Rapid detection and identification of poultry Salmonella serotypes using multiplex PCR assay

Recently, rapid multiplex PCR assay has been used widely worldwide to identify and screen Salmonella and their most important serovars in the poultry industry without the need of the serological examination. This study designed to determine different Salmonella serotypes that isolated from chicken using multiplex PCR assay. Layer and broiler chicken internal organs including: liver, bile, spleen, heart, yolk sac, ceca, joint, ovary and oviduct were used to isolate Salmonella sp. Sixty (60) Salmonella isolates were subjected to amplification of invA gene (invasion gene) for Salmonellae sp.; fliC gene (flageller filament protein) for Salmonella typhimurium and sefA gene (fimberial gene) for Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella gallinerum – pullorum. Each primer pairs was optimize individually to ensure that each amplicon had the correct size. Then, Salmonella isolates passed to amplification by use three sets of primers invA, fliC and sefA simultaneously in order to detect the genus Salmonella and their types in single reaction tube. The results of this study showed that all Salmonella isolates were positive for invA gene amplified sequence. Moreover, the serotypes of Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis were identified by the presence of the specific amplified products to fliC gene for S. typhimurium and sefA gene for S. enteritidis and Salmonella gallinerum-pullorum. In conclusion, this study approved that applying multiplex PCR assay revealed the same sensitivity and specificity of uniplex PCR. Moreover, this technique was easy, reliable and save time and cost. The authors recommend to implement the combination between, routine multiplex PCR test and traditional culture methods to approach the effective and more accurate profile for the prevalence of Salmonella in flocks of poultry in Iraq

Demonstration of malaria situation analysis, stratification and planning in Minab District, southern Iran

Objective: To demonstrate malaria situation analysis, stratification and planning for an endemic area in southern Iran. Methods: Data on health system, population, meteorological parameters, malaria cases, anopheline vectors, and control activities during 2005-2007 was obtained from Minab Health Center, Minab Meteorological Station and published documents about malaria elements in the study area. A datasheet was created in excel 2003 for analysis. Results: There were 644 health staff working in Minab District including 99 health staff in malaria control program. The health facilities are distributed as follow: 1 hospital with 96 beds, 23 health centers including private centers (10 in Minab city and 13 in rural area of Minab District) and 119 health houses in rural areas of Minab District. A nopheles stephensi was the dominant species in Minab District, however, Anopheles dthali, Anopheles superpictus, Anopheles fluviatilis, Anopheles multicolor, Anopheles pulcherrimus and Anopheles turkhudi can also be found in the area. Anopheles stephensi was reported susceptible to malathion, propoxur, primphos-methyl, lambda-cyhalothrin permethrin and deltamethrin, and resistant to DDT and dieldrin in the area. During the study period a total of 10 665 positive cases were reported, mainly due to local transmission (99.6). Plasmodium vivax was the main causative agent followed by Plasmodium falciparum. There were reports about drug resistance of Plasmodium falciparum in the area. Conclusions: Using different parameters, Minab was classified into 3 strata. A plan was designed based on described goal, objectives and targets. The approaches of this plan were categorized into: health education, early detection and correct treatment, and vector control. Main constraints of these approaches are population movement between Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan; vector control challenges at district, inadequate skilled medical staff in malaria case management and weak inter-sectorial coordination for malaria control, especially in urban areas. © 2011 Hainan Medical College

Exploring the Capability of the Hospital Pharmacists in Conducting Pharmacy Practice Research: A Study from Malaysia

The engagement of pharmacists in research activities is pivotal in the advancement of the pharmacy practice. The study aims to evaluate the confidence and competence of Malaysian hospital pharmacists in conducting clinical and practice-based research. A cross-sectional study was carried out between September 2019 and April 2020 using an online survey. Pharmacists from eight different hospitals in Malaysia were involved in the study. The survey link was sent to all pharmacists of the included hospitals via email. Data were analysed using SPSS version 25. A total of 226 pharmacists participated in this study, and their average age was 28 years old. About 82 % of the participants reported that they did not have any previous research experience, and around 62% of them indicated that the research training during their undergraduate study was inadequate. At least 60% of the participants reported inadequate competence and/or confidence in developing research protocols, critically appraising the literature, undertaking and applying appropriate statistical techniques, and interpreting research findings. There is an urgent need to reinforce undergraduate and postgraduate research training in the institutions among potential and current pharmacists to build competence in research techniques such as literature reviews and scholarly participation

Exploring the quality of life of cosmetic users: A cross-sectional analysis from eight Arab countries in the Middle East

Background The use of cosmetic products is growing in dominance in the Arab population, making it essential to measure its effects on users. The production of cosmetics has been largely driven by consumerism and a bid to keep abreast with the latest trends in the beauty industry with less attention on how the users' quality of life (QoL) is affected. Aims This study aims to investigate the effect of cosmetic products on users' quality of life in eight Arab countries. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out using an online data collection approach. A validated and specialist instrument tool called BeautyQoL, which consists of five domains and a total of 52 questions, was distributed to a sample of 2219 cosmetic users. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was done using SPSS® version 26.0. Results The mean age of participants was 34 ± 11.25 years, and more women were represented in the sample (71%) than men. The majority of respondents had oily skin type (39.6%) and tan skin tone (30.4%). QoL through cosmetic use is computed with a mean score of 51 out of 100. The users' mean score satisfaction from cosmetic use is centred on attractiveness (56.1), followed by self-confidence (51.8). Cosmetics have a statistically significant effect on participants who are young adults, women, single, and employed with high income. As the respondents' skin tone deepens from very fair to dark, the mean score for each domain significantly increases, whereas when skin type changes from very oily to dry, the mean score for each domain decreases. Conclusion The effect of cosmetics on the users' QoL is limited, contrary to the narrative commonly portrayed in cosmetics' advertisements. Therefore, the use of cosmetics among the Arab population should be from an informed perspective of their specific needs instead of conforming to the viral trends pedaled by influencers and bloggers on social media, which might be irrelevant for them.Open access publishing facilitated by Monash University, as part of the Wiley - Monash University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians. [Correction added on 5 July 2022, after first online publication: CAUL funding statement has been added.]Scopu

Displacements and stresses induced by vibrations of machine foundation on clay soil of different degrees of saturation

The difficulty that arises in the design of a machine foundation is how to know the behavior of the soil at different soil conditions. Therefore, there are many indications of a need to study machine foundation on soil of different degrees of saturation, covering all the important aspects of clay soil. Experiments on machine foundation (circular and rectangular) were carried out resting on clay soil with different degrees of saturation (100 % and 60 %), in order to find the amplitude displacement of the foundation under different operating frequencies. In addition, the paper describes the vertical stress and displacements inside the soil distributed at three points under the foundation (0.5 B, B, and 2B, B is the foundation width). The experiments results showed that the effect of increasing the degree of saturation is to reduce the amplitude displacement of the foundation to about 61 %. The increase in degree of saturation of soil reduced the vertical stress by about 77 %. The change in the degree of saturation leads to significant action on displacement inside the soil. These influences depend on the distance of the point from the foundation

Nutrients loads at Shatt Al-Arab river in Basrah city, Iraq

The study included the nitrates, phosphates loads and some properties of water quality in the Shatt Al-Arab River at Basra city center . There were used to identifying the state of water and nutrient movement in this part of the River starting from the Shilha location north of Al-Hartha to ​​Al-Bahadriyah north of Abu Al-Khasib, which represents the section that contains dense human  population at Basra city center. Fourteen sampling stations were selected within the study area during the summer and winter periods, as well as during the morning and evening at the same day. The study showed that the phosphate and nitrate salts have not transfer out of this river section. Also there were no significant impact of the side river branches on the water quality of the Shatt al-Arab River because of the low discharges from these branches compared to discharge of the main Shatt al-Arab River

Preparation, Characterization and Optimization of Etoposide-Loaded Gold Nanoparticles Based on Chemical Reduction Method

In recent years, observed focus greatly on gold nanoparticles synthesis due to its unique properties and tremendous applicability. In most of these researches, the citrate reduction method has been adopted. The aim of this study was to prepare and optimize monodisperse ultrafine particles by addition of reducing agent to gold salt, as a result of seed mediated growth mechanism. In this research, gold nanoparticles suspension (G) was prepared by traditional standard Turkevich method and optimized by studying different variables such as reactants concentrations, preparation temperature and stirring rate on controlling size and uniformity of nanoparticles through preparing twenty formulas (G1-G20). Subsequently, the selected formula that prepared from the best tested condition was further optimized by preparing it using inverse method via the addition of gold salt to the reducing agent in opposite to the previous traditional method (G21). The optimized gold nanoparticles were characterized by SEM, EDX, TEM and zeta potential. The obtained results indicated that (G21) with reactants concentrations of 0.5mM and 10mM for HAuCl4.3H2O and trisodium citrate dihydrate respectively, 65°C of preparation temperature and 1500rpm of stirring rate was chosen as an optimized formula according to AFM provided gold nanoparticles with smoother surface, smaller size (average 8.75nm) with more uniform size distribution (7.32%) as well as short over all preparation time (27minutes). In addition to that all results of SEM, EDX and TEM indicated uniform spherical shape with zeta potential of -47.87. In conclusion, inversed method is promising for the preparation of gold nanoparticles with high monodispersity