagulans PRM101 may improve the proportions of C17:0 and C18:2 FA in milk. Some improvements in milk protein and the health status of the cows may also be anticipated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: Diabetes is one of the most common diseases which can attenuate brain function by destroying hippocampus neurons, while reelin is a largely secreted extracellular matrix glycoprotein in the hippocampus causing synaptic plasticity, promoting postsynaptic structures and maturing neurons. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of exercise, as an external factor for neurogenesis in the brain, on reelin levels and memory improvement in diabetic rats. METHOD: Thirty rats were randomly allocated into three groups; healthy sedentary, diabetic sedentary and diabetic exercise-trained. The experimental group was treadmill-exercised at speed 22 m/min for 1 hour, 5 days per week. Finally, spatial memory of rats was tested and reelin levels were measured. RESULTS: The results showed that short-term exercise improved spatial memory in diabetic rats but had no effect on reelin levels in the hippocampus of diabetic rats. CONCLUSION: Diabetes reduced the spatial memory without altering the reelin levels while exercise improved spatial memory without altering the reelin levels (Fig. 4, Ref. 33). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streams located in watershed environments act as a principal component of transportation and reservoir of heavy metals evacuated by mining activities. This study evaluated the relationship between morphometric stream characteristics and variations in the rate of sediment heavy metal pollution in a mining-influenced watershed. The study area was a mining site located in the Anguran region, Zanjan province, Iran. Three rivers were selected that exhibited significant differences in terms of path length and slope. Approximately 1500 g sediment was collected from downstream positions of Kaka River (R1), Allah Lochay River (R2), and Shurab River (R3). Total zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) concentrations and particle size distribution were measured. The pollution load index (PLI) and geo-Accumulation Index (Igeo) were then calculated. Based on the results, the sediment particle size distribution significantly decreased in response to an increase in the river length and slope (R1>R2>R3). Stream path length and slope are factors determining the size of bed particles transported by a river. The streams with longer path lengths and steeper slopes could transport finer fractions toward depositional positions. Further, the pollution level of the Kaka River sediment was the highest compared with other rivers. The highest Igeo value for the measured heavy metals was also observed in the Kaka River sediment, followed by the sediments of Allah Luchay and Shurab rivers. The regression results illustrated that the heavy metal concentrations were significantly positively correlated with clay and silt contents. These findings unequivocally showed that watershed environments exhibit a high vulnerability to mining activities because the streams can facilitate the transportation of sediment polluted by heavy metals across the landscape. On the other hand, the streams with higher lengths and slopes surrounding mining sites increase the pollution transfer rate and cause a higher level of sediment heavy metal pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • YIG magnetic nanoparticles synthesized by modifying co-precipitation (MCP) method for first time. • Compered the method by well-known Citrate-Nitrate method. • MCP method yielded finer YIG NPs with higher saturation magnetization and lower particle size. Abstract Nanoparticles with their specific properties newly have drawn a great deal of attention of researchers (Khezri et al., 2012 [1]; Khezri et al., 2013 [2]; Lu et al., 2007 [3]).Yttrium iron Garnet magnetic nanoparticles (YIG-NPs) are promising materials with novel applications in microwave, spintronics, magnonics, and magneto-optical devices. However, achieving stable and remarkable magnetic YIG-NPs has been remaining as a great challenge. In this paper, synthesized YIG-NPs by modifying co-precipitation (MCP) method is reported. Structural and magnetic properties of final products are compared to those of the materials prepared by citrate–nitrate (CN) method. Smaller crystals and particle size have been found by MCP method comparing to that of synthesized by CN method. Using a relatively low annealing temperatures for both sets of samples (∼700 °C), the final YIG samples prepared by MCP method show more structural purity than those made by CN method. Higher saturation magnetization (M s) and lower coercivity (H c) are observed in MCP YIG sample (23.23 emu/g and 30.1 Oe) than the CN prepared YIG sample (16.43 emu/g and 44.95 Oe). The Curie temperature is measured to be 569 °C for the MCP YIG sample determined from set of M s measurement at different temperatures ranging from 80 to 600 K. These findings lead to significant improvement in quality of synthesized (synthetic methods) YIG-NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystallization and magnetic behavior of yttrium iron garnet (YIG) prepared by metallo-organic decomposition (MOD) method are discussed. The chemistry and physics related to synthesis of iron and yttrium carboxylates based on 2-ethylhexanoic acid (2EHA) are studied, since no literature was found which elucidates synthesis of metallo-organic precursor of YIG in spite of the literatures of doped YIG samples such as Bi-YIG. Typically, the metal carboxylates used in preparation of ceramic oxide materials are 2-ethylhexanoate (2EH) solvents. Herein, the synthesis, thermal behavior and solubility of yttrium and iron 2EH used in synthesis of YIG powder by MOD are reported. The crystallization and magnetic parameters, including saturation magnetization and coercivity of these samples, smoothly change as a function of the annealing temperature. It is observed that high sintering temperature of 1 3 0 0 ∘ C to 1 4 0 0 ∘ C promotes the diffraction peaks of YIG, therefore, we can conclude that the formation of YIG in MOD method increases the crystallization temperature. The maximum value of saturation magnetization and minimum value of coercivity and remanence are observed for the sample sintered at 1 2 0 0 ∘ C which are 13.7 emu/g, 10.38 Oe and 1.5 emu/g, respectively. This study cites the drawbacks in chemical synthesis of metallo-organic-based YIG production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the possibility of reducing energy content in emulsion type sausages by replacing fat with inulin. In the manufactured product, the fat content was reduced to 6%-18% and replaced by inulin and water. The quality of the resulting product was determined by chemical and texture profile analyses (TPA), color measurement and sensory evaluation. The results showed that replacing fat with inulin led to a significant energy content reduction of up to 64% (with 6% inulin and 12% water). In addition, color measurement, sensory evaluation and TPA were comparable to the traditional product in the inulin treated samples. The overall acceptability of all experimental groups was adequate; therefore, inulin is suggested as a good replacement for fat in emulsion type sausages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. Chemo-herbal combinations promise new clinical anticancer therapeutic modalities. The current study investigated and compared the in vitro effects of a bromelain-based chemo-herbal combination to/with cisplatin or 5-FU, with regard to the proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric AGS and breast MCF7 cell lines.

Approximate image currents for the Sommerfeld half-space problem with vertical electric and magnetic current sources above double negative half-space is found using the discrete image theory and Laplace transform. This method would found its applications in investigation of dipole radiation above metamaterial half-space and in describing the focusing mechanism of metamaterial lenses. In order to efficiently consider the effects of metamaterial half-space, discrete image dipoles are defined by proposing an exponential series for reflection coefficient. Unknown constants (the loci of images) in the argument of the exponential function are determined by equating the coefficients of the Taylor series for exact reflection coefficient with those of the proposed approximate series. Thus, the calculation of integral with oscillating integrand reduces to the solution of polynomial equation for the zeros of polynomials. As an application for the proposed approach, the field focusing in double negative is investigated. Thanks to the fast and accurate methods for finding the zeros of polynomials, it is shown that in addition to its good accuracy, this method decreases the computational time for field calculations in comparison with the exact methods. It is seen that for the negative refractive index beside −1, the complex images approach to infinity and have negligible effect on the scattering field of dipole. For the other negative indexes the complex image blurs the real image. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was aimed to identify the frequency of coagulase (Coa) and thermonuclease (Nuc) genes and Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (Sea) production among Staphylococcus aureus isolated from various sources in Shiraz. Moreover, the correlation between the Sea gene and coagulase and thermonuclease enzymes is also considered. A total of 100 S. aureus were isolated from various sources including 40 humans, 30 animals and 30 food samples by the routine biochemical tests. The frequency of Coa, Nuc and Sea genes was evaluated by PCR assay. Correlation among those genes was finally evaluated by statistical analysis. The PCR results showed that the prevalence of Coa, Nuc and Sea genes was 91%, 100% and 14%, respectively. The evaluation of the enterotoxin production indicated that 78.6% of the Sea gene was expressed. The presence of enterotoxin A was not necessarily correlated to the production of toxin. As a final conclusion to detect the enterotoxigenic strains, both genotypic and phenotypic methods are highly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An in vivo experiment was conducted to study the effects of probiotic Bacillus coagulans spores, with and without prebiotic, inulin, on gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota of healthy rats and its potentiality to survive in the GI tract. Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided intofour groups (n=12) and fed as follows: standard diet (control), standard diet supplied with 5% w/w long chain inulin (prebiotic), standard diet with 109/day spores of B. coagulans by orogastric gavage (probiotic), and standard diet with 5% w/w long chain inulin and 109 spores/day of B. coagulans by orogastric gavage (synbiotic). Rats were fed the diets for 30 days. At day 10, 20 and 30 of experiment, 24 h post administration, four rats from each group were randomly selected and after faecal collection were sacrificed. Small intestine, cecum, and colon were excised from each rat and used for microbial analysis. Administration of synbiotic and probiotic diets led to a significant (P<0.05) increment in lactic acid bacteria (LAB), total aerobic and total anaerobic population compared the prebiotic and control diets. A significant decrease in Enterobacteriaceae counts of various segments of GI tract (except small intestine) in synbiotic, probiotic and prebiotic fed groups were also seen. The obvious decline in spores count through passing GI tract and high surviving spore counts in faecal samples showed that spores are not a normal resident of GI microbiota and affect intestinal microbiota by temporary proliferation. In conclusion, the present study clearly showed probiotic B. coagulans was efficient in beneficially modulating GI microbiota and considering transitional characteristics of B. coagulans, daily consumption of probiotic products is necessary for any long-term effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campylobacter spp. are significant causative agents of human diarrheal diseases. The common source of Campylobacter infection is contaminated food, particularly poultry meat. In the present study Campylobacter contamination was assessed in chicken's wings samples obtained from Urmia chicken retail shops. A total number of 96 chicken wings were examined for the presence of Campylobacter spp. using Campylobacter selective agar. The wings contaminated with Campylobacter spp. were further examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the confirmation of Campylobacter. Two primers were used for amplification of a 1004 bp fragment of 16s rRNA gene from Campylobacter spp. The results revealed that a number of 40 wings (41.66%) out of 96 chicken wings were contaminated with Campylobacter spp. using the Campylobacter selective agar. A number of 37 positive samples of detected Campylobacter spp. in biochemical assays were yielded a 1004 bp PCR product, confirming that at least 37 bacterial isolates were belonged to Campylobacter spp. It was concluded that the Campylobacter spp. was existed in chicken wings with high frequency. Further studies are needed for discriminating different strains of isolated Campylobacter spp. It was recommended that appropriate cooking of chicken meat will be an important approach for the control of Campylobacteriosis in human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the genotypic characteristics of Campylobacter isolates in Shiraz, Iran. A total of 40 Campylobacter isolates including 20 C. jejuni and 20 C. coli were recovered from both cattle and sheep faeces by cultivation methods. The isolates were identified on the basis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of 16SrRNA and multiplex PCR to determine two species. For confirmed isolates, PCR was carried out for the presence of virulence genes using specific primers. Other than verifying the genetic diversity of thermophilic Campylobacter isolates, flaA PCR-RFLP was performed. Results showed the high prevalence (100%) of the cadF gene and three genes associated with cytolethal distending toxin (CDT). Plasmid virB11 gene was not found in any Campylobacter isolate, and dissimilarities and discrepancies occurred in pldA, iamA, wlaN, waaC and cgtB genes. Among the 40 Campylobacter isolates studied, nine different types were defined by flaA-typing. Results indicated genetic diversity among Campylobacter isolates recovered from cattle and sheep faecal samples. Findings showed the potential ability of C. jejuni and C. coli with cattle and sheep origins to cause infection in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the reproducibility of a reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR)-based technique to differentiate viable and dead Salmonella cells in raw and sterilized milk. The microorganism was initially inoculated into the milk samples followed by incubating at 37°C for 4 h prior to inactivation by heat at 80°C for 10 min. The treated and non-treated samples were subsequently monitored using both PCR and RT-PCR, in vitro. Following 4 h incubation, the invA gene of Salmonella was clearly amplified by RT-PCR, while no band was detected in the heated samples. On the other hand, using the conventional PCR, it was possible to amplify the gene in both samples. Our results may suggest an important application of the RT-PCR technique, especially when the number of live organisms is an imperative factor to produce food borne infections and to establish a detection limit of the test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botulism is a serious paralytic disease caused by Clostridium botulinum toxin in foods. There are seven recognized serotypes of botulinum neurotoxins among which the principal prevalent types in humans include A, B and E. Infant botulism results from intestinal colonization and toxin production by C. botulinum spores in babies less than 1 year old. Honey is the most important food discriminated as the cause of infant botulism. In this study, a total of 100 honey samples were collected from retail markets in Shiraz, Iran and analysed for the presence of C. botulinum using a multiplex PCR assay. Three pairs of primers were designed and optimized to identify A, B and E strains in the specimens. Positive samples were further examined to find out whether they carried the toxin gene; toxin products were also checked by mouse bioassay. The results showed that out of 100 honey samples tested, 2% were found positive for type B which carried the neurotoxin B gene confirmed by sequencing. All the injected mice died, whereas no symptoms were observed in the control groups. The honey collected from Shiraz retail markets was contaminated with the spore of the bacteria and can thus potentially cause infant botulism. Bioassay is described as a standard method; however, molecular based techniques also easily, quickly and reliably detect C. botulinum, its toxins and spores in food stuffs and is strongly advised for use in the food microbial lab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objective: Food poisoning (FP) caused by C. botulinum is the most serious feature of FP in people consuming the contaminated foodstuffs (Canned meat, vegetarian foods, dairy products and seafood products). Botulism is basically detected by the identification of live bacteria and/or its toxins. Among various types of microorganisms (i.e. A, B, C1, C2, D, E, F), serotypes A, B, E and F are considered as the main human pathogens. The present study was aimed at investigating the possible roles of various foodstuffs to induce the food intoxication and also to compare the culture and molecular assays for identifying the microorganism. Materials &Methods: Three Lab techniques including biochemical, culture (enriched in TPGY and cooked meat medium) and MPCR were used to detect C. botulinum in the samples. As the molecular based techniques have recently employed for the rapid and reliable identification of the bacteria and its toxins, the PCR assay, using three pairs of primers were designed and optimized to identify A, B and E strains in the contaminated specimens. The PCR was able to amplify 782, 205 and 389 bp genes specified for A, B and E types of the bacteria, respectively. Results: Total number of 290 specimens including fish, honey, "kashk" and "Dough" were tested, in which 5%, 4%, 2.5% and 1.25%, were found positive, respectively. Using selective culture of the specimens on the enriched samples, it was shown that just four samples were found positive. Conclusion: As a final conclusion, the molecular based techniques are recommended as a reliable tool to detect C. botulinum and, its toxins and spores in foodstuffs. Moreover, it is strongly advised to use it in food microbial Lab and also the epidemiological surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibration behavior of piezoelectric microbeams is studied on the basis of the modified couple stress theory. The governing equations of motion and boundary conditions for the Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam models are derived using Hamilton's principle. By the exact solution of the governing equations, an expression for natural frequencies of microbeams with simply supported boundary conditions is obtained. Numerical results for both beam models are presented and the effects of piezoelectricity and length scale parameter are illustrated. It is found that the influences of piezoelectricity and size effects are more prominent when the length of microbeams decreases. A comparison between two beam models also reveals that the Euler-Bernoulli beam model tends to overestimate the natural frequencies of microbeams as compared to its Timoshenko counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine genital campylobacteriosis is one of the most economically important diseases of dairy cattle resulting in lowered fertility, embryo mortality and abortion, repeated returns to service, reduced pregnancy rates and extended calving intervals. While the occurrence of repeat breeding syndrome and abortions are reported from many Iranian dairy cattle farms, little information is available regarding the presence of bovine genital campylobacteriosis in Iran. The present report describes detection of Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis infection in two out of eight repeat breeder Holstein Friesian cows (Bos Taurus) using a PCR method in a herd with a history of subfertility in Mashhad, in the northeast of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of Chlamydia trachomatis genotypes in Shiraz, Iran. Two hundred twelve cervical swab samples were collected from women attending Shahid Motahari Polyclinic in Shiraz, Iran. The endocervical specimens were screened for C. trachomatis by plasmid PCR. Genotyping was performed in C. trachomatis-positive samples by nested PCR amplification and sequencing of 571 fragment encompassing VD1 and VD2 of omp1 gene. The overall prevalence rate of C. trachomatis in endocervical specimens determined by plasmid nested PCR was 8%. The deduced serovars found, in descending order of prevalence, were F (46.6%), E (33.3%), and D (13.3%), and serovar G was found in a single sample. Sequence mutation analysis by BLAST search against GenBank reference sequences identified 4 genetic variants. This study can be considered a contribution to increasing knowledge on C. trachomatis genotype distribution and sequence variations within each genotype in Shiraz. Further studies are needed to better define molecular epidemiology of C. trachomatis serovars and to investigate its genotype variations in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead is a highly neurotoxic agent that particularly affects the developing central nervous system. In the current study we investigated the neuroprotective effects of exercise training and/or diferuloyl methane (DM) supplement, which is known as curcumin, on lead acetate-induced neurotoxicity in the rat hippocampus. Sixty rats were randomly divided into six groups: 1) lead acetate, 2) DM supplement, 3) endurance training, 4) training+ DM supplement, 5) sham and 6) base. The rats in the training groups performed treadmill running consisting of 15 to 22 m · min-1 for 25 to 64 min, 5 times a week for 8 weeks. All groups except sham received lead acetate (20 mg · kg-1), whereas the sham group received DM solvent. In addition, the DM and training+DM groups received DM solution (30 mg · kg-1) intraperitoneally. Chronic administration of lead acetate resulted in a significant increase in the malondialdehyde (MDA) in plasma, but not in the hippocampus. In addition, it led to significantly decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels, as compared to the sham group. Treadmill running, DM supplementation, or both resulted in a significant decrease in MDA levels and significantly increased BDNF and TAC levels, as compared to the lead acetate group. These results provide a rationale for an inhibitory role of DM supplement and regular exercise in the attenuation of lead-induced neurotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An external DC magnetic field may change the dispersion diagram of periodic structures, so that tunable reciprocal and non-reciprocal plamonic components may be constructed. In this study, the effect of an external DC magnetic field on the dispersion diagram of plasmonic periodic structures will be investigated by the effective refractive index method. Investigations are focused on the Voigt and Faraday configurations, although it can be extended to other configurations. In this regard, the wave equation for both structures is solved, eigenpropagation constants and eigenpolarisation are derived. Then, the effective propagation constant and finally, the dispersion diagram for the Voigt and Faraday structures will be derived. The effect of the bias field is investigated on the aforementioned structures. It is seen that tunable periodic structures can be achieved by the magnetoplasmonic configurations. Different dispersion diagrams can be obtained for different modal waves. For both structures, there is a transmission band for frequencies below the plasma frequency, especially for extremely low frequencies, where in the absence of a magnetic field, wave transmission is impossible. There is no limit on the period of structure, the period of structure in the simulation varies from zero to 1.6λp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal pollution has become one of the most serious environmental problems resulting from human activity. Phytoremediation utilizes plants to uptake contaminants and can potentially be used to remediate metal-contaminated sites. The present study investigates heavy metal uptake (Cd, Cr, and Ni) from soil by different organs of Populus alba and Morus alba. For this purpose, Cd (40, 80, and 160 mg/kg), Cr (60, 120, and 240 mg/kg) and Ni (120, 240, and 480 mg/kg) were added to the soil in pot experiments over the course of a growing season in open air. The total concentration of these metals was measured in the roots, stems, green leaves, fallen leaves, and the corresponding soil. Our results show that the highest accumulation of all studied metals was found in the leaves. Furthermore, the fallen leaves had higher concentrations of Cd and Cr in P. alba and Cr and Ni in M. alba when compared to the green leaves. In the two species, Cd and Ni did not transport from the leaves to the roots and stems, or vice versa, in the fall season, but Cr was transported from the roots and stems to the leaves in the 240 and 480 mg/kg treatments.In addition, the determination of a bioconcentration factor and a translocation factor showed that P. alba and M. alba were suitable for phytoextraction of Cd and Ni in all treatments respectively; however, none of the plants was suitable for phytostabilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, accurate analytical expressions for the impedance of vertical electric and magnetic dipoles which are located over the half-space materials of arbitrary permittivity and permeability are developed. In this regard, the impedance variations are expressed in integral forms. For metamaterial half-space, a proper expression for approximating the Fresnel reflection coefficient is proposed. Using this approximate expression, the impedance integrals are analytically solved, and exact formulas for impedance variations are obtained. The results for the metamaterial half-spaces are compared with the case of natural materials (positive permittivity and permeability), and key differences are explained. The influences of sign changing in permeability of the half-space material on the impedance of vertical dipole are studied, and the results are validated by comparison with those of numerical solution of integrals. It is shown that for elevated dipoles over materials with high and/or low conductivities, the results of both methods are in complete agreement. For vertical dipoles above low loss materials, the results are somewhat identical. However, a better agreement could be obtained using higher order approximations for the integrand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis is considered as an important cause of preventable sexually transmitted diseases, worldwide. It is known to be of an obligate intracellular nature and enters its target cells via an endocytic process. As major outer membrane protein (MOMP) is one of the main candidates for the attachment and entry of chlamydia to the host cells, we have tried to label the epitopes by using different techniques. Materials and Methods: McCoy cells were experimentally inoculated with 104 elementary bodies (EBs) followed by 24 hours incubation at 37°C. The infected cells were then processed for direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using anti-MOMP antibody and pre- and post-embedded labelling techniques. Results: DFA was able to detect 11/11(100%) of the infected cells. These values were recorded as 9/11(81.81%) and 8/11(72.72%), using pre- and post-embedded techniques, respectively. Conclusion: MOMP is proposed to be one of the most important adhesion molecules for chlamydial attachment and entry into host cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of elementary bodies (EB) of Chlamydia trachomatis serovars E and LGV on sperm motility, viability and acrosomal status. Highly motile preparations of spermatozoa from normozoospermic patients were co-incubated for 6 h with 0.54×106 EB per ml. At 1, 3 and 6 h of incubation, sperm motility was determined by computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) and the proportion of dead cells determined by the hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test. Acrosomal status was also examined using a standard monoclonal antibody assay. In the absence of EB, the percentage of motile spermatozoa remained >69% over the 6h incubation and the proportion of dead spermatozoa at <12%. However, during the incubation with EB of serovar E there was a significant decline in the percentage of motile spermatozoa (P < 0.05), and a corresponding increase in the proportion of dead spermatozoa (P < 0.05) at all time-points. However, following incubation with serovar LGV, only the percentage of dead spermatozoa after 6 h incubation was significantly different from the control (P < 0.05). The amount of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa remained unchanged (<16%) in all incubations at all time-points. Dose-response experiments indicated that increasing the concentration of EB to 2.5×106 per ml did not significantly alter the results. Furthermore, co-incubation of spermatozoa with dead EB (killed by heat treatment) abolished the chlamydia-mediated response, indicating that the effect is a result of the live organism and not soluble components or membrane elements. These data suggest that a detrimental effect on sperm function by some serovars may be an as yet unrecognized component of infertility problems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Caspian kutum, Rutilus frisii kutum, is one of the most commercially important fish species in the Caspian Sea, but there are few reports about the endocrinology of induced spawning in this fish. In the present study, 54 individuals of female broodstocks of Kutum were studied for quantity and quality of propagation index, during March and April 2007. Hormone treatments include: LHRH-A2 (1 µg kg-1bw; chlorpromazine (2.5 mg kg-1bw); LHRH-A2 + chlorpromazine (1µg kg-1bw+2.5 mg kg-1bw); CPE as a positive control (1 mg kg-1bw); Physiological saline as a negative control; and normal brood stocks without injection. For histological examinations, ovarian samples of non-ovulated females were fixed in bouin's fluid. The routine procedures of preparation of tissues were followed and the paraffin blocks were cut at 5- 7 microns, stained with H&E and studied under light microscope. The results showed that the highest percentage of ovulated females belonged to group 1 without significant difference with positive control. There was a significant difference between ovulated females in the LHRH-A2, chlorpromazine and LHRH-A2 + chlorpromazine treatments (P0.05). Chlorpromazine could not be a potent dopamine antagonist and the microscopic observations of ovary in non- ovulated brood stocks showed that the oocytes in these treatments were in the final phase of IV stage.