Topical effectiveness of different concentrations of nanosilver solution on Leishmania major lesions in Balb/c mice

Background & objectives: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infection caused by protozoan genus Leishmania. Althoughglucantime is commonly used for the treatment of leishmaniasis, it has some side effects including increased liverenzymes and electrocardiogram changes. In addition, the drug is expensive, the injection is painful, and researchshows that resistance of parasite to glucantime is growing in different parts of the world. Therefore, scientists arepaying more attention to develop new drugs such as nanosilver solution. The present study is an attempt toevaluate the in vivo topical effects of different concentrations of nanosilver solution in the treatment of leishmaniasislesions.Methods: In all, 90 female Balb/c mice aged 6–8 wk were infected with 2×106 viable stationary-phase promastigotesin the base of tail. Different concentrations (60, 80, 120, 130 and 2000 ppm) nanosilver solution were used in thepresent study to test the efficacy in the treatment of lesions. Clinical control of the infection trends was conductedweekly for 5 wk by measuring lesion diameter with standard Kulis-Vernieh. Data were analyzed by paired t-test,analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey test.Results: Mean lesion diameter pre- and post-treatment did not significantly differ between different treatmentgroups (p >0.05). Likewise, a significant difference in splenic parasite load was also not observed between differenttreatment groups.Interpretation & conclusion: Based on our results, different concentrations of nanosilver are ineffective in reducingmean sizes of lesions

Effect of Non-Surgical Therapy on Receptor Activator Level of Salivary Nuclear Factor Kappa B Ligand and Osteoprotegerin in Chronic Periodontitis: A Prospective Cohort Study

Introduction: The receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) are molecules that play a significant role in bone resorption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of periodontal therapy on the salivary levels of RANKL, OPG, and their relative ratio in patients with chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted and twenty-five patients with chronic periodontitis and 25 volunteers with healthy periodontium were recruited in this study. All the patients received scaling and root planing (SRP) combined with oral hygiene instructions (OHI).  Five mL unstimulated saliva sample was collected from all individuals at baseline and four weeks after periodontal therapy. Salivary RANKL and OPG concentrations were determined by enzyme -linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Demographic and clinical vari¬ables were compared between the groups using Fisher’s exact test. Comparisons of indices and analyses between the test and control groups were performed by independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. The correlations between the salivary and periodontal parameters were evaluated by Spearman correlation coefficient test. Results: SRP improved all examined clinical parameters, and the RANKL concentration and sRANKL/OPG ratio decreased significantly in the saliva after the treatment (p=0.012 and p=0.011). However, no significant change was found for OPG (p=0.840). Conclusion: Our observations indicated that non-surgical periodontal treatment significantly reduced the RANKL and sRANKL/OPG levels. Salivary levels of RANKL and sRANKL/OPG reflected the disease response to therapy, which is suitable for monitoring the results of periodontal treatment

Trait profiling and genotype selection in oilseed rape using genotype by trait and genotype by yield*trait approaches

Abstract Selection and breeding for high‐yielding in oilseed rape have always been one of the leading objectives for oilseed rape breeders. This process becomes more complicated when all quantitative traits are considered in selection in addition to grain yield. In the present study, 18 oilseed rape genotypes along with 2 check cultivars (RGS003 and Dalgan) were evaluated across 16 environments (a combination of 2 years and eight locations) in the tropical climate regions of Iran during 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 cropping seasons. The experiments were conducted in a format of randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The obtained multienvironmental trial data were utilized to conduct multivariate analysis, genotype by trait (GT) biplot, and genotype by yield*trait (GYT) biplot (Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, 1:2019). The GT and GYT biplot accounted for 55.5% and 93.6% of the total variation in the first two main components. Based on multivariate analysis and GT biplot, pod numbers in plant (PNP) and plant height (PH) were chosen as two key traits in spring oilseed rape genotypes for indirect selection due to high variation, strong positive correlation with grain yield (GY), and their high representatively and discriminability in genotype selection. The mean × stability GT biplot represented G10 (SRL‐96‐17) as the superior genotype. Based on the mean × stability GYT biplot, eight above‐average genotypes were identified that took high scores in stability, high‐yielding, and all evaluated quantitative traits at the same time. Based on the superiority index of GYT data, G10 (SRL‐96‐17) and G5 (SRL‐96‐11) indicated the best yield–trait combinations profile and ranked above check cultivars and then selected as superior genotypes. Similarly, cluster analysis using the WARD method also separated eight superior genotypes. Based on the result of the present study, GT ad GYT methodologies are recommended for trait profiling and genotype selection in oilseed rape breeding projects, respectively

Religious secularity

Despite its promises, the Islamic state of Iran has systematically prioritized political considerations over religious precepts, inadvertently generating a reformist religious discourse that challenges the very foundations of the Islamic state. This article conceptualizes the religious secularity discourse and the paradoxes ingrained in the Islamic state. The religious secularity discourse rejects the notion that Islamic holy texts offer a blueprint for governance and calls for the secular democratic state to realize the core principle of Islam: justice [Adl]. Towards this end, inclusive secular democratic principles champion a socio-political polity conducive to the cultivation of genuine religiosity, whereby faith and religious practices are free of coercion by fellow citizens or state institutions. By blurring the boundary between the religious and the secular and challenging the religious secular dichotomy, religious secularity highlights the relevance and possibility of harmonizing Islamic and inclusive secular democratic principles

The present status of landfill leachate treatment and its development trend from a technological point of view

More and more stringent requirements for pollution control and the implementation of the new discharge standard for landfill leachate make the development and application of landfill leachate treatment a research focus. The aim of the review is to determine appropriate technique for effective treatment of landfill leachate. In the paper, various leachate treatment technologies are presented and summarized, the key control parameters and some main problems are discussed from a technological point of view. It is proposed that the improvement of existing technical and the development and industrial application of a new treatment for landfill leachate are necessary. The development and application of integrated leachate treatment process of different physical, biological and chemical technologies could be a suitable option to reduce the contamination levels of leachate. Particularly, advanced oxidation technologies and an efficient integration between physical-chemical processes and biochemical processes are indicated as a significant research direction of new technology development

Association of Country Income Level With the Characteristics and Outcomes of Critically Ill Patients Hospitalized With Acute Kidney Injury and COVID-19

Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) has been identified as one of the most common and significant problems in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. However, studies examining the relationship between COVID-19 and AKI in low- and low-middle income countries (LLMIC) are lacking. Given that AKI is known to carry a higher mortality rate in these countries, it is important to understand differences in this population. Methods: This prospective, observational study examines the AKI incidence and characteristics of 32,210 patients with COVID-19 from 49 countries across all income levels who were admitted to an intensive care unit during their hospital stay. Results: Among patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit, AKI incidence was highest in patients in LLMIC, followed by patients in upper-middle income countries (UMIC) and high-income countries (HIC) (53%, 38%, and 30%, respectively), whereas dialysis rates were lowest among patients with AKI from LLMIC and highest among those from HIC (27% vs. 45%). Patients with AKI in LLMIC had the largest proportion of community-acquired AKI (CA-AKI) and highest rate of in-hospital death (79% vs. 54% in HIC and 66% in UMIC). The association between AKI, being from LLMIC and in-hospital death persisted even after adjusting for disease severity. Conclusions: AKI is a particularly devastating complication of COVID-19 among patients from poorer nations where the gaps in accessibility and quality of healthcare delivery have a major impact on patient outcomes