Comparison between in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity of Curcuma zedoaria from Malaysia

The antimicrobial activity of the extracts of Curcuma zedoaria from Malaysia was compared using in vitro and in vivo systems. The comparison was performed against four bacterial strains including two gram negative strains (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and two gram positive strains (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) using the agar well diffusion method. Petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol were used as solvents for preparing the plant extracts. Growth hormones namely indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) were used in the in vitro system separately between the range of 0.25 and 3.5 mg/l for IBA and 0.5 and 4 mg/l for BAP and a mix formula containing both hormones using the best ranges after rapid tests. The results showed that the in vitro system was more capable of inhibiting S. aureus growth compared with in vivo system on the agar plate. P. aeruginosa and E. coli growth were only inhibited by the in vitro system on the agar plate, while B. cereus was the only strain in the in vivo system which produced higher inhibition zone on the agar plate against its growth compared with the in vitro system.Key words: Curcuma zedoaria, antibacterial activity

Quasi-3D Hyperbolic Shear Deformation Theory for the Free Vibration Study of Honeycomb Microplates with Graphene Nanoplatelets-Reinforced Epoxy Skins

A novel quasi-3D hyperbolic shear deformation theory (QHSDT) with five unknowns is here employed, together with the Hamilton's principle and the modified couple stress theory (MCST) to analyze the vibrational behavior of rectangular micro-scale sandwich plates resting on a visco-Pasternak foundation. The sandwich structure features a Nomex or Glass phenolic honeycomb core, and two composite face sheets reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets (GPLs). The effective properties of both face sheets are evaluated by means of the Halpin-Tsai and extended rule of mixture (ERM) micromechanical schemes. The governing equations of the problem are derived by applying the Hamilton's principle, whose solutions are determined theoretically according to a classical Navier-type procedure. A parametric study checks for the effect of different material properties, length-scale parameters, foundation parameters and geometrical properties of the honeycomb cells, and the reinforcing GPLs, on the vibration response of the layered structure, which can be of great interest for many modern engineering applications and their optimization design

A Systematic Literature Review: Workplace Violence Against Emergency Medical Services Personnel

Context: In spite of the high prevalence and consequences of much workplace violence against emergency medical services personnel, this phenomenon has been given insufficient attention. A systematic review can aid the development of guidelines to reduce violence. Objectives: The research question addressed by this paper is, “What are the characteristics and findings of studies on workplace violence against emergency medical services personnel”? Data Sources: A systematic literature review was conducted using online databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Magiran) with the help of experienced librarians. Study Selection: Inclusion criteria comprised studies in the English or Persian language and researcher’s access to the full text. There was no limit to the entry of the study design. Exclusion criteria included lack of access to the full text of the article, studies published in unreliable journals or conferences, and studies in which the results were shared with other medical or relief groups and there was no possibility of breaking down the results. Data Extraction: A “Data extraction form” was designed by the researchers based on the goals of the study that included the title and author(s), study method (type, place of study, sample size, sampling method, and data collection/analysis tool), printing location, information related to the frequency of types of violence, characteristics of victims /perpetrators, and related factors. Results: The papers reviewed utilized a variety of locations and environments, methods, and instrument samplings. The majority of the studies were performed using the quantitative method. No intervention study was found. Most studies focused on the prevalence of violence, and their results indicated that exposure to violence was high. The results are presented in six major themes. Conclusions: Workplace violence and injuries incurred from it are extensive throughout the world. The important causes of violence include the shortage of training programs dealing with violence, lack of violence management protocols, and delays in response times. Therefore, afterthought and resolve are more crucial than ever. Workplace violence reduction strategies and suggestions for future studies are also discussed

Detecting ulcerative colitis from colon samples using efficient feature selection and machine learning

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by inflammation of the mucosal layer of the colon. Diagnosis of UC is based on clinical symptoms, and then confirmed based on endoscopic, histologic and laboratory findings. Feature selection and machine learning have been previously used for creating models to facilitate the diagnosis of certain diseases. In this work, we used a recently developed feature selection algorithm (DRPT) combined with a support vector machine (SVM) classifier to generate a model to discriminate between healthy subjects and subjects with UC based on the expression values of 32 genes in colon samples. We validated our model with an independent gene expression dataset of colonic samples from subjects in active and inactive periods of UC. Our model perfectly detected all active cases and had an average precision of 0.62 in the inactive cases. Compared with results reported in previous studies and a model generated by a recently published software for biomarker discovery using machine learning (BioDiscML), our final model for detecting UC shows better performance in terms of average precision

Data Quality Assessment in Emergency Medical Services: What Are the Stakeholders' Perspectives?

Introduction: Emergency care is usually conducted within limited time and with limited resources. During emergency care processes, data quality issues should be taken into account. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of emergency care data from the perspectives of different data stakeholders. Method: This survey study was conducted in 2017. In this research, the viewpoints of three groups of data stakeholders, including data producers, data collectors, and data consumers, were collected regarding data quality in emergency care services. Data were collected by using a standard information quality assessment questionnaire. Results: The mean values for each dimension of data quality were as follows: sound data (6.23), dependable data (6.28), useful data (6.30), and usable data (6.35), with 0 being the lowest possible score and 10 being the highest. The role gap analysis suggested a clear gap between data producers and data customers at the university level. Conclusion: Overall, data quality in emergency medical services was not at a high level. Although data quality was improving, the levels of data completeness, compatibility, and usability were low. To improve the usability of emergency medical service data, more attention should be paid to the dimensions of accuracy, completeness, and consistency of data sources

Injury surveillance information system: A review of the system requirements

Purpose: An injury surveillance information system (ISIS) collects, analyzes, and distributes data on injuries to promote health care delivery. The present study aimed to review the data elements and functional requirements of this system. Method: This study was conducted in 2019. Studies related to injury surveillance system were searched from January 2000 to September 2019 via the databases of PubMed, Web of Knowledge, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Articles related to the epidemiology of injury, population survey, and letters to the editor were excluded, while the review and research articles related to ISISs were included in the study. Initially 324 articles were identified, and finally 22 studies were selected for review. Having reviewed the articles, the data needed were extracted and the results were synthesized narratively. Results: The results showed that most of the systems reviewed in this study used the minimum data set suggested by the World Health Organization injury surveillance guidelines along with supplementary data. The main functions considered for the system were injury track, data analysis, report, data linkage, electronic monitoring and data dissemination. Conclusion: ISISs can help to improve healthcare planning and injury prevention. Since different countries have various technical and organizational infrastructures, it is essential to identify system requirements in different settings. © 2020 Chinese Medical Associatio

Mechanical Properties of Boehmite Evaluated by Atomic Force Microscopy Experiments and Molecular Dynamic Finite Element Simulations

Boehmite nanoparticles show great potential in improving mechanical properties of fiber reinforced polymers. In order to predict the properties of nanocomposites, knowledge about the material parameters of the constituent phases, including the boehmite particles, is crucial. In this study, the mechanical behavior of boehmite is investigated using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) experiments and Molecular Dynamic Finite Element Method (MDFEM) simulations. Young's modulus of the perfect crystalline boehmite nanoparticles is derived from numerical AFM simulations. Results of AFM experiments on boehmite nanoparticles deviate significantly. Possible causes are identified by experiments on complementary types of boehmite, that is, geological and hydrothermally synthesized samples, and further simulations of imperfect crystals and combined boehmite/epoxymodels. Under certain circumstances, the mechanical behavior of boehmite was found to be dominated by inelastic effects that are discussed in detail in the present work. The studies are substantiated with accompanying X-ray diffraction and Raman experiments.DFG/FOR/202

Breeding ecology of the Iranian ground jay (Podoces pleskei)

Although Podoces pleskei is the only endemic bird of Iran, little information exists on its ecological features, population dynamics and threats that concern it. This species occurs in desert and semi desert areas, mostly on the Iranian plateau, though its range spreads southeast ward to the Iran- Pakistan border. In this research, a total of 52 nests were studied in three locations, the “Ghare Tappe”, “Marvast” and “Mehrano” region, from 2005 to 2008. Breeding habits, nest characteristics, hatching features, clutch size, length of incubation time, nesting period and features of the chicks were observed in the three locations and were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). To compare breeding success among the three study areas, Z test was applied. This bird builds its nest at the top of and within the denser parts of plants, particularly Atraphaxis spinosa, Ephedra intermedia and Zygophyllum eurypterum. At times of danger, they hide beneath shrubs. Z-tests showed that the breeding success of this bird varied between Marvast and Mehrano. The greatest cause of nest failure and chick mortality was the transcaspian desert monitor (Varanus griseus caspius), which feeds on the eggs and chicks.Key words: Breeding ecology, Pleske’s ground jay, nest characteristics, clutch size, nest success, threat

Investigating the Effect of Increasing Nano Cellulose to Diesel Fuel on Emission and Performance of Internal Combustion Engine

IntroductionToday, the number of diesel engines is increasing due to their high efficiency and low greenhouse gases. In the present study, the effect of adding nano cellulose as nanoparticles to diesel fuel on the performance parameters and emissions of diesel engine was investigated. Nano cellulose was provided by the Nano Novin Company in Sari. Nano cellulose values were considered at 3 levels of zero, 25 ppm and 75 ppm. Also, the tests were performed at 3 engine speed of 1600, 2000 and 2400 rpm in full load mode.Materials and MethodsIn this study, nanocellulose was used as nanoparticles to add to diesel and to evaluate the performance and emission parameters of the engine. To prevent the deposition of nano cellulose in diesel fuel, jelly type nano cellulose was used. The samples were named after adding different amounts of nano cellulose, abbreviated D100N0, D100N25 and D100N75. D100 means 100% pure diesel and N means different amounts of nano cellulose with different amounts. Ultrasound was used to obtain homogeneous samples. About 3 liters were prepared from each sample so that it could be used for at least 3 repetitions. The required tests were performed at three different speeds of 1600, 2000 and 2400 rpm in full load mode. The necessary equipment was used to measure the performance parameters and air emissions, including diesel engine connected to the dynamometer, emissions measuring device, fuel system and control room (to apply the load and provide conditions for each treatment and data collection). The air-cooled, four-stroke, compression-ignition single-cylinder engine made by the Italian company Lombardini was used. The D400 eddy current dynamometer made in Germany was used. The ability to measure power by this dynamometer is a maximum of 21 hp, a maximum speed of 10,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 80 N.m. To measure of emissions, the MAHA MGT5 emissions meter was used. This device is able to measure the values of CO, CO2, NOX, O2 and UHC.Results and DiscussionThe results showed that increasing engine speed in all fuel combinations increased engine power, specific fuel consumption, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons and decreased torque. Also, increasing the amount of nano cellulose per engine speed increased the amount of power and torque, but reduced the specific fuel consumption, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons. The amount of NOX increased with increasing engine speed, but at each engine speed the addition of 25 ppm nanocellulose to pure diesel significantly increased the amount of NOX. But at low speed, increasing 75 ppm nanocellulose to pure diesel reduced the amount of NOX.ConclusionThe results of this study showed that the addition of nano cellulose as nanoparticles can improve the performance of diesel engines and also reduce the amount of emissions gases emitted from the engine. The results also showed that increasing 25ppm nanocellulose had a greater effect on engine performance. But to reduce the amount of emissions, 75 ppm nanocellulose was better