Environmental engineering applications of electronic nose systems based on MOX gas sensors

Nowadays, the electronic nose (e-nose) has gained a huge amount of attention due to its ability to detect and differentiate mixtures of various gases and odors using a limited number of sensors. Its applications in the environmental fields include analysis of the parameters for environmental control, process control, and confirming the efficiency of the odor-control systems. The e-nose has been developed by mimicking the olfactory system of mammals. This paper investigates e-noses and their sensors for the detection of environmental contaminants. Among different types of gas chemical sensors, metal oxide semiconductor sensors (MOXs) can be used for the detection of volatile compounds in air at ppm and sub-ppm levels. In this regard, the advantages and disadvantages of MOX sensors and the solutions to solve the problems arising upon these sensors’ applications are addressed, and the research works in the field of environmental contamination monitoring are overviewed. These studies have revealed the suitability of e-noses for most of the reported applications, especially when the tools were specifically developed for that application, e.g., in the facilities of water and wastewater management systems. As a general rule, the literature review discusses the aspects related to various applications as well as the development of effective solutions. However, the main limitation in the expansion of the use of e-noses as an environmental monitoring tool is their complexity and lack of specific standards, which can be corrected through appropriate data processing methods applications

Epidemiology, incidence, and mortality of leukemia in children early infancy to 14 years old of age in south-central Asia: A global ecological study

Background: The cancer was considered the second cause of death from early infancy to 14 years of age after the inadvertent damage. Also, leukemia was reported as the most common type of cancer in infants. Objectives: The current study was aimed to evaluate the epidemiology, incidence, and mortality rates of leukemia from early infancy to 14 years of age in South-Central Asia. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. In the current study, the incidence and mortality rates of leukemia in South-Central Asia were determined. The data were extracted from a Cancer Global Project in 2012 available at http://globocan.iarc.fr/Default.aspx.Results: In South-Central Asia, 1514027 cases of cancer were recorded in 2012 in which 480267 cases (3.2) were related to leukemia. The highest incidence rates of leukemia were reported for Iran, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan with the ratio of 3.6, 3.2, and 3 cases per 100000 people, respectively compared with the lowest incidence rates in Bangladesh, and Bhutan with the ratio of 0.8 and 0.9 cases per 100000 people, respectively in under14-year-old infants. Conclusions: Leukemia was reported as the most common type of cancer in infants, providing important information about possible changes of risk factors considering that its trend might help us to find critical ways so as to decrease the rate of cancer in infants. Copyright © 2019, Journal of Comprehensive Pediatrics

Monitoring green tiger prawn stock in Bushehr Province waters

The results of 30 months of trawl sampling on P. semisulcatus, De Hann 1848, obtained through operational phase of MONITORING GREEN TIGER PRAWN RESOURCES project, along with results of another available 28 months of the data of the same structure prior to this, has formed an invaluable time series of data as a proper basis for the further analysis. The survey area is located at North-west of the Persian Gulf from Bahrekan to Dayer waters. The ultimate goal of this study is to come to a better understanding of behavioral pattern of Green Tiger Prawn in its exploited phase after recruitment to the fishery. In this study, the confirmation of the life cycle of P. semisulcatus, to the general life pattern of Penaeidae shrimps was observed. Of the peculiarities of this pattern are the yearly bi-modal spawning and two corresponding peaks of recruitment. There exist two spring and autumn generations, which the major spawning in autumn produces the main recruitment in summer and the autumn generations stem from spring spawning. The spatial and temporal distribution of shrimp is highly variable by month and year. Depending on the year, higher shrimp densities are often found in early summer between Lavar and Rostami and/or Rostami to Bushehr and extend north and south in August. This result can be used in better design of sampling scheme for nursery studies. The main recruitment, which the fishery is depended upon, is in July to August and a second one occurs December-February. The timing and strength of both recruitments vary inter-annually. The proportion of prerecruits in southern area is always higher and the modes more prolonged than in northern area. The period of major recruitment starts earlier and lasts longer in the south than the north. A consistent pattern is not seen for the secondary recruitment, which, usually occurs in December-January. It is hypothesized that 1- the secondary recruitment might occur in Kuwait and/or Saudi Arabia waters, 2- insufficient number of spawners in spring or 3- high mortality in summer could cause the weakness of secondary recruitment. The spatial distribution of the mature female shrimps in spawning months indicates that the northern part of study area is an aggregation ground. It is also found that this aggregation grounds are close to two main fresh water sources (Helleh and Mond rivers), and these phenomena can be somehow related. The average length at 50% maturity varies inter- annually and is estimated to be 15.3 Cm. Length-frequency distribution of shrimps by sex reveals 1 to 3 modes depending on the month and year. In southern part a more complicated and less consistent pattern of recruitment and growth between years was observed. There is multiple or/and continuous recruitment especially during summer months. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated. The Findings are used to design new sampling schemes to cover the whole life cycle of this species enabling one to explain the variations in their response to the environment and fishery. The results of this study, lead us in building appropriate assessment and management models

Homozygous microdeletion of exon 5 in ZNF277 in a girl with specific language impairment

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Survey on health and disease status of ornamental fishes in Golestan, Mazanderan and Khorasan Razavi provinces

The project of survey on health status of ornamental fishes in Mazenderan , Golestan and Khorasan Razavi carried out with association of 5 , 2 and 6 centers in orderly. The main aims of this survey were identification and distribution local infectious of epizootic diseases, identification positive and negative points, offers management applicable guidelines to prevent of diseases.The results of survey showed that important virologically agent identified was Lymphocystis virus in Angel fish. Also, main bacteriologically agents were Aeromonas spp, Pseudomonas spp and vibrio. As well as, from the fungal agents that were identified can mentioned to Aspergilus flavus, Mucor, Penicilium and Alternaria. The important parasitic agents also were Trichodina, Ichthyophytrius, tetrahymena, Dactylogyrus, Gyrodactylus and capillaria. In the health management part of this survey positive points include non-application of antibiotic and cooperative of hatchery directors with executive organizations to sampling examination periodically. The negative points were non familiarity and training about fish disease, were not technical director, prepairing feeds without familiarity with principals of diets, non-quarantine units before fishes entrance to production cycles, non existens good food storage rooms, non existens foot bath in entrance gate to the hatchery systems and ets

Ecological interaction between commercial fishes in the Persian Gulf

An ecosystem-based management fishery is a new way of looking at management of living resources. Trophic levels of basic food items, feeding habits, growth and mortality rate of 20 exploited fish species (including commercial and bycatch) are investigated in the Persian Gulf (from the provinces of Khuzestan, Bushehr and Hormozgan) from 2010 to 2012. The model considers trophic interactions among 12 functional group of the ecosystem involving Phytoplankton, Zeoplankton, Cephalopods, Shrimp, Infauna Benthos, Epifaunal Macrobenthos, Demersal Zoobenthos Feeders, Small Pelagic Planktivorous Fish, Benthoplagic Feeder, Piscivorous, Large Benthic Carnivores And Small Benthic Carnivores. In general 7452 of stomach contents samples were analyzed based on the weight and numerical method and were detected about 40 preys. The results demonstrated gaps in our knowledge on the food web structure. The mean trophic levels were varied from L. klunzingeri (2) to S. tumbil (4.64), while the total catch of some species were fluctuating widely. Result of our study showed that Total mortality varied between 0.45 per year (A. suppositus) to 9.5 per year (P. indicus) and food consumption rate also fluctuated by 1.9 (L. johni ) to 89 (L. lineolatus). The results indicated that some fish species including sardine, Anchovies, small carangids, S. stridens with high frequency in ecosystem, have been occupied in the food web as a wasp-waist. The model showed that most hunters groups live in middle levels in the food web such as N. japonicas, A. latus, P. kaakan, L. nebolusus, P. indicus and T. lepturus . Analysis the catch rate during 2001-2011 reveled that there is a clear trend of declining most of fish species catches in this research except for T. lepturus, P. kaakan and sparids which lead to upset the fundamental ecological balance of the Persian Gulf in future

Mitochondrial Mutations in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Salivary Glands

Background: The MitoChip v2.0 resequencing array is an array-based technique allowing for accurate and complete sequencing of the mitochondrial genome. No studies have investigated mitochondrial mutation in salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinomas. Methodology: The entire mitochondrial genome of 22 salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC) of salivary glands and matched leukocyte DNA was sequenced to determine the frequency and distribution of mitochondrial mutations in ACC tumors. Principal Findings: Seventeen of 22 ACCs (77%) carried mitochondrial mutations, ranging in number from 1 to 37 mutations. A disproportionate number of mutations occurred in the D-loop. Twelve of 17 tumors (70.6%) carried mutations resulting in amino acid changes of translated proteins. Nine of 17 tumors (52.9%) with a mutation carried an amino acid changing mutation in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase (NADH) complex. Conclusions/Significance: Mitochondrial mutation is frequent in salivary ACCs. The high incidence of amino acid changing mutations implicates alterations in aerobic respiration in ACC carcinogenesis. D-loop mutations are of unclear significance

Mitochondrial DNA haplogroup T is associated with coronary artery disease and diabetic retinopathy: a case control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is strong and consistent evidence that oxidative stress is crucially involved in the development of atherosclerotic vascular disease. Overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mitochondria is an unifying mechanism that underlies micro- and macrovascular atherosclerotic disease. Given the central role of mitochondria in energy and ROS production, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is an obvious candidate for genetic susceptibility studies on atherosclerotic processes. We therefore examined the association between mtDNA haplogroups and coronary artery disease (CAD) as well as diabetic retinopathy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study of Middle European Caucasians included patients with angiographically documented CAD (n = 487), subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus with (n = 149) or without (n = 78) diabetic retinopathy and control subjects without clinical manifestations of atherosclerotic disease (n = 1527). MtDNA haplotyping was performed using multiplex PCR and subsequent multiplex primer extension analysis for determination of the major European haplogroups. Haplogroup frequencies of patients were compared to those of control subjects without clinical manifestations of atherosclerotic disease.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Haplogroup T was significantly more prevalent among patients with CAD than among control subjects (14.8% vs 8.3%; p = 0.002). In patients with type 2 diabetes, the presence of diabetic retinopathy was also significantly associated with a higher prevalence of haplogroup T (12.1% vs 5.1%; p = 0.046).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data indicate that the mtDNA haplogroup T is associated with CAD and diabetic retinopathy in Middle European Caucasian populations.</p

Nitrogen sources on TPOMW valorization through solid state fermentation performed by Yarrowia lipolytica

This manuscript reports the valorization of two-phase olive mill waste (TPOMW) as raw material and carbon source for solid state fermentation using Yarrowia lipolytica as biocatalyst. Due to its chemical characteristics, a combination of different raw materials (TPOMW and wheat bran, WB) was evaluated and two distinct nitrogen sources were applied as supplementation for lipase production. A TPOMW/WB ratio of 1:1 and supplementation with ammonium sulfate was chosen as the best condition. The productivity in 24 h reached 7.8 U/gh and, after four days of process, only decreased about 35%. Process pH ranged from 5.5-5.9, remaining in an acid range. Thus, the successful use of TPOMW, a watery solid by-product with high content of lipids, as raw material for Yarrowia lipolytica growth and lipase production provided an environmental friendly alternative to valorize such waste.The authors kindly acknowledge the financial aid and research scholarships given by CAPES. Maria Alice Zarur Coelho thanks CNPq (Proc. 308890/ 2013-2)