Search

This paper addresses the need for innovative optimization solutions in automotive manufacturing. Through advanced algorithms, we review existing methods and introduce novel ap- proaches tailored to this sector. Our literature review identifies gaps and limitations in current methodologies. We define a specific optimization problem within automotive manufacturing, emphasizing its unique challenges. Our key contributions include: (a) Exploring hybrid optimization algorithms, combining genetic algorithms with simulated annealing for a 15% improvement in convergence speed, (b) Integrating machine learning techniques, resulting in a 20% reduction in optimization error compared to static settings, (c) Incorporating multiobjective optimization, achieving a 25% improvement in simultaneous cost and efficiency optimization, and (d) Proposing dynamic optimization algorithms, reducing decision-making latency by 30% during rapid environmental changes. Case studies demonstrate practical ap- plication, with quantitative results highlighting the superiority of our approaches over traditional methods. Additionally, the data analysis was conducted using Python, contributing to the robustness and accuracy of our findings.

A dose-response experiment with seven dietary energy levels (2500, 2650, 2800, 2950, 3100, 3250 and 3400 kcal of MEn/Kg) was implemented to study the effects of dietary energy level on growth performance and carcass characteristics of Japanese quails from 2 to 5 weeks of age. Three hundred and thirty-six 14-day-old Japanese quails were randomly divided into 7 dietary treatments, containing six replicates with eight males and females per each, and the birds were grown up to 5 weeks of age. At 35 d of age, weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of quails from each pen were measured or calculated, and one quail (male one) that had similar body weight to the average of the replication weight was selected and slaughtered to evaluate the yields of carcass parts. The results showed that with an increase in dietary MEn levels feed intake, crude protein intake, FCR and crude protein intake:gain (g/g) of quails decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The highest and the lowest dietary MEn levels resulted in a decrease in body weight gain and metabolizable energy intake (kcal/b). The highest rate of weight gain belonged to moderate dietary energy levels (2800 and 2950 kcal/kg). The results of the experiment revealed that metabolizable energy intake to weight gain, as well as some carcass characteristics such as edible carcass, thighs and breast percentages and giblets (liver, heart and gizzard percentages), were not affected by different dietary energy levels. With increasing dietary energy from 2500 to 2950 kcal MEn/Kg, the weight gain of quail increased and above 2950 kcal/Kg decreased significantly (p=0.0058). Based on broken line regression analysis, between two and four weeks of age, the metabolizable energy requirement of growing quails was 2831 and 2799 Kcal/kg for optimal weight gain and FCR, respectively, when protein level in the diet was 24 percent.

Background and Objective: Ensuring suitable access to hemodialysis, which provides high-quality dialysis over an extended period, is a significant challenge for patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). One crucial aspect of this is maintaining the performance of hemodialysis catheters. Our study, which aimed to evaluate the one-year performance of long-term catheters in chronic hemodialysis patients in Golestan Province, is a critical step toward improving patient care in this population. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 99 patients (34 men and 65 women) with ESRD who were candidates for starting or continuing dialysis with a catheter in the educational and therapeutic centers of Golestan Province, Iran during 2021-22. Transjugular catheters were placed for the patients, and after one year, variables such as age, gender, history of diabetes, history of hypertension, catheter placement site (right or left jugular), and antiplatelet medication use were evaluated concerning the performance of long-term catheters in providing adequate flow for hemodialysis. Results: In 91 patients (91.9%), the one-year catheter performance was assessed as satisfactory. The age of 61.6% of the patients were over 60 years old. Sixty-nine patients (69.7%) had a history of hypertension, and 58 patients (58.6%) had a history of diabetes. Fifty-seven patients (57.6%) received antiplatelet medication. The catheters were placed on the right side in 82 patients (82.8%). Catheter performance in patients taking antiplatelet medication was non-significantly higher than in those not taking antiplatelet medicines. Conclusion: The performance of long-term catheters in chronic hemodialysis patients with ESRD showed no significant correlation with age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, antiplatelet medication use, or the side of the jugular vein where the catheter was placed.

Introduction Astaxanthin is a widely used carotenoid pigment in the food industry which is extracted from various natural and synthetic sources. Nowadays, due to the adverse effects of organic solvents green solvents which are non-toxic, non-volatile and environmentally friendly have been proposed. Therefore, this study focuses on comparison of the extraction of astaxanthin from shrimp (Fenneropenaeus merguiensis) and Gammarus (Pontogammarus maeoticus) under soaking conditions for 24 hours with organic solvent (combination of ethanol with ethyl acetate), green solvent (microemulsion of ionic liquid in water) and vegetable oil (sunflower oil). Ionic liquid microemulsion in water is considered a newnovel solvent for astaxanthin extraction. Determination of density, conductivity and diameter were the characteristics of microemulsion test. In extraction,Solvent to sample ratios of 5x, 12.5x and 20x were used for the extraction and compared with the control sample. Materials and Methods merguiensis and P. maeoticus With species approval were procured from Persian Gulf Ecology Research Institute (Iran). Commercial astaxanthin (>98 % purity), α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were procured from Sigma-Aldrich (USA). The HPLC grade ethanol, propanol, ethyl acetate,, tributyl octyl phosphonium bromide, Triton X-100, and n-butanol were obtained from Merck Chemicals Co. (Germany). Refined sunflower oil which was antioxidant-free, was also purchased from Hayat Company (Iran). The shell of F. merguiensis and P. maeoticus were carefully washed with distilled water, then freeze-dried (Christ-Alpha 1–4, LD freeze dryer, Germany) for 48 h at -50 °C. After sieving the powders with a laboratory sieve with a mesh smaller than 15 µm. The obtained powders were kept at Refrigerator. All experiments were done in the Food and Drug Administration Department of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences. Results and Discussion According to the results, the density of the microemulsion was determined in the range of 0.97151 g/cm3, its diameter was 15.8 nanometers and the conductivity was 312 microsiemens at 27.1°C. The results of astaxanthin extraction with different solvents in the comparison with control solvent were statistically significant (p< 0.05). According to the results obtained from the extraction of astaxanthin from two sources of shrimp and gammarus, shrimp was selected as the source with the highest amount of extracted astaxanthin. The use of green solvent (ionic liquid microemulsion in water) in a ratio of 12.5 times solvent to sample was also chosen as the optimal method. The amount of astaxanthin extracted under optimal conditions was 77.44 ± 1.09 mg/ml. The results of DPPH radical inhibition by extracted astaxanthin using ionic, oily and organic solvents compared to synthetic antioxidant BHT showed that the antioxidant activity increased with increasing the concentration of astaxanthin, but this increase was always lower than BHT. ConclusionIn general, the results of this research show that the use of microemulsion based on ionic liquids is a suitable alternative to conventional methods in extracting and recovering astaxanthin from natural biological sources. AcknowledgementWe are grateful to the Honorable Vice-Chancellor of Hormozgan Food and Drug Administration for the help in using the Hormozgan Food and Drug Laboratory to conduct the experiments of this doctoral thesis.

Computational Pathology (CPath) is an interdisciplinary science that augments developments of computational approaches to analyze and model medical histopathology images. The main objective for CPath is to develop infrastructure and workflows of digital diagnostics as an assistive CAD system for clinical pathology, facilitating transformational changes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer that are mainly address by CPath tools. With evergrowing developments in deep learning and computer vision algorithms, and the ease of the data flow from digital pathology, currently CPath is witnessing a paradigm shift. Despite the sheer volume of engineering and scientific works being introduced for cancer image analysis, there is still a considerable gap of adopting and integrating these algorithms in clinical practice. This raises a significant question regarding the direction and trends that are undertaken in CPath. In this article we provide a comprehensive review of more than 800 papers to address the challenges faced in problem design all-the-way to the application and implementation viewpoints. We have catalogued each paper into a model-card by examining the key works and challenges faced to layout the current landscape in CPath. We hope this helps the community to locate relevant works and facilitate understanding of the field’s future directions. In a nutshell, we oversee the CPath developments in cycle of stages which are required to be cohesively linked together to address the challenges associated with such multidisciplinary science. We overview this cycle from different perspectives of data-centric, model-centric, and application-centric problems. We finally sketch remaining challenges and provide directions for future technical developments and clinical integration of CPath. For updated information on this survey review paper and accessing to the original model cards repository, please refer to GitHub. Updated version of this draft can also be found from arXiv.

AbstractDue to the perishable nature of food, especially vegetables, and the need for long-term storage, freezing is one of the best methods to preserve food, and thawing is often required to use frozen products. The purpose of this study was to use the combined method of defrosting using hot air-infrared radiation on the quality characteristics of defrosted cooked carrot samples. At first, after cutting, the carrot samples were cooked at 75 °C for 30 minutes, and after placing the thermocouple inside the samples, they were frozen at -18°C for 48 hours. Then, the effect of defrosting parameters including air temperature (30 and 40 °C), air velocity (0.5 and 5 ms-1) and infrared power (100 and 300 W) on the quality characteristics of defrosted cooked carrots was investigated and the sample thawed at 25 °C was considered as a control samples. Using this method, the thawing time for the control sample was reduced from 47 min to 6.11 min in the optimal conditions, The minimum amount of ascorbic acid was 2.63 mg100 g-1 for treatment 1 and the maximum for treatment 6 was 5.78 mg100 g-1 . The amount of beta-carotene in the control sample was 29.21 mg100 g-1 in the minimum condition and 49.33 mg100 g-1 in the optimal condition. The highest amount of loss due to defrosting belonged to treatment 8 by 18.32% and the lowest amount belonged to the control sample by 44.7%. The use of combined infrared-hot air method is very suitable for defrosting cooked carrots and in addition to reducing the duration of defrosting, it maintains the quality of the product to a great extent. This method is very cost-effective and its investment and setup costs are small and can be used for various products.

This research aimed to assess the impact of ultrasonication on the emulsifying ability of a conjugate system composed of sodium caseinate and soluble soy polysaccharides. The study analyzed the characteristics of the particles and evaluated the emulsions produced using nanoconjugates. The results showed that ultrasonication improved the contact angle (63.7°) and decreased particle size (75 nm), resulting in more effective emulsifying efficiency. At a 2 % concentration of the nanoconjugates, stable emulsions with a 50 % oil content were successfully formed through complete coverage of the droplets' surface, and no oil release was observed. Moreover, the emulsions’ creaming index remained below 25 % even after 60 days of storage. The stability of the nanoconjugate-based emulsions depended on the concentration of nanoconjugates, with an optimal concentration of 4 %. These findings suggest that the nanoconjugates have great potential as a natural stabilizer for emulsion-based products.

Introduction There has been an increasing demand for functional analog meat products due to environmental, human health, and animal welfare concerns. Burger analogs are plant-based products that are designed to mimic the taste, texture, and appearance of meat burgers. They are typically made from a combination of plant-based ingredients such as textured vegetable protein, legumes, grains, and vegetables. The goal of burger analogs is to provide a meat-like experience without using animal-based products.These formulations aim to provide a healthier and sustainable alternative to conventional meat products. The organoleptic properties of burger analogs, including texture, taste, and aroma, are crucial for their acceptance by consumers. Prickly pear (Opuntia stricta) is a fruit from the Cactaceae family that contains various beneficial components, including natural pigments, proteins, fibers, and polysaccharides. Pectic polysaccharides and arabinogalactans are two types of polysaccharides found in prickly pear that have thickening properties and can improve the texture of food products. Moreover, Prickly pear is a nutritious and functional fruit that can provide various benefits when incorporated into the diet or used as an ingredient in food products. To date, no health benefit analog burgers incorporating Opuntia fruit have been developed.This study investigated the effects of adding Prickly pear pulp powder at levels of 0.5-2.5% on the physicochemical, sensory, and textural properties of analog burgers. Materials and Methods Analog burgers were formulated according to Iranian national standards using common ingredients (texturized soy protein, water, canola oil, garlic, dehydrated onion, soy sauce, and guar gum) as a control sample. Mature prickly pear fruits (Opuntia stricta) were collected from west of Mazandaran province in February. The fruits were washed, peeled, and dried in a forced oven dryer at a temperature of 45 °C. The dried samples were then ground into a powder and stored at 4 °C until further physico-chemical parameters of the including moisture, pH, ash, protein, lipid, color and total phenolic content. For developing new formulation of analog burgers, the roasted flour was substituted with prickly pear pulp powder at 0.5%, 1.5%, and 2.5% of the base recipe. The average moisture, ash, fat, carbohydrate content, pH, holding capacity, and color of each raw packed burger were measured. The hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness of cooked analog burgers were evaluated using a texturometer instrument. Sensory analysis was performed by 10 panelists who judged discrimination scales of color, odor, taste, and texture characteristics. Analysis and sample treatments were repeated at least three times. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (version 19.0), and data were expressed as means ± standard deviation (SD). Results and Discussion The lowest and highest cooking losses were observed in analog burgers with 2.5% pulp powder (21.03 ±0.47%) and the control (22.2 ± 0.63%), respectively. However, moisture retention and juiciness did not show significant differences (p > 0.05) between analog burgers with prickly pear pulp powder and the control. The results indicated that increasing prickly pear pulp powder levels significantly decreased the redness (+a*) parameter and yellowness (+b*) of raw analog burgers. Moreover, a reduction in cooking loss and shrinkage were observed for cooked soy burger samples using prickly pear pulp powder. However, cooked analog burgers with added prickly pear pulp powder showed significantly higher juiciness. The elasticity of the produced analog burgers significantly decreased with an increasing percentage of pulp powder (p

Background: Understanding the microbiota of disease vectors can help for developing new strategies to prevent the transmis­sion of vector pathogens. Ixodes ricinus is one of the most notorious tick vectors with increasing importance in Iran and other parts of the world while there is limited data on its microbiota. This study aimed to use metagenomics for identifying the I. ricinus tick’s microbiota of Iran. Methods: A total of 39 adult ticks were collected from Mazandaran (21 females), Gilan (17 females), and Golestan (1 male). Five tick pools prepared from 39 adults of I. ricinus were subjected to metagenomics analysis. The data were analyzed by targeting the V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene by Illumina 4000 Hiseq sequencing. Results: Among hundreds of intestinal microbiota identified by metagenomics, various pathogenic microorganisms distributed in 30 genera and species including those responsible for tick-borne diseases resided in the genera Coxiella, Rickettsia, and Burkholderia were found. Conclusion: Our results indicated that metagenomics identifies bacteria genera and species which cannot be easily rec­ognized by routine methods. The presence of such pathogenic bacteria indicates the importance of possible zoonotic diseases in this region which could affect public health. These results further substantiate the importance of advanced metagenomics analyses to identify neglected tick-borne pathogens which enable researchers to provide efficient mapping roads for the management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

Objective Evaluate the association between cancer incidence and immunosuppressive treatment in patients with ocular inflammatory disease (OID).Methods and analysis We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients from 10 US OID subspecialty practices. Patients with non-infectious OID were included; HIV-infected patients were excluded. Time-dependent exposure to drug classes (ie, antimetabolites, calcineurin inhibitors, alkylating agents, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors) and drugs were evaluated. Cancer incidence was ascertained by linkage to 12 state cancer registries from 1996 to 2015. Cancer incidence was analysed using Cox regression survival analysis, using 0-year, 3-year and 5-year lags after immunosuppression began.Results The cancer incidence cohort comprised 10 872 individuals at risk of incident cancer and residing in one of the 12 states covered; 812 primary cancers were identified through cancer incidence tracing with median follow-up time of 10 years. Neither TNF inhibitor, antimetabolite, calcineurin inhibitor nor alkylating agent classes were associated with statistically significant increases in cancer incidence adjusting for covariates. We found statistically significant reduced hazards in the systemic inflammatory disease (SID)-including cohort for adalimumab and chlorambucil, increased hazards for tacrolimus and etanercept in the non-SID cohort and reduced hazards for methotrexate in both. Other immunosuppressive drugs were not associated with overall cancer incidence.Conclusions We found no increased risk of overall or site-specific cancer incidence associated with short-term (non-transplant) therapy with most commonly used immunosuppressive drug classes and many specific drugs. Further research may clarify potentially protective or harmful effects of specific agents that were not consistently associated with reduced or increased cancer incidence.Trial registration number NCT00116090.

Introduction and Objectives: Nowadays, it is essential to use narrow diameter implants in reduced bone thickness. Due to controversies in previous research, the present study was conducted to evaluate the success rate of narrow diameter implants (2.4 mm and 3 mm) in a single tooth in the anterior region after one year of loading.Materials and Methods: In this historical cohort study, groups under investigation included patients who received single-tooth implants in the anterior edentulous segment without bone graft [40 patients with implants 2.4 mm in diameter (IMTEC, USA) and 3 mm in diameter (MILO, USA), n=20]. During the follow-up period of one year, bone resorption, pain, numbness, mobility, esthetic, peri-implant radiolucency, probing depth, and gingival index were evaluated. The Fisher’s exact test and T-test were used to analyze aesthetic scores while the Mann-Whitney test and the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test were employed to compare gingival index values.Results: In this research, no discernible bone resorption, peri-implant radiolucency, pain, and numbness was found, and only in five implants, prostheses lacked esthetic, according to pink esthetic scores. The total survival rate and success rates were 100% and 98.3% respectively.Conclusion: Within the limitationS of this study, narrow diameter implants replacing the anterior teeth (for proper case selection and ideal occlusion) is a successful treatment plan with a high survival and success rate.

Background: Math engagement research has been largely limited to examining the unique and additive relations of engagement dimensions with outcomes. However, an emerging perspective is that students may simultaneously invest varying degrees of their distinct energetic resources (e.g., cognitive vs. emotional) in their interactions with the math learning environment. Aims: Adopting a person-centred perspective, we examined unique latent subpopulations of adolescents' multidimensional math engagement. Importantly, we did so while accounting for generality and specificity in engagement data, including general engagement and specific cognitive, emotional, and social engagement dimensions. Additionally, we examined students' math self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and gender as predictors, and math achievement indices as outcomes, of profile membership. Sample: The sample comprised 400 Australian school students taking mandatory math classes. Methods: Data on students' multidimensional engagement, math self-efficacy, math outcome expectations, and demographic characteristics were collected at the beginning of the academic semester. Standardized test scores and class grades were retrieved at the end of the semester. Results: Latent profile analyses, based on preliminary bifactor exploratory structural equation models intended to tease apart generality from specificity in engagement data, revealed 'Minimally Engaged', 'Emotionally Disengaged', and 'Moderately-to-Highly Engaged' profiles. Additionally, math self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and gender were found to predict the likelihood of profile membership. Finally, class grades, but not standardized test scores, were found to significantly differ across the profiles, accounting for prior achievement, gender, and grade level. Conclusions: The findings replicate previous work that has shown profiles of student engagement and extend this work by: (1) accounting for known generality and specificity in engagement data; and (2) obtaining evidence for relations of profile membership with gender, self-beliefs, and achievement.

Ophthalmic autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions cause significant visual morbidity and require complex medical treatment complicated by significant side effects and lack of specificity. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have key roles in immune homeostasis and in the resolution of immune responses. Polyclonal Treg therapy has shown efficacy in treating autoimmune disease. Genetic engineering approaches to produce antigen-specific Treg therapy has the potential for enhanced treatment responses and fewer systemic side effects. Cell therapy using chimeric antigen receptor modified T cell (CAR-T) therapy, has had significant success in treating haematological malignancies. By modifying Tregs specifically, a CAR-Treg approach has been efficacious in preclinical models of autoimmune conditions leading to current phase 1-2 clinical trials. This review summarises CAR structure and design, Treg cellular biology, developments in CAR-Treg therapies, and discusses future strategies to apply CAR-Treg therapy in the treatment of ophthalmic conditions.

In this study, optimization of fermentation conditions, and applying endogenous walnut lipase were investigated for the manufacture of a fermented, whey-based beverage containing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Among different commercial starter and probiotic cultures, the culture containing Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus showed high potency for CLA synthesis. The fermentation time and the type of walnut oil (lipolyzed or non-lipolyzed) had significant effects on CLA production, as the highest CLA content (36 mg/g fat) was synthesized in the sample containing 1 % lipolyzed walnut oil fermented at 42 °C for 24 h. Moreover, fermentation time had the highest contribution on viable cell counts, proteolysis, DPPH scavenging activity, and final pH. A significant and positive correlation between cell counts and CLA content was also observed (r = +0.823, p

Background and Objective: Various techniques have been introduced to improve bond strength of zirconia which may negatively affect flexural strength. This study aims to evaluate the effects of different sandblasting parameters on micro-shear bond strength (MSBS, Mpa) and biaxial flexural strength (BFS, Mpa) of Zirconia. Methods: In this in vitro study, zirconia blocks were cut into 180 discs for MSBS and BFS tests (90 specimens in each group). For each test, they were divided into one control group and 8 experimental groups according to the type of sandblasting regimen (pressures of 4 or 6 bar, duration of 14 or 21 seconds, and alumina powder sizes of 50 or 110 μm, n=10). A universal testing machine was used to determine MSBS and BFS. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was then performed. Findings: According to the results, groups with 110 μm particles (4 bar- 14 s, 6 bar- 14 s, 4 bar- 21 s and 6 bar- 21 s with MSBS values of 34.43±5.99, 35.21±6.39, 27.17±3.95 and 28.66±3.92 Mpa, respectively) had significantly higher MSBS values compared to the control group (p

Abstract Keratoconus is the most common form of primary corneal thinning. Different methods have been suggested to deal with the condition, including glasses, contact lenses, and surgical interventions, like penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) and deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), well-known methods of the latter. This study was conducted to compare the outcomes and side effects of the two mentioned keratoplasty techniques. First, we systematically reviewed all original articles studies on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. Then, the extracted data were pooled and meta-analyzed on each of the intended outcomes. A total of 30 studies were included in which PKP was more commonly performed compared to DALK. We found that adverse outcomes consisting of cataracts, graft rejection, graft failure, High-IOP, and corneal infection, were all more common findings in the PKP groups compared to the DALK groups. However, only for the high-IOP, cataracts, and graft rejection, the analysis of the extracted results demonstrated statistical significance. Overall, the DALK groups demonstrated significantly better results when considering the improvement levels by measuring the Endothelial Cell Count (ECC) and Spherical Equivalent (SE). In addition, though statistically insignificant, the Central Corneal Thickness(CCT), Best Corrected Visual Acuity(BCVA), Topographic Cylinder(TC), Refractive Cylinder values were greater in the PKP groups. Based on our study and with its limitations in mind, we can conclude that DALK can be a relatively safer and more effective procedure. Though, a larger number of high-standard randomized clinical trials still need to be conveyed for more definite conclusions.

Background and Objective: An internship course in the field gives students the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice; it allows students to understand and try to address potential shortcomings. It also increases their potential for future employment. The purpose of this study was to determine the challenges of internship training program in the field of public health in the School of Health of Golestan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This qualitative study will be conducted in 2019-2020 with inductive content analysis approach in Golestan province. Participants in the study were 31 undergraduate public health graduates who completed their internship at the School of Public Health, undergraduate public health students who had completed at least one semester of internship, instructors, and faculty members of the Department of Public Health. They were purposefully selected. Data were collected by group and individual interviews and analyzed by content analysis method and Atlas.ti 8 software. Findings: Challenges of internship in the field of public health were explained in 6 main thems (education system, students, pre-internship planning and preparation, internship management, internship field, student monitoring and evaluation) and 23 sub-thems. Conclusion: The need to pay more attention to the weaknesses of the internship resulting from the study and selection of appropriate strategies to improve the current situation in the framework of the operational plan, can lead to quantitative and qualitative improvement of internship in public health at Golestan University of Medical Sciences.

Introduction: Hydrogels are a three-dimensional network of polymeric matrices with the ability to absorb water through chemical or physical cross-linking. Recently, the development of bio-based hydrogel with the aim of reducing the use of fossil fuel is becoming interested. Wheat filter flour (WFF) is a by-product obtained from air-classification in the modern wheat milling industry. It contains a high level of non-endosperm materials with the ability of water absorption and bio-film making capacity. Nevertheless, hydrogel-based films usually display weak water resistance, flexibility problems, and gas barrier properties. Carvacrol as a phenolic component is used to improve the functional properties of film and reduce the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. Materials and Methods: Hydrogel based films were prepared by casting technique. Six grams of WFF was added to 100 ml of distilled water, the pH of the solution was adjusted near to 10.7 with NaOH solution (1 N). The dispersion was heated up to 85°C, with gentle stirring at 250 rpm for 30 min.Glycerol (35 g/100g of dry polymer) was then added and stirred for another 15 min. Carvacrol, as an active agent incorporated at two concentrations (5 and 10% (g/100g of dry polymer)) and stirred for another 15 min at 40°C and dried in a forced-air oven at 35± 5°C for 24 h. Physical (density, water-solubility, moisture content), mechanical, barrier and antimicrobial properties of active hydrogel-based film were determined. Antimicrobial properties of active hydrogel-based were evaluated in the vapor phase by using the micro- atmosphere method and liquid medium (immersion in broth) as a food model system. Statistical analyses were performed on a completely randomized design with the analysis of variance procedure using SAS software. Results and Discussion: Increasing the carvacrol concentration in the film making solution led to decreasing the water solubility, moisture content, and hydrophobicity properties of WFF based films. The SEM observations confirmed a porous structure of the active hydrogel-based film. The highest water vapor permeability (1.32×10-10 gm-1s-1Pa-1) and the minimum water solubility (37.01± 0.63%) were observed in hydrogel film with 10% carvacrol. An increase in the concentration of carvacrol produced a greater growth inhibition zone for all microorganisms. The results in vapor phase showed that A.niger exhibited greater sensitivity to carvacrol than other studied bacteria. Hydrogel based films with 5% carvacrol in liquid food model system produced 1.16 and 1.34 log reduction against E. coli and L. monocytogenes, respectively. The greatest antibacterial activity was observed with films containing 10% carvacrol against L. monocytogenes (2.71 log reduction). This work suggested that the WFF hydrogel base film with 10% carvacrol can be used as an active packaging for improving the safety and shelf-life of food products.

Abstract Construction of dams has a significant impact on hydrological conditions of rivers. Eco-hydrology, as a sub-discipline of hydrology, focusses on ecological processes occurring within the hydrological cycle and strives to utilize them for enhancing the environmental sustainability. The aim of this study was to determine the stable and instable eco-hydrologic regions in the study area. First, the factors affecting the eco-hydrologic stability were selected according to field surveys. Afterwards, the layers related to each factor were prepared in geographic information system (GIS) and ArcGIS 10 software. These factors were also weighted using the analytic hierarchy process and pairwise comparisons. Ultimately, the final map was prepared by integrating and determining the homogenous units. The CEQUALW2 software, as a water quality and hydrodynamic model, was used to confirm the accuracy of the quality data and to perform the water quality simulation in the studied dam. According to the results, pollutant source and water quality were found to be the most important factors. The final map indicated that most of the areas had not a suitable condition in terms of stability at the downstream reaches.

Objectives: Attempts are ongoing to simplify the bonding procedure by decreasing the procedural steps. Universal adhesives were introduced to serve this purpose. This study aimed to evaluate the push-out bond strength of glass fiber posts in endodontically-treated teeth with two universal adhesives. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro, experimental study, 22 single-rooted mandibular premolars were decoronated at their cementoenamel junction, endodontically treated and were randomly divided into two groups. The G-Premio Bond was used in the first and All-Bond Universal was used in the second group, according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Angelus fiber posts were cemented using RelyX U200 Automix self-adhesive resin cement. The roots were cut into 1-mm-thick sections perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tooth in the cervical, middle, and apical thirds. The push-out test was performed in a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min, and bond strength values were recorded. The failure modes were also determined. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and linear mixed models. Results: The mean push-out bond strength was significantly higher in All Bond Universal than G-Premio Bond (P=0.036). Also, there were statistically significant differences in the push-out bond strength of adhesives in different parts of the root canal (P=0.039). All failures were type 4 in both groups (adhesive failure between the dentin and resin cement). Conclusion: All Bond Universal yielded superior push-out bond strength than G-Premio. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies with larger sample size are required for an evidence-based decision making.

Artisanal cheeses are known as the source of beneficial lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Therefore, this study aimed to isolate and characterize LAB with different proteolytic activities from Iranian artisanal white cheeses. The isolates were classified into low, medium, and high proteolytic activity clusters via K-means clustering and identified as Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) pentosus L11, Lpb. plantarum L33, and Enterococcus faecium L13, respectively. Some safety tests (such as resistance to antibiotics, hemolytic activity, and biogenic amine production), probiotic properties (including cell surface hydrophobicity, auto/co-aggregation, and antibacterial activity), and production of volatile compounds were evaluated. These were non-hemolytic and non-biogenic amine producers, and showed no irregular antibiotic resistance. Lpb. plantarum L33 had the highest hydrophobicity (30.55%) and auto-aggregation (49.56%), and the highest co-aggregation was observed for Lpb. pentosus L11 with Staphylococcus aureus (61.51%). The isolates also showed a remarkable antibacterial effect against pathogenic bacteria. Moreover, Lpb. pentosus L11 and Lpb. plantarum L33 with low and medium proteolytic activity produced a wider range of volatile compounds in milk compared to the strain with a high proteolytic effect. The results showed that a probiotic strain with low or medium proteolytic activity could improve the flavor characteristics of fermented milk.

Sunil Mamtora, 1 Panayiotis Maghsoudlou, 1, 2 Hani Hasan, 1 Wenrui Zhang, 3 Mohamed El-Ashry 1 1Department of Ophthalmology, Great Western Hospital, Swindon SN3 6BB, UK; 2Department of Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow G51 4TF, UKCorrespondence: Panayiotis MaghsoudlouUniversity College London, London, UKTel +44 020 7242 9789Fax +44 020 7905 2000Email p.maghsoudlou@ucl.ac.ukBackground/Aims: Effective management of diabetic retinopathy requires multidisciplinary input. We aimed to evaluate the impact of point of care (POC) HbA1c testing as a tool to identify patients most in need of specialist diabetologist input and assess the accuracy and determinants of patients’ insight into their glycaemic and blood pressure control.Methods: Forty-nine patients with diabetic retinopathy were recruited from the eye clinic at Great Western Hospital. Patients completed a questionnaire and POC HbA1c and blood pressure values were measured. Statistical analysis was completed with SPSS v23.Results: Mean age was 64.4 years, median interval since the last formal HbA1c reading was 10.2 months and the mean POC HbA1c was 64.1 mmol/mol. HbA1c significantly correlated with the degree of retinopathy. Of the patients, 81.6% had POC readings above the levels recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, with only 16.3% having insight into this. Insight to HbA1c levels was predicted by age but not by duration of disease. Fourteen patients (33.3%) identified with high HbA1c readings were referred to secondary diabetic services and 88.8% of patients felt that the test was useful and likely to improve their diabetic control.Conclusion: The majority of patients had poor insight into their diabetes control, with sub-optimal treatment and follow-up. Poor insight is high in younger patients, suggesting that POC HbA1c testing is particularly important in educating younger patients who may be Type 1 diabetics with more severe disease. POC HbA1c represents a cost-effective, reproducible and clinically significant tool for the management of diabetes in an outpatient ophthalmology setting, allowing the rapid recognition of high-risk patients and appropriate referral to secondary diabetic services.Keywords: diabetic retinopathy, glycemic control, point of care testing, HbA1c

Introduction: The purpose of the present applied research is to design a comprehensive, inclusive and flexible process for a suitable strategic planning based on effective factors and parameters. Materials and Methods: To this end, strategic operational programs for controlling environmental pollutants were identified using the logic and algorithm applied in the artificial neural network model and Neuro Solutions software, prioritizing the weight of the programs and predicting the probable future ecosystem conditions. The Delphi approach was used to screen and perform pairwise comparisons of criteria factors, sub-criteria and strategic action plans. The SWOT matrix technique was implemented to control environmental pollutants. Then, in the fuzzy neural network, Neuro Solutions software was used to prioritize weighting and predicting future probable conditions to form the matrices of decision as entrance ANN model was used. Results: The output of the implementation of the Neuro Solutions software shows that the strategic action plan has developed a comprehensive and integrated landscape system consistent with the nature of the forest, mountain and valley of the Siah Bisheh with a score of weighing 0.6161 in the first priority and last priority (12th rank) which are subject to periodic audits. The environment has been allocated to increase the ecosystem's ability to return in the face of natural and human hazards with an odd weight of 0.5673. Conclusion: Based on this fact, among the studied indices, economic, social and cultural factors ranked first among the criteria studied, and tourism ranked first among the sub criteria of the study.

There is an urgent need for quality control of marine species data published in domestic journals and open access databases. We extracted 149 accepted Cnidarian species after the quality control process on available published records on the OBIS data scheme. In total, 75 species belong to the hard corals (Scleractinia); 16 species belong to soft corals (Alcyonacea); 4 species of sea anemones (Actiniaria); 7 species of colonial anemones (Zoantharia); 24 species of thecate hydroids (Leptothecata); 2 species of athecate hydroids (Anthoathecata); 4 species of sea pens (Pennatulacea); 14 species of Siphonophora hydra, 2 species for Trachymedusae hydra and only one species for Narcomedusae. Our checklist can be considered as a reliable Cnidarian species list in future research and making a decision for biodiversity and conservation of corals in the country. We also updated species richness data on Iran hard corals to 75 species (Scleractinia).

Abstract Background Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are ranked first amongst medical diseases as a trigger of requests for mental health counselling. Child abuse has been regarded as one of the main causes of the development of functional abdominal pain (FAP) in children. This study aimed, therefore, to compare the prevalence of child abuse experience among two groups of patients with and without FAP. Methods A case-control study of children in Arak, Iran, in which experience of child abuse was compared in children with (n = 100) and without functional abdominal pain (n = 100). Three categories of child abuse - emotional abuse, physical abuse, and neglect - were assessed using the Child Abuse Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Stata software. Results After adjusting for potential confounders, there were group differences in emotional abuse (96% vs. 81%, aOR = 5.13, 95% CI: 1.3–20.3, p = 0.017), neglect (28% vs. 8%, aOR = 4.27, 95% CI: 1.8–11.8, p = 0.001) and total child abuse score (98% vs. 84%, aOR = 8.2, 95% CI: 1.5–43.8, p = 0.014) but not in physical abuse (57% vs. 46%, aOR = 1.47, 95% CI: 0.81–2.60, p = 0.728). Conclusions As the prevalence of child abuse is higher in patients with FAP, child abuse appears to be related to the occurrence of FAP in children. However, the results of this study cannot be generalized to Iranian society generally and further longitudinal studies are recommended.

Evaluation of probiotic and antifungal properties of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from different sourdoughs is so important to prepare microbial cultures for fermentation industries. In the present study, a predominant LAB was isolated from oat sourdough through the back-slopping process, and then it was identified using PCR. Subsequently, probiotic properties of the LAB isolate (including resistance to acid and bile, antibacterial effect, auto and co-aggregations capabilities, antibiotic susceptibility and hemolytic activity), as well as its antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger were studied. Sequencing results of the PCR products led to the identification of Pediococcus pentosaceus as predominant LAB isolated from oat sourdough. The survival rate of the LAB isolates after continuous acid and bile treatment was 59.80% in comparison with the control. The antibacterial effect of the LAB on Bacillus cereus was also significantly (p < /em>

Royal jelly (RJ) has been known for centuries, but in the last 5-6 decades its systematic production and consumption has increased. RJ is secreted by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of worker honeybees (Apis mellifera). This thick and milky substance contains water, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins and such bio-active compounds as acetylcholine, peptides, the hormones testosterone, progesterone, prolactin, estradiol, (hydroxydecanoic acid) (HAD), adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-N1Oxide, polyphenols, flavonoids and adenosine. Because of its bioactive compounds, RJ can be considered as a functional and nutraceutical food. The main goal of this review is to summarize and update its physicochemical properties, bio-active ingredients, storage stability and shelf life. The functional properties are antioxidative activity, insulin-like action, improvement against diabetes, liver protection, antitumoral action, neurotrophic action, antibiotic effect, anti-inflammatory action and wound healing, hypotensive effect and blood regulatory actions, anti-aging effect and skin protection, effects on the reproductive system and fertility and also fortifying, tonic action and immunomodulating and anti-alergic activity. RJ may cause allergic reactions, asthma and even fatal anaphylaxis in some humans. Therefore, RJ should be orally ingested as nutreaceutical agent or food-ingredient only after an allergy test.

Background and Aims: Bacteriophages are mandatory bacterial parasites that are harmless to human and animal, which are used by dipping or spraying in food as natural antimicrobial agents. The use of these methods leads to wasting or trapping of phage in food, but its immobilization on the polymer surface facilitates the contact of phage with the host cell at the food surface. Therefore, the aim of this study was to immobilize the lytic phage of Escherichia coli on the cellulose acetate film and investigate of its antimicrobial effect. Materials and Methods: Escherichia.coli bacteria was incubated at 37°C for 24 hours, and the antimicrobial effect of phages was evaluated through plaque forming. The cellulose acetate film was prepared by casting, then modificated by plasma, and immersed in a suspension of phage (1010 PFU/ml) and incubated at 37 °C for 24 hours with slow shaking, then the number of immobilized phages was estimated. To confirm the immobilization, FESEM was done. The antimicrobial effect of the active film was evaluated by disk diffusion and the release rate and antimicrobial activity of immobilized phages were investigated in 14 days. Results: Phages formed clear plaques against E.coli. Modification of film by plasma resulted in uniform immobilization (108 PFU/ml) that FESEM revealed it. The active film (with zone diameter 12 mm) showed stronger antimicrobial effect than the antibiotic ampicillin (positive control sample with zone diameter 8 mm). 11 days after the immobilization, the number of immobilized phages decreased from 108 to 106 (PFU/ml) and released from the film surface, afterwards did not release. The antimicrobial activity of active film was decreased due to the absence of host bacteria continuously in 15 days, so that the host bacteria population increased from 3 to 5.3 LOG CFU/ml. Conclusions: In spite of reducing the antimicrobial activity of cellulose acetate active film over the time, due to the presence of host bacteria at food surface and its high potential in destroying the host bacteria, it can be used to increase of food safety in food packaging.