The association of preterm labor with vaginal colonization of group B streptococci

Background: Group B streptococcus is regarded as a potential factor for adverse outcomes of pregnancy such as preterm birth. Objective: To study the association of maternal vaginal colonization with group B streptococcus (GBS) and preterm labor. Materials and Methods: From April 2005 to May 2006, vaginal culture for GBS were conducted in 101 laboring women with a gestational age of 24-37 weeks and 105 women admitted for term delivery at maternity center of Afzalipour Hospital in Kerman, Iran. Student's t test and Chi square test were used to compare continuous and categorical data between the groups. Using multivariate logistic regression the association between GBS colonization and preterm labor was analyzed. P-values<0.05 were considered as significant. Results: Colonization was detected in 9.2% of all mothers. Although GBS colonization was found more frequently in preterm than term patients (12 v/s 7 cases), the difference was not statistically significant. However, GBS positivity was roughly associated with preterm labor. Age was also a risk factor for GBS colonization. No case of perinatal sepsis occurred during the study period. Conclusion: Maternal colonization for GBS is relatively low in our center. Increasing age enhances the risk of colonization. Vaginal colonization of GBS is relatively associated with preterm labor

Association of SNP rs.2414096 CYP19 gene with polycystic ovarian syndrome in Iranian women

Background: Genetic factors are believed to play an important role in the etiology of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) which is the most common endocrinological disorder of women in their reproductive age. Androgen metabolism is impaired in PCOS and, thus, CYP19 gene which is involved in this pathway can be a candidate gene. Previous studies have shown a relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of CYP19 in hyperandrogenism and PCOS in some racial groups. Objective: This study was designed to elucidate the role of CYP19 gene in PCOS in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 70 PCOS women and 70 non-PCOS women as normal control were selected. Following the informed consent, 5 ml blood was taken from individuals and subsequently, genomic DNA was extracted by salting out method. Furthermore, a set of polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was carried out using specific primers for SNP rs.2414096 followed by enzyme digestion, with HSP92II. Results: Genotype frequencies of SNP rs. 2414096 in PCOS women were as follows: AA (14.4%), AG (44.3%), and GG (41.4%) while in normal group, genotypes were 24.3%, 52.8%, and 22.9%, respectively. Allele frequencies in PCOS group were 49.3% for A and 50.7% for G, whereas normal group had a different percentage of A (36.4%) and G (63.6%). The calculations for both genotypic and allelic frequencies showed statistical significance difference. Conclusion: Variants of SNP rs. 2414096 in CYP19 could play a role in the development of PCOS in Iranian women

Ascertaining and Optimizing the Water Footprint and Sludge Management Practice in Steel Industries

Steelmaking is a water-intensive process. The mean water intake against each ton of steel manufactured is ascertained as between 2 and 20 m3. Primarily, the stated requirement is in the form of make-up water to compensate for evaporation and mechanical losses and does not contribute to wastewater generation. Conversely, unit operations, such as rolling, continuous casting, pickling, etc., generate highly complex wastewater rich in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), cyanide, ammonia, non-consumed acids, benzene, toluene, xylene, oil, grease, etc. Further, the conjugative wastewater contains a high concentration of metallic oxides, toxic elements, oil, nitrogen, and heavy metals such as zinc, nickel, chromium, etc. These contaminants are generally treated and neutralized using physicochemical and membrane-based systems. This also yields hazardous sludge, which is landfilled, thereby incurring an ancillary financial burden. However, sludge can be a frugal source of extracting multi-dimensional benefits. The present review investigated and identified the most water-intensive and wastewater/sludge-contributing unit operations and proposed a preferential combination of treatments to balance efficacy and economy. Further, the various global practices for sludge recycling and management documented in the existing literature are summarized and ranked with the help of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The findings revealed concrete making and nutrient recovery as the most- and least-preferred recycling alternatives