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Brucellosis is a major zoonosis all over the world. MicroRNAs are significant gene expression regulators and could be involved during the infections and also genetic alterations in the miRNAs sequence can affect primary miRNAs and precursor miRNAs processing and thus alter miRNAs expression. Current research studied the impact of the miR-146a polymorphism on miR-146a, TRAF-6, and IRAK-1 genes expression in patients with brucellosis illness.In this research, 25 patients with brucellosis and 25 healthy participants with determined genotypes for miR-SNP rs2910164 and miR-SNP rs57095329 were recruited. IRAK-1, TRAF-6, and miR-146a expressions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were specified by quantitative real- time PCR (qRT-PCR). Moreover, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor- alpha (TNF-α) serum levels were assessed by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. There was no significant difference in the expression level of miR-146a, IRAK-1, and TRAF-6, among the patients with brucellosis and control group. TRAF-6 PBMCs expression levels in the distinctive genotypes of rs2910164 were significantly observed in patients (P = 0.048). No significant distinctions were found in miR-146a, IRAK-1, and TRAF-6 expression levels and among the rs57095329 different genotypes in brucellosis patients and controls. Meanwhile, no significant relationship was found between the rs2910164 and rs57095329 genotypes and the serum level of cytokines mentioned between the two groups. We did not find any association between expression of TRAF-6, miR-146a, and IRAK-1 in PBMCs, and cytokines serum levels with two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miR-146a.To the best of writers' knowledge, this research is the first one evaluating the probable link between the miR-146a rs2910164 and rs57095329 variant with miRNAs, relevant cytokine levels, and target genes in brucellosis.

The ability to create various compounds has made concrete one of the most suitable materials for constructing radiation shields. In this investigation, hematite and magnetite aggregates were used to replace ordinary aggregate, separately and completely in two stages. Boron carbide was also substituting cement at percentages of 2.5, 5, and 10 by mass. The density test, gamma irradiation with Co 60 and neutron irradiation with Am-Be 241 were performed. According to the results, the replacement of ordinary aggregates with hematite aggregates in concrete, improved the linear attenuation coefficient and macroscopic cross section by 17% and 73%, respectively. These parameters increased by 37% and 105%, respectively, by the use of magnetite aggregates. Moreover, with the addition of a maximum of 10% boron carbide to the concrete, the macroscopic cross-section increased by 120%, however, the linear attenuation coefficient decreased by between 5% and 8%. This means that it is possible to have a suitable attenuation of gamma ray and neutron beams in a single layer of concrete shield simultaneously. In addition, the results of the tests and Monte Carlo simulation were found to have good consistency.

Background and Objective: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in males not only causes physical, psychological, economic, and social problems for this population, it may also affect the physical and mental health of their spouses. This study aimed to compare the wives of HIV-positive husbands with a control group regarding depression, anxiety, and stress disorders. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study included 43 wives of HIV-positive husbands (case group) who referred to Counseling and Behavioral Centers in Hamadan and Malayer, Iran, during 2019 using census and convenience sampling methods. Subsequently, the case group was compared with a control group (i.e., 100 wives of HIV-negative husbands) in terms of depression, anxiety, and stress using Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 21). A P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean values of depression, anxiety, and stress in the case and control groups were 17.44±12.32 and 5.82±7.29 (P

Background The cytokine gene polymorphism is important for the genetic susceptibility of infectious diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between TNF-α, IL-12, and IL-13 gene polymorphisms and predisposition to brucellosis. Methods In this study, 107 patients with brucellosis and 107 healthy individuals were evaluated. The SNPs of TNF-α)- 238 G/A) and IL-12 (+ 1188 A/C) were done by amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) and IL-13 genotyping at positions − 1512 (A/C) and − 1112 (C/T) were analysis by restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR) methods. IL-12, IL-13 and TNF-α serum levels were measured by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results IL-13 (−1512A/C) was associated with Brucellosis risk in dominant model (OR (95% CI) = 2.17 (1.02–4.62)), P-value = 0.041. However, there was no difference in allele and genotype frequencies of TNF-α)- 238 G/A), IL-12 (+ 1188 A/C) and IL-13 [− 1512 (A/C) and − 1112 (C/T)] between patients and controls. Serum levels of IL-12 and TNF-α were significantly more frequent in the patients than in the control groups. Conclusions The IL-13 gene polymorphism can be used as a biomarker for detecting susceptibility to Brucella disease.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a bacterium found in most places, especially in clinics and hospitals, and an important agent of nosocomial infections. The presence of class D enzymes such as OXA-type carbapenemases in A. baumannii is proven to have a key function in resistance to carbapenem. The aim of the current study is to determine the blaOXA-type carbapenemase genes and antimicrobial resistance among clinically isolated samples of A. baumannii. We assessed 100 clinically isolated specimens of A. baumannii from patients in intensive care units of educational hospitals of Hamadan, West of Iran. The A. baumannii isolates' susceptibility to antibiotics was performed employing disk diffusion method. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction was used to identify the blaOXA-24-like , blaOXA-23-like , blaOXA-58-like , and blaOXA-51-like genes. The blaOXA-23-like , blaOXA-24-like , and blaOXA-58-like genes' prevalence were found to be 84, 58, and 3%, respectively. The highest coexistence of the genes was for blaOXA-51/23 (84%) followed by blaOXA-51/24-like (58%). The blaOXA-51/23- like pattern of genes is a sort of dominant gene in resistance in A. baumannii from Hamadan hospitals. The highest resistance to piperacillin (83%) and ciprofloxacin (81%) has been observed in positive isolates of blaOXA-23-like . The A. baumannii isolates with blaOXA-58-like genes did not show much resistance to antibiotics. Based on the results of the phylogenetic tree analysis, all isolates have shown a high degree of similarity. This study showed the high frequency of OXA-type carbapenemase genes among A. baumannii isolates from Hamadan hospitals, Iran. Thus, applying an appropriate strategy to limit the spreading of these strains and also performing new treatment regimens are necessary.

Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by different species of genus Brucella that are pathogenic for humans and a variety of animals. Accurate detection of Brucella spp. infection is important for control of disease. The aim of this study was to comparison of molecular genotyping of Brucella strains by Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and polymerase chain reaction -Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) techniques.Twenty- seven Brucella spp. were isolated from human and animal samples. The isolates identified by conventional microbiological methods and confirmed using PCR for amplification of omp2a gene. Molecular typing of Brucella strains carried out by PCR-RFLP after PstI and PFGE of chromosomal DNA after XbaI enzyme digestion. The omp2a gene PCR Products with different patterns of PCR-RFLP were sequenced.The omp2a gene amplification of all human and animal Brucella isolates were positive for 1100 bp fragment. By PCR-RFLP analysis two genotypes/patterns for human isolates and four genotypes for animal isolates were obtained. In PFGE analysis totally, 7 common clones/clusters and 3 single clones were obtained.The results of this study showed the PFGE method is the more reliable and useful assay for molecular typing of Brucella strains and is more preferred to PCR-RFLP in determination of genetic similarity among human and animal Brucella isolates. The presented data showed PCR-RFLP analysis was not able to differentiate between B. melitensis biovars and vaccine strain. Keywords: Brucella melitensis, PCR, RFLP, Brucellosis, Molecular typing

Innovation can be considered one of the fundamental elements for ensuring sustainability. Companies have started to enhance their sustainability level through the application of innovative practices. The importance of employing innovative social sustainability practices within the supply chain seems to have escalated with the advent of COVID-19. However, studies focusing on the social aspect of sustainability innovation when selecting suppliers during the COVID-19 disaster are non-existent. Selecting these types of suppliers can significantly help companies to be more socially innovative and obtain sustainable development targets. This work introduces a social sustainability innovation framework for assessing suppliers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A group grey-best worst method (Group GBWM) is utilized to identify the criteria weights and improved grey relational analysis (IGRA) is utilized for ranking the suppliers. Findings show that “safety and health practices”, “remote working conditions”, and “localization” are the most important social sustainability innovation criteria, respectively, in choosing suppliers during COVID-19. A manufacturing firm is utilized as an example for verifying the efficiency of the proposed model and framework. This work helps industrial experts and researchers to better understand and focus on the social aspect of sustainable innovation, particularly when selecting suppliers during the critical COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Due to the critical condition of COVID-19, it is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of administrating convalescent plasma to COVID-19 patients. Therefore, we decided to design a clinical trial to investigate the effect of convalescent plasma of patients recovered from COVID-19 on the treatment outcome of COVID-19-infected patients.In this parallel randomized controlled clinical trial, patients in the intervention group received standard treatment plus convalescent plasma of patients recovered from COVID-19. We allocated 60 patients to each treatment group through balanced block randomization. Then, COVID-19 outcomes, vital signs, and biochemical parameters were compared between the two treatment groups by the independentThe mean age (SD) of the patients in the intervention and standard treatment groups was 52.84 (15.77) and 55.15 (14.34) years, respectively. Although patients in the intervention group reported more hospitalization days (11.45±5.86 vs. 10.42±6.79), death rates (26.67% vs. 18.13%), ICU admission (45 vs. 41.67%), and ARDS (11.67% vs. 3.33%), these differences were not statistically significant (P0.05). Moreover, the two groups were homogenous in vital signs and biochemical parameters before and after treatment (P0.05).The present study indicated that convalescent plasma therapy has no significant effect on the survival, hospitalization, and ICU admission of COVID-19 patients.

Background: The Brucellosis is recognized as a significant public health problem, with major economic and financial burdens in countries where the disease remains endemic. The disease is one of the most important worldwide zoonosis affecting livestock and humans. The aim of the present study was to genotypically characterize Brucella strains isolated from human and animal samples in two provinces of Iran. Methods: Twenty seven Brucella strains isolated from patients and animals during April 2015 - December 2016. Thirteen human and fourteen animal strains were identified by biochemical tests and confirmed by amplification of fragment 1100bp omp2a gene using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. Isolates were genotypically characterized by XbaI digestion and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) technique. Results: In PFGE analysis totally, 7 common clones and 3 single clones were obtained. In genotyping, in two clones/clusters, human isolates were grouped with genotypes from animal isolates. Also PFGE results indicated 21 Brucella strains an overall similarity higher than 90, and three clusters based on 100 similarity were revealed. Conclusion: According to dendrogram clinical strains had a high degree of homology compared to animal strains. The information of this study indicating a close genetic relatedness or common origin of the isolates in the two geographical region of Iran and it implies that B. melitensis cross-infected between human and livestock.

This investigation develops some important data on the mechanical properties, bond strength between concrete and steel rebar and microstructure of crude Oil-Soaked Concrete containing silica fume and Nano silica. Experiments were performed in eight mixes with different percentages of Nano silica and different water-cement ratios. Concrete samples were cured in the petrol, gas-oil, 2.5% solution of sulfuric acid and water. To conclude, considering the results, recommendations on optimization of Nano silica, silica fume and water-cement ratio for this type of concrete for use in the construction of concrete tanks holding petroleum products are offered. The result shows that Nano silica can improves various properties of the concrete in corrosive conditions.

Supplier selection is one of the critical problems in supply chain systems. Within the last decades, by the emergence of sustainability concept, companies have been motivated to enhance their supplier’s sustainability and move toward sustainable development. This paper proposes a structured and integrated decision model for evaluating sustainable suppliers in the context of telecom industry by combining analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and improved grey relational analysis (IGRA) approaches. The proposed model employs AHP for calculating sustainability criteria weights and IGRA for ranking suppliers. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is also performed to demonstrate the robustness of the model. In this research, the sustainable supplier selection problem of the telecom industry in the southern part of Iran was investigated, showing the effectiveness and applicability of this proposed integrated approach.

It seems that polymorphism in the regulatory areas of cytokine genes affects the cytokine production capacity and may play a role in the development of infectious diseases. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), which are cytokines of Th2, cause the macrophage become inactive and patient conditions get worse.In this case-control study, 60 patients with brucellosis and 60 healthy participants were recruited. IL-10 genotyping at positions -1082 (G/A), -819 (C/T), and -592 (C/A) and IL-6 genotyping at position -174 (G/C) were analyzed by amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR) methods. The levels of IL-10 and IL-6 were determined by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in sera of study population.The AA and CC genotypes of the IL-10 gene at positions -1082 G/A and -819 C/T were significantly more frequent in patients in comparison to controls, respectively. The AG genotype of the IL-10 gene at positions -1082 G/A was significantly more frequent in control groups than the patients. Serum levels of IL-10 and IL-6 were significantly more frequent in the patients than in the control groups.Our study showed that the AA and CC genotypes at positions -1082 and -819 are very important, respectively. These results suggest that IL-10 (-1082 G/A) GG genotype may be considered as a risk factor for brucellosis, while the AG genotype might be a protective factor against the disease.

A Humanitarian supply chain deals with the delivery of supplies to the population of areas affected by natural disasters. One of the most important issues in Humanitarian Supply Chain Management (HSCM) is identifying and structuring different challenges and barriers in relief chains. This study is an attempt to provide a comprehensive framework for HSCM challenges in a case study of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS). We identify HSCM challenges through literature review and expert opinions and use Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) to select the most important challenges. Fuzzy Interpretive Structural Modeling (FISM) is then used to map the cause and effect relationships among various factors and develop a holistic picture of the main HSCM challenges. Finally, the overall framework of the HSCM challenges and the hierarchical model of the FISM are statistically verified using the Partial Least Square (PLS) method. We identify “managerial challenges” (at the category level), and “unfamiliarity of top managers with management knowledge” and “inappropriate division of labor” (at the sub-challenges level) as the root sub-challenges in this case study. Challenges not handled properly in pre-disaster stage will most likely occur more drastically in the post-disaster stage of the operations. The proposed model provides insightful guideline for increasing the effectiveness of relief efforts.

Background & Objective: Brucellosis is one of the most prevalent bacterial zoonotic diseases which afflicts both humans and animals. Genetic factors play an important role in susceptibility to brucellosis. One of these factors is interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), which is vital in the defense mechanism against infectious diseases such as brucellosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at positions-611 and-56 within the promoter region of interferon-gamma receptor-1 gene (IFN-γ R1) and brucellosis. Methods: In this research, the genomic DNA was collected from 60 peripheral blood samples infected with brucellosis and 68 healthy volunteers. DNA was extracted by salting out method. Then, DNA genotypes were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP). Results: The results showed that there is a significant difference in-611 SNP frequencies between control and patient groups. At position-611, CC genotype was related to patient group (P=0.024) and TT genotype was related to the control group. According to the results, males had a higher frequency of Brucella infection. Conclusion: The presence of C allele in position-611 in IFNγ R1 gene promoter was related to a higher risk of disease and susceptibility to brucellosis. Moreover, the presence of T allele in position-611 in IFN-γ R1 gene promoter was related to a lower risk of disease. © 2019.

Background: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that causes major economic and public health problems. It is one of the most important diseases in humans and domestic animals. Hence, the exact identification of Brucella spp. is important for strategies of treatment and control. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) is one of the molecular techniques characterized by amplification of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence and restriction enzyme digestion. Objectives: This study aimed at identifying genetic polymorphisms of omp2a genes among 90 Brucella isolated from humans and animals, using the PCR-RFLP method. Methods: Ninety Brucella spp. isolated from humans and animals in two different regions of Iran were used in this study. Biochemical tests and the Brucella omp2a (1100 bp) gene-PCR was used for identification of Brucella isolates. Polymerase Chain Reaction products were digested by restriction endonuclease enzyme pstI and gene sequencing analysis was carried out for molecular typing of Brucella strains. Therefore, genetic relatedness was revealed by a dendrogram. Results: Analysis of the 90 Brucella strains by biochemical tests, PCR, and PCR-RFLP methods with PstI enzyme and omp2a sequencing showed four unique RFLP Profiles (P1-P4). Seventy-nine (87.8%) of the Brucella isolates belonged to B. melitensis strain 20236. From 30 animal isolates, nine (30%) belonged to B. melitensis biovare1 and two (6.6%) to B. abortus strain. According to the RFLP dendrogram, group 1 and 2 had higher genetic relatedness similarity. Conclusions: The results showed B. melitensis strain 20236 was the predominant strain among human and animal Brucella isolates. Likewise, according to dendrogram results, the PCR-RFLP technique was not able to separate human and animal species of B. melitensis from B. abortus.

With increased worldwide awareness of environmental protection, green supply chain management (GSCM) has received much attention from both researchers and practitioners over the past decade. Traditionally, organizations have considered criteria such as cost, quality, and delivery to evaluate the performance of their suppliers. Although there is an abundance of studies considering the conventional criteria in supplier selection, there are a rather limited number taking into account the environmental issues. In this study, we use both economic and environmental criteria and propose a comprehensive green supplier selection model. The analytic network process (ANP) is used to deal with the interdependencies among the criteria, and the traditional Grey relational analysis (GRA) has been modified to better address the uncertainties inherent in supplier selection decisions. We utilize the ANP and an improved GRA to weight the criteria and rank the suppliers respectively. The proposed approach is novel, and allows decision-makers to participate in the assessment process and use linguistic evaluation in the green supplier selection process. A case study in the automotive industry is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by different species of genus Brucella that are pathogenic for humans and a variety of animals. Accurate detection of Brucella spp. infection is important for control of disease. The aim of this study was to comparison of molecular genotyping of Brucella strains by Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and polymerase chain reaction -Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) techniques. Twenty- seven Brucella spp. were isolated from human and animal samples. The isolates identified by conventional microbiological methods and confirmed using PCR for amplification of omp2a gene. Molecular typing of Brucella strains carried out by PCR-RFLP after PstI and PFGE of chromosomal DNA after XbaI enzyme digestion. The omp2a gene PCR Products with different patterns of PCR-RFLP were sequenced. The omp2a gene amplification of all human and animal Brucella isolates were positive for 1100 bp fragment. By PCR-RFLP analysis two genotypes/patterns for human isolates and four genotypes for animal isolates were obtained. In PFGE analysis totally, 7 common clones/clusters and 3 single clones were obtained. The results of this study showed the PFGE method is the more reliable and useful assay for molecular typing of Brucella strains and is more preferred to PCR-RFLP in determination of genetic similarity among human and animal Brucella isolates. The presented data showed PCR-RFLP analysis was not able to differentiate between B. melitensis biovars and vaccine strain.

The purpose of this research is to take an in-depth look at the Baldrige Award framework by analysing the nature and strength of relationships between the Baldrige criteria. This study facilitates the prominent role that quality awards such as the Baldrige play in the implementation of total quality management (TQM) systems. We aim to fill a gap in the literature by utilising the original independent review scores of the Baldrige Award applicants obtained from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In addition, canonical correlation analysis is applied in order to evaluate the Baldrige Award framework from a new perspective. The findings confirm previous research that there is a strong relationship between all the Baldrige criteria. This paper specifically stresses the strong role of leadership in the Baldrige framework and provides managers with useful implications regarding the implementation of TQM practices. Companies need to bear in mind that concentrating on specific sections of the mod...

High strength concrete (HSC) has large application because of good performance and high durability. Optimizing mix proportions has main effect on the compressive strength of HSC. In this paper, optimizing mix proportions are investigated by Taguchi method, factors of water to cementitious material ratio (W/C), fine aggregate to total aggregate ratio (FI/AG), silica fume as supplementary cementitious material and cementitious material content were selected at three levels. After testing L9 orthogonal array and analyzing results by Taguchi method, the best optimized mix levels were predicted by Taguchi. Then optimum mix was constructed and tested. It was concluded Taguchi forecast is true about optimized mix levels.

Externally bonding fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets with an epoxy resin is an effective technique for strengthening and repairing reinforced concrete (RC) beams under flexural loads. Their resistance to electro-chemical corrosion, high strength-to-weight ratio, larger creep strain, fatigue resistance, and nonmagnetic and nonmetallic properties make carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites a viable alternative to bonding of steel plates in repair and rehabilitation of RC structures. The objective of this investigation is to study the effectiveness of CFRP sheets on ductility and flexural strength of reinforced high strength concrete (HSC) beams. This objective is achieved by conducting the following tasks: (1) flexural four-point testing of reinforced HSC beams strengthened with different amounts of cross-ply of CFRP sheets with different amount of tensile reinforcement up to failure; (2) calculating the effect of different layouts of CFRP sheets on the flexural strength; (3) Evaluating the failure modes; (4) developing an analytical procedure based on compatibility of deformations and equilibrium of forces to calculate the flexural strength of reinforced HSC beams strengthened with CFRP composites; and (5) comparing the analytical calculations with experimental results.

Summary Background Combination drug therapy of brucellosis leads to recovery of symptoms, shortening of symptomatic interval, and decrease in morbidity rate, but single drug therapy is associated with more relapse episodes and a higher rate of drug resistance. Different drug combinations have been evaluated in the treatment of brucellosis. Considering the failure of treatment and relatively high rate of relapse of the disease with the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended therapeutic regimen, we evaluated a new regimen that we assumed would increase the success of treatment and decrease the rate of relapse. In this study we compare the standard regimen of the WHO, doxycycline–rifampin (DR), to triple therapy with doxycycline–rifampin–amikacin (ADR). Methods Two hundred and twenty-eight consecutive patients with brucellosis, who attended Hamedan Sina Hospital between 1999 and 2001, whether seen as outpatients or as inpatients, were enrolled in the study. The participants were randomly allocated to the DR group (receiving doxycycline 100mg twice a day and rifampin 10mg/kg body weight/day every morning, both taken orally for eight weeks) or the ADR group (receiving doxycycline 100mg twice a day and rifampin 10mg/kg body weight/day every morning, both taken orally for eight weeks, plus 7.5mg/kg amikacin intramuscularly twice a day for seven days). The patients were checked for the relief of symptoms, drug side-effects, and relapse of disease during the treatment and follow-up. Results Of the 228 patients enrolled, eight were withdrawn – four patients from the DR group and four from the ADR group. Of the remaining 220 participants (110 in the ADR group and 110 in the DR group), 107 were male (48.6%) and 113 were female (51.4%). Mean age was 35.7±17 years in the ADR group and 37±18.4 years in the DR group ( p =0.5). In the DR group, 97 (88.2%) and in the ADR group, 106 (96.4%) of the patients had relief of symptoms (a significant difference by Chi-square test ( p =0.04)). After completion of treatment, and at the sixth month follow-up, nine (9.3%) patients in the DR group and six (5.7%) in the ADR group experienced a relapse of the disease, with no significant difference ( p =0.4). Mild side-effects were found in only 10 patients, and none required discontinuation of the therapeutic regimen. Of these patients, four were from DR group and six from ADR group; no significant difference was observed ( p =0.7). Conclusions Given the fact that the ADR regimen had a higher efficacy and more rapid action in terms of relief of symptoms compared to the DR regimen, and that no significant difference in drug side-effects and disease relapse existed in the patients of either group, adding amikacin to the DR standard treatment regimen seems beneficial.

Introduction: Bacterial meningitis is still one of the most dangerous infectious diseases and causes serious complications and mortalities in children. The aim of this study was to identify the most common of bacterial agents causing meningitis in children under 10 years old and to detect their resistance to antibiotics in patients who referred to the educational hospital of Hamadan. Materials and Methods: Overall 582 children suspected to meningitis were investigated for CSF cultures, frequency of age groups, sex and seasons and antibiogram patterns from 1998 to 2000. Data were gathered through a questionnaire and analyzed using Epi6 software. The species were identified by biochemical and serological methods. Antibiogram tests were also performed by Gel- diffusion method of Kirby- Bauer. Findings: Out of 582 children suspected to meningitis, 46 cases (7.9%) had positive bacterial culture that 58.9% were gram positive and 41.1% were also gram negative bacteria. The most common species were S. pneumonia 23.9%, S. aureus 13.1%, E. coli 10.9%, N. meningitis and P. aeroginosa each 6.5% respectively. The most positive cases were observed in children 0-2 age group (28.3%), male (54.4%) and during Autumn (43.7%). The results of antibiogram showed that the most effective antibiotics were ceftizoxime, kanamycin and gentamycin for both gram positive and gram negative bacteria, but they showed high resistance to amoxicilin, ampicillin and chloramphenicol. Conclusion: The present study showed that gram positive bacteria in particular, Streptococcus pneumonia and Staphilococcus aureus are predominant causes of bacterial meningitis in children under 10 years old in these regions. Most species showed high resistance to routine antibiotics such as amoxicillin, ampicillin and choramphenicol.

The nitric acid plant of a domestic petrochemical complex is designed to annually produce 56,400 metric tons (based on 100% nitric acid). In the present work, radial-flow spherical bed reactor (RFSBR) for selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxides (NO(x)) from the stack of this plant was modelled and compared with the conventional radial-flow reactor (CRFR). Moreover, the proficiency of a radial-flow (water or nitrogen) membrane reactor was also compared with the CRFR which was found to be inefficient at identical process conditions. In the RFSBR, the space between the two concentric spheres is filled by a catalyst. A mathematical model, including conservation of mass has been developed to investigate the performance of the configurations. The model was checked against the CRFR in a nitric acid plant located at the domestic petrochemical complex. A good agreement was observed between the modelling results and the plant data. The effects of some important parameters such as pressure and temperature on NO(x) conversion were analysed. Results show 14% decrease in NO(x) emission annually in RFSBR compared with the CRFR, which is beneficial for the prevention of NO(x) emission, global warming and acid rain.

Green supply chain management has received much attention from scholars and practitioners over the past decade due to the increased emphasis on environmental issues from governments, customers, employees, competitors, and communities. Although a number of studies have addressed supplier selection problems from an environmental perspective, consideration of carbon management for supplier evaluation has rarely been discussed in the literature. Therefore, this study intends to develop a grey-based carbon management model for supplier selection in a green supply chain. Since decision-making in supplier selection generally deals with uncertain and incomplete information, we made use of an improved grey relational analysis in order to evaluate and select the most appropriate supplier. A numerical example is presented to show the efficacy of the proposed approach in supplier evaluations. The proposed approach in this study is novel and can be applied to other decision-making problems. Recommendations for future studies are presented in the final section.

In this study, first by surveythe parameters affecting the compressive strength, such as water to cement ratio, cementgrade, silica fume to cement percentage, and the various ratios oflight weight aggregate LECA, to total aggregate, Taguchi method is used, to test 9 mix designsobtained the mix design optimization. Since lightweight concrete is brittle like normal concrete, to resolve this problem used polypropylene fibersby0.56% and 1% ratios of concrete volume. Moreover, to improve the mechanical properties and study the effect of Nano-silicain lightweight concrete and its effect on the adhesion between concrete and reinforcement in the mixes containing fibers, 1.5% and 3% Nano-silica will be added. Finally, by survey the test result of specimens at ages 28 and 90 days obtained the best mix to get highest bond strength between lightweight concrete and reinforcement, and it was found that adding fibers and Nano-silica have great effect to improve the bond strength between lightweight concrete and reinforcement.

The increasing incidence of pertussis among adolescents and adults in recent years is an alarming factor in transmission of the infection to non-immune infants and children. Vaccination of pregnant women, immediately after delivery and before being discharged from the hospital may help to protect mothers and their newborns against the disease. Decision making process, regarding maternal immunization, requires credible information and knowledge about seroepidemiology of the infection in pregnant women. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Bordetella pertussis antibody among admitted pregnant women in Hamadan, western Iran.In this cross-sectional study, 288 pregnant women admitted to the Fatemiyeh Hospital, Hamadan, western Iran, were enrolled into the study. After obtaining consent from every patient, serum samples were taken from patients and were kept frozen until testing. Serum level of B. pertussis antibody was measured using ELISA. Level of antibody higher than 24 U/ml was considered positive. The obtained data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS.From 288 pregnant women, 126 (43.8%) were in their second trimester. Serological results in 103 patients (35.8%) were positive. The mean age of mothers with positive serology was 27.5±6 years old. Thirty-five percent of patients had a valid immunization record, and 1.57% of those with no vaccination record had a positive serology.The level of immunity against B. pertussis in pregnant women was low. Immunization before or during pregnancy can stimulate newborn's immune response and gives them required protection against pertussis infection.

Return of used products is gaining great worldwide attention due to resource depletion, environmental degradation, government legislation, and public awareness. Nowadays, reverse logistics is considered very important for organisations to improve their environmental and financial performance. Therefore, industries are turning to third–party reverse logistics providers (3PRLPs) for reusing, recycling, and remanufacturing of their products. In this paper, a multi–criteria decision making (MCDM) model is developed to guide the selection process of best 3PRLP. The proposed hybrid methodology is based on analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and grey relational analysis for 3PRLP selection and evaluation. This paper uses grey numbers for expressing ambiguity of the real world data and subjectivity of decision makers' assessments and presents a grey possibility degree for ranking 3PRLPs. To validate the capability of the proposed model a numerical example is presented in an automotive industry. Finally, managerial implications and future research directions conclude the paper.