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Activation of periodate using ultrasonic waves and UV radiation for landfill leachate treatment
No full textIn the present work, saline leachate of the Bushehr coastal city (Iran) was purified using the ultraviolet/ultrasonication wave/periodate process. The initial TDS and TOC values of the leachate studied were 7390 mg/L and 975 mg/L, respectively. During the effect of various parameters on leachate purification, the experiments were optimized at pH 3, oxidizer concentration of 4 mM, and treatment time of 120 min. The initial BOD5/COD ratio of 0.66 was reduced to 0.42 at the end of the purification time (120 min). After leachate treatment under optimal conditions, the amount of BOD5, COD, and UV254 were 451.5 mg/L, 1072 mg/L, and 12.69 cm−1, respectively. Concentrations of heavy metals in crude leachate by ICP-OES were checked. Also, the concentration of organic compounds before and after purification was determined using GC-Mass. The leachate purification kinetics followed the first-order model using the designed method. Based on the COD factor, the system energy consumption for leachate treatment was calculated to be 11.4 kWh/m3. The results showed that the system explored (UV/US/IO4−) can effectively purify high salinity waste leachate
Occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in meat and meat products: systematic review, meta-analysis and probabilistic human health risk
No full textPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of toxic chemicals formed during incomplete combustion of organic materials. In this study, the 16 PAHs were investigated in meat and meat products. Literature search was performed in Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science databases from 2000 to 2021. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was used. Fifteen (15) studies containing 155 observations were selected based on the criteria. The sum of 16 PAHs ranged from 0.4 to 2290.32 µg/kg (wet weight). Low-weight PAH were dominant species. The pooled weight of the studies indicated that the effect size of PAH concentration was 4.02 µg/kg (95% CI = 0.495 to 7.545, p = 0.03) with the I2, Q statistics and Tau2 corresponding to 47.61, 638.36 values and 100%, respectively. The upper confidence limit (UCL) for excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) estimates ranged from 2.76 × 10−5 to 1.15 and in 97% of estimates, the ELCR value showed high potential risk. The UCL for the hazard index (HI) estimates ranged from 2.53 × 10−3 to 33.9 from which 39.35% of the estimates displayed high non-carcinogenic health risks. Environmental contamination in raw samples and cooking procedures in processed samples were responsible for further PAH formation
Dual Blockade of PD-1 and LAG3 Immune Checkpoints Increases Dendritic Cell Vaccine Mediated T Cell Responses in Breast Cancer Model
No full textPurpose
Increasing the efficiency of unsuccessful immunotherapy methods is one of the most important research fields. Therefore, the use of combination therapy is considered as one of the ways to increase the effectiveness of the dendritic cell (DC) vaccine. In this study, the inhibition of immune checkpoint receptors such as LAG3 and PD-1 on T cells was investigated to increase the efficiency of T cells in response to the DC vaccine.
Methods
We used trimethyl chitosan-dextran sulfate-lactate (TMC-DS-L) nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with siRNA molecules to quench the PD-1 and LAG3 checkpoints’ expression.
Results
Appropriate physicochemical characteristics of the generated NPs led to efficient inhibition of LAG3 and PD-1 on T cells, which was associated with increased survival and activity of T cells, ex vivo. Also, treating mice with established breast tumors (4T1) using NPs loaded with siRNA molecules in combination with DC vaccine pulsed with tumor lysate significantly inhibited tumor growth and increased survival in mice. These ameliorative effects were associated with increased anti-tumor T cell responses and downregulation of immunosuppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment and spleen.
Conclusion
These findings strongly suggest that TMC-DS-L NPs loaded with siRNA could act as a novel tool in inhibiting the expression of immune checkpoints in the tumor microenvironment. Also, combination therapy based on inhibition of PD-1 and LAG3 in combination with DC vaccine is an effective method in treating cancer that needs to be further studied
TGF-β1 receptor blockade attenuates unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced renal fibrosis in C57BL/6 mice through attenuating Smad and MAPK pathways
No full textRenal fibrosis is characterized by accumulation of extracellular matrix components and collagen deposition. TGF-β1 acts as a master switch promoting renal fibrosis through Smad dependent and/or Smad independent pathways. Thirty-five male C57BL/6 mice were divided into five groups of seven each; sham, unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), UUO+galunisertib (150 and 300 mg/kg/day), galunisertib (300 mg/kg/day). The UUO markedly induced renal fibrosis and injury as indicated by renal functional loss, increased levels of collagen Iα1, fibronectin and α-SMA; it also activated both the Smad 2/3 and MAPKs pathways as indicated by increased levels of TGF-β1, p-Smad 2, p-Smad 3, p-p38, p-JNK and p-ERK. These UUO-induced changes were markedly attenuated by oral administration of galunisertib, the TGFβRI small molecule inhibitor. In conclusion, we demonstrated that TGF-β1 receptor blockade can prevent UUO-induced renal fibrosis through indirect modulation of Smad and MAPKs signaling pathways and may be useful as a therapeutic agent in treatment and/or prevention of renal fibrosis
Synthesis, molecular dynamic, and in silico study of new ethyl 4-arylpyrimido[1,2-b]indazole-2-carboxylate: Potential inhibitors of α-glucosidase
No full textA new series of ethyl 4-arylpyrimido[1,2-b]indazole-2-carboxylate derivatives 7a-p were synthesized and screened for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The half of these new compounds displayed inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, with IC50 values in the range of 66.98 ± 0.05–650.30 ± 0.08 µM as compared to acarbose as standard inhibitor with IC50 value of 762.59 ± 0.04 µM. Among the title compounds, compound 7n presented the most inhibition effect against α-glucosidase. Kinetic study revealed that compound 7n is a competitive inhibitor with a Ki value of 66 µM. In addition, by performing molecular dynamic investigation and MM-GBSA calculation, we investigated the difference in structural perturbation and dynamic behavior that is observed over α-glucosidase in complex with the most active compound and acarbose relative to unbound α-glucosidase enzyme
Enhanced characterization of beta cell mass in a Tg(Pdx1-GFP) mouse model
Get PDFIntroduction: Measurement of pancreatic beta cell mass in animal models is a common assay in diabetes researches. Novel whole-organ clearance methods in conjunction with transgenic mouse models hold tremendous promise to improve beta cell mass measurement methods. Here, we proposed a refined method to estimate the beta cell mass using a new transgenic Tg(Pdx1-GFP) mouse model and a recently developed free-of-acrylamide clearing tissue (FACT) protocol.
Methods: First, we generated and evaluated a Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic mouse model. Using the FACT protocol in our model, we could quantify the beta cell mass and alloxan-induced beta cell destruction in whole pancreas specimens.
Results: Compiled fluorescent images of pancreas resulted in enhanced beta cell mass characterization in FACT-cleared sections (2928869±120215 AU) compared to No-FACT cleared sections (1292372±325632 AU). Additionally, the total number of detected islets with this method was significantly higher than the other clearance methods (155.7 and 109, respectively). Using this method, we showed green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression confined to beta cells in Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic. This enhanced GFP expression enabled us to accurately measure beta cell loss in a beta cell destruction model. The results suggest that our proposed method can be used as a simple, and rapid assay for beta cell mass measurement in islet biology and diabetes studies.
Conclusion: The Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic mouse in conjunction with the FACT protocol can enhance large-scale screening studies in the field of diabetes
Comparison of physical workload and physical work capacity among municipality cleaners in Shiraz to determine number of workers needed to counterbalance physical workload
Get PDFAssessing physical workload is the most important step in deciding whether a workload is high and adopting appropriate control strategies to reduce physical workload. This study aimed to compare physical workload and Physical Work Capacity (PWC) among municipality cleaners in Shiraz to determine the number of workers needed to counterbalance physical workload.
Methods
The present cross-sectional study was performed on 97 municipality cleaners in Shiraz. In the first step, the participants' maximum aerobic capacity (VO2-max) was estimated in the laboratory using an ergometer bicycle and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) protocol, based on which the PWC was estimated. Secondly, energy expenditure and heart rate during work were measured using a POLAR400 device in an eight-hour shift. At the end of the work shift, the workers’ perceived physical exertion was assessed using a Rating of Perceived Exertion 6–20 (RPE 6–20) Borg scale. In the final stage, the physical workload was assessed based on the results of the two steps.
Results
The mean VO2-max of the cleaners and PWC were estimated to be 2.6 ± 0.66 l min−1 and 4.3 ± 1.088 kcal min−1, respectively. The average energy consumed during work was 4.122 ± 1.016 kcal min−1. The overall results of this study showed that physical workload was greater than PWC in 46% of the municipality cleaners. In addition, it was found that 12.45% workforce was required to be added to the street cleaners of Shiraz municipality to reduce the physiological workload on the employed workforce.
Conclusions
With respect to the high level of physical activity in a significant proportion of the cleaners, measures such as increasing the workforce are suggested
Prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of recently published literature (2016–2020)
Get PDFUrinary schistosomiasis is a serious threat in endemic territories of Africa and the Middle East. The status of female urinary schistosomiasis (FUS) in published literature between 2016 and 2020 was investigated.
Methods
A systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, based on the ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses’ checklist, and a meta-analysis using random-effects model to calculate the weighted estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were done.
Results
Totally, 113 datasets reported data on 40,531 women from 21 African countries, showing a pooled prevalence of 17.5% (95% CI: 14.8–20.5%). Most studies (73) were performed in Nigeria, while highest prevalence was detected in Mozambique 58% (95% CI: 56.9–59.1%) (one study). By sample type and symptoms, vaginal lavage [25.0% (95% CI: 11.4–46.1%)] and hematuria 19.4% (95% CI: 12.2–29.4%) showed higher FUS frequency. Studies using direct microscopy diagnosed a 17.1% (95% CI: 14.5–20.1%) prevalence rate, higher than PCR-based studies 15.3% (95% CI: 6.1–33.2%). Except for sample type, all other variables had significant association with the overall prevalence of FUS
Ghrelin and ghrelin/total cholesterol ratio as independent predictors for coronary artery disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
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Review
Ghrelin and ghrelin/total cholesterol ratio as independent predictors for coronary artery disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7611-7799Maryam Niknam1, Taraneh Liaghat2, Mehrdad Zarghami3, Mehdi Akrami2, Seyed Mehdi Shahnematollahi2, Ahmad Ahmadipour4, Fatemeh Moazzen5, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3628-9438Sahar Soltanabadi2
Correspondence to Dr Sahar Soltanabadi, Cardiovascular Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 7175735865, Iran (the Islamic Republic of); [email protected]
Abstract
The present meta-analysis aimed to summarize the available data regarding the circulating levels of ghrelin in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). A comprehensive search was performed in electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science up to January 20, 2021. Since the circulating levels of ghrelin were measured in different units across the included studies, they were expressed as the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% CI (summary effect size). A random-effects model comprising the DerSimonian and Laird method was used to pool SMDs. Sixteen articles (20 studies) comprised of 1087 cases and 437 controls were included. The pooled results showed that there were no significant differences between cases and controls in terms of ghrelin levels (SMD=−0.61, 95% CI −1.38 to 0.16; p=0.120; I2=96.9%, p<0.001). The ghrelin concentrations in the CAD stratum were significantly lower than in controls, whereas they increased in other disease strata. New combined biomarkers demonstrated a significant decrease in the SMD of the ghrelin/total cholesterol (TC) ratio (−1.02; 95% CI −1.74 to –0.29, p=0.000; I2=94.5%). However, no significant differences were found in the SMD of the ghrelin/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, ghrelin/low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, and ghrelin/triglyceride (TG) ratio in cases with CVDs compared with the control group. Ghrelin was associated with CAD; therefore, it may be considered a biomarker for distinguishing between patients with and without CAD. Furthermore, the ghrelin/TC ratio could be proposed as a diagnostic marker for CVD
Qualitative Study of Health System Preparedness for Successful Implementation of Disaster Exercises in the Iranian Context
No full textObjectives:
Implementing disaster exercises in different parts of the health system is one of the important steps in providing and developing disaster risk management plans. Considering the importance of promoting health system preparedness through exercise, the present study aimed to identify and explain necessary and original components for successful implementation of preparedness exercises of the health-care system in disaster.
Methods:
The study was a qualitative content analysis. Data were collected by purposeful sampling through in-depth and semi-structured individual interviews with 25 health professionals in disaster. Directed content analysis was used to analyze the data, which extracted the initial codes after performing the recorded interviews on paper and immersing them in the data analysis.
Results:
The data analysis resulted in the production of 100 initial codes, 14 subcategories, 6 main categories of “coordination and information management,” “standards and indicators,” “conduction and control of the process,” “logistic management and supplies,” “management of treatment operation,” and “management of health operation,” under the original theme of “implementation of exercise.”
Conclusions:
The findings of this study can greatly increase the attention of senior managers to preparedness in all areas of the health system, especially managers of prehospitals and hospitals who are the forefront of the response to the disaster. The findings of this study can be considered as a guideline for the implementation of principle and standardized health system preparedness exercises