Applications of Quantum Dots in the Food Industry

Quantum dots (QDs) are spherical particles with a size of <10 nm and, due to their unique properties, have good potential for use in the food industry. Among the various QDs, food industry researchers have highly regarded carbon quantum dots (CQDs) due to their nontoxicity and environmental friendliness. Food analysis is essential for quality assessment as well as safety control. In this regard, QDs-based fluorescence sensors can provide faster, more accurate, more sensitive, and cheaper analysis methods. The use of QDs to detect food additives, pathogens, heavy metals, nutrients, antibiotics, and insecticide residues is investigated in this chapter. QDs in packaging materials, due to their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and inhibitory properties, increase product shelf life, reduce the growth of microorganisms, improve mechanical properties, prevent gases and UV light, and reduce food waste. Their application in improved, active, intelligent, and bio-packaging will also be described. Then, their application in water treatment will be discussed. QDs, due to properties such as high aspect ratio, reactivity, electrostatic, hydrophilic, and hydrophobic interactions, have good potential for use in various water treatment methods, including membranes in filtration, adsorbents, and photocatalysts. Finally, their use to track protein will be investigated

Functional properties of rye prolamin (secalin) and their improvement by protein lipophilization through capric acid covalent binding

Secalin (SCL), the prolamin fraction of rye protein, was chemically lipophilized using acylation reaction by treatment with different amounts of capric acid chloride (0, 2, 4, and 6 mmol/g) to enhance its functional properties. It was shown that SCL lipophilization increased the surface hydrophobicity and the hydrophobic interactions, leading to a reduction in protein solubility and water absorption capacity and to a greater oil absorption. In addition, SCL both emulsifying capacity and stability were improved when the protein was treated with low amount of capric acid chloride. Finally, the foaming capacity of SCL markedly increased after its treatment with increasing concentrations of the acylating agent, even though the foam of the modified protein was found to be more stable at the lower level of protein acylation. Technological application of lipophilized SCL as a protein additive in food preparations is suggested

Patterns of pre-treatment drug abuse, drug treatment history and characteristics of addicts in methadone maintenance treatment in Iran

Peer reviewe

Oral health behavior of drug addicts in withdrawal treatment

Peer reviewe

Oral Health of Drug Abusers: A Review of Health Effects and Care

Peer reviewe

Comparing cultural competence among undergraduate and postgraduate dental students of Islamic Azad University of Isfahan

Introduction: Cultural competence is defined as the ability of individuals and organizations to provide health services in accordance with cultural, social, and linguistic needs of the patients. Today, cultural competence is one of the important and necessary topics in the field of health. This study endeavored to examine cultural competence among dental students of Islamic Azad University of Isfahan. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, among 590 undergraduate and postgraduate dental students of Azad University of Isfahan, applying a stratified sampling method, 150 students were surveyed using an online questionnaire (Medical Science Graduates' Cultural Competency Questionnaire) in the academic year 2021. The standard questionnaire includes 50 items and 8 components. The results were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis, Kruskal-Wallis post hoc test, Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: Among the respondents, 52.7% were females, and the mean age of the students was 24.8±4.1 years. The mean score of cultural competence among all students was 3.15±0.63, which was above average. There was a significant difference between cultural competence of students and its dimensions in three stages of basic sciences (2.95±0.65), pre clinic/clinic (2.95±0.67) and postgraduate levels (3.55±0.32). The highest level of cultural competence was found among postgraduate students (p0.05). However, a significant relationship was found between age and cultural competence (p<0.001 and r=0.37). Conclusion: Regarding the low level of cultural competence among undergraduate dental students, and considering the importance of cultural competence to deal with the patients, it is necessary to design educational programs to promote cultural competence among students, especially undergraduate dental students

Evaluation of patient communication skills of dental students at Islamic Azad university of Isfahan in 2021

Background and Aims: For dental students, communication skills are essential to effectively transfer the necessary information to the patient and meet the patient’s needs and expectations. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the patient communication skills of dental students at Islamic Azad university of Isfahan in 2021. Materials and Methods: In the present cross-sectional analytical study, an online standardized questionnaire DCCC (Dental consultation communication checklist) was provided to all clinical dental students applying a census sampling method. In total, from 248 clinical dental students, 230 students participated in the study (response rate=92.7%). The questionnaire included five dimensions of introduction, medical history, clinical examination, closure and patient. In order to determine the patient communication skills, its dimensions, and the association between patient communication skills and students’ demographic characteristics, friedman test, analysis of variance, independent t-test and a linear regression model were used for statistical analysis. Results: The mean score of total communication skills of the students (117.16±15.6) was above average which was obtained from the maximum score of 155. There was a significant difference between the dimensions of communication skills (P<0.001). The highest scores were assigned to the clinical examination, patient, medical history, introduction and closure, respectively. No significant relationship existed between the score of students' communication skills with gender (P=0.08), age (P=0.17), marital status (P=0.19), and educational background in psychology (P=0.07). No significant relationship revealed between the total score of communication skills (P=0.92) and its dimensions (introduction P=0.79, medical history P=0.90, clinical examination P=0.77, closure P=0.35, and patient P=0.85) with the students’ academic year. Conclusion: The total score of dental students’ communication skills and all its dimensions was above average. However, students reported poorer performance in dimensions of introduction and closure than the other dimensions. Therefore, it is recommended to design and implement educational interventions specially to improve the dimensions of introduction and closure

The relationship between mothers’ oral health literacy and their children’s oral health status

Background and Aims: Caregivers’ oral health literacy (OHL) can be effective in increasing their children’s knowledge, and can improve their oral health-related behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mothers’ OHL and children’s oral health status. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 202 6-year child/mother dyads in Semirom, Iran, applying a cluster sampling method. Self-administered questionnaires (Oral Health Literacy-Adult Questionnaire) requested information about mothers’ OHL. Children’s oral health status (dmft and pufa) was recorded via clinical examination. Pearson correlation coefficient, spearman correlation coefficient, independent T-test, and a linear regression model were used for statistical analysis. Results: Among 202 pre-school children, 99 were girls (49%). The mean OHL score of mothers was 63.2 (Max achievable score=100, SD=18.9). Higher score of OHL among mothers was associated with their children’s less missing teeth (mt) and more filled teeth (ft) (P<0.05). No significant the association existed between the mothers OHL and their children’s dt, dmft, and pufa. Childrens of younger mothers, more educated mothers, and those with better oral health behaviors in terms of daily flossing and tooth brushing, showed lower scores of dmft and pufa (P<0.05). Conclusion: A significant association revealed between mothers’ OHL and the oral health status of their children. Thus, it is recommended to increase mothers’ OHL to improve their children’s oral health status

Enhancing hamburger shelf life and quality using gallic acid encapsulated in gelatin/tragacanth gum complex coacervate

Considering mitigating oxidative degradation and inhibiting microbial proliferation in meat products, incorporating antioxidant and antimicrobial materials is critical to enhance shelf life, maintain quality, and ensure food safety. So, this study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of encapsulated gallic acid on the quality of hamburgers during 30 days of storage. Gallic acid was microencapsulated in tragacanth gum/gelatin complex coacervate, and its encapsulation efficiency was optimized by the response surface method. The optimized encapsulation conditions were 1:4 polymer ratio (tragacanth to gelatin ratio); total polymer content, 0.9 %; pH, 3.5; and gallic acid content, 0.88 %, resulting in a 98 % encapsulation efficiency. The microcapsules were characterized using various techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. 400 ppm encapsulated gallic acid was added to the hamburger formulation, and various microbial properties, chemical analysis (peroxide value (POV) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA)), and sensory properties of the hamburgers were evaluated during storage. Results showed that gallic acid in the hamburgers decreased lipid oxidation from 0.126 to 0.103 mg MAD/kg in the TBA test and 12.73 to 11.03 meq/kg in the POV test during one month of storage. Also, phenolic compounds could prevent the growth and proliferation of spoilage microorganisms by damaging the microorganism cell walls and changing the metabolic processes. So, the amounts of total count and yeast and mold in the treated sample were lower than in the control sample. Significantly, adding encapsulated gallic acid did not negatively affect the flavor or overall evaluation of the samples. Overall, these findings suggested that encapsulated gallic acid is a suitable candidate to maintain chemical, microbial, and sensory characteristics of hamburgers over time

Self-perceived oral health and its determinants among adult dental patients in a University Dental ‎Clinic in Tehran, Iran‎

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Self-perceived oral health is a simple, non-invasive, and inexpensive method of data collection, which considers the psychosocial aspects of oral health and is related to the likelihood of seeking oral health care. Our study aimed to assess the association between self-perceived and clinically determined findings of oral health in a context of socio-economic status (SES) and perceived general health among adult dental patients in a university dental clinic. METHODS: Through a cross-sectional study, we collected the data from 499, 20-50 years olds attending dental clinic of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, using valid questionnaire-led interviews about patients’ demographic characteristics; their perceived general health, and oral health. In addition, clinical oral examination was performed to assess decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT) index and prosthesis status of the participants. Spearman correlation, ANOVA and a linear regression model served for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 34.8 years [SD (Standard deviation) = 9.91] and more than half of them were women (51.9%). While as high as 73.0% of the patients perceived their general health as excellent or good, only 31.0% reported the same with their oral health. Self-perceived oral health was positively associated with self-perceived general health. The younger participants, patients with a higher number of missing and decayed teeth, and those participants wearing more complicated prosthesis in the upper jaw reported worse oral health status (P < 0.050). CONCLUSION: Oral conditions have significant effects on function and well-being. The present association between clinically determined and self-perceived oral health admitted that it might be beneficial to monitor oral health using such inexpensive and non-invasive method