Detection of human papillomavirus DNA sequences in oral lesions using polymerase chain reaction

The purpose of the present study was to estimate the frequency of HPV DNA in four groups of oral lesions, including oral squamous cell carcinoma. Sixty paraffin-embedded oral tissue samples were examined for the presence of HPV DNAs using the PCR technique. These specimens were obtained from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), leukoplakia, oral lichen planus (OLP), and pyogenic granuloma (PG). Consensus primers for L1 region (MY09 and MY11) and specific primers were used for detection of HPV DNA sequences in this study. we detected HPV DNA in 60% (9 out of 15) of OSCCs, 26.7% (4 out of 15) of leukoplakia, 13.3% (2 out of 15) of OLPs, and 6.7% (1 out of 15) of PGs. Statistical analysis showed that the prevalence of HPV in OSCC was significantly higher than other groups (P < 0.05). The frequency of HPV-16 and 18 detection in OSCC samples were 40% and 20%, respectively. The prevalence of these high risk HPVs was significantly higher in OSCC group (P < 0.05). The results of the present study show a successive increase of detection rate of HPV-16 and 18 DNAs from low level in samples of pyogenic granuloma and non-premalignant or questionably premalignant lesions of OLP to premalignant leukoplakia and to OSCC. © 2007 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Isolation and typing of the influenza viruses in the Caspian littoral of Iran

Present study introduces results of common influenza virus strains in the north of Iran. Samples collected from 65 patients with acute respiratory illness by throat washing and swabs, randomly from north of Iran (Mazandaran, Golestan and Guilan provinces). The patients suffered from fever (high), cough, sore throat, general malaise, chill and myalgia. Viruses were isolated by cell culture and confirmed with HA (Hemagglutination) test and then typed by and HI (Hemagglutination Inhibition) test. Out of 65 throat samples, 12 influenza viruses were isolated and typed. Isolated viruses belonged to A (H1N1), A (H3N2) and B influenza viruses. This study showed that Influenza viruses displayed identical pattern to other provinces in Iran and to other countries. To fight against epidemics and pandemics, we should collect enough data about status of influenza each year and data of exact vaccine formulation application for use in different areas of the world. Acquired data has shown that the vaccine for above viruses that confirmed by WHO can result in decreased risks of influenza in at risk cases in provinces of north Iran

Detection of hepatitis G virus envelope protein E2 antibody in blood donors

SummaryObjectivesThe frequency of hepatitis G virus exposure in blood donors varies between 2.5% in Japan to 24.2% in Poland. Therefore there is a geographic difference in distribution of hepatitis G virus (HGV) in the world. We aimed to determine the frequency of HGV exposure in Iranian blood donors.MethodsBlood samples from 478 Iranian volunteer blood donors were tested. Positive anti-E2 samples were tested for HGV RNA by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) using primers derived from the NS5A region of the viral genome.ResultsOf the 478 donors enrolled in our study, five (1%) were positive for anti-E2. Only one donor out of a total of three HBsAg-positive donors was co-infected with HGV, but we did not find HGV and HCV co-infection in our subjects. HGV RNA was not observed in the five anti-E2-positive subjects. We did not find HGV viremia and antibody at the same time.ConclusionA low frequency of HGV exposure in blood donors was found in this study. We did not observe co-infection of HGV with HCV in our subjects, supporting the theory that although the parenteral route is the most effective means of transmission, other routes such as sexual contact and intra-familial contact may also play a role in HGV transmission

Antiviral effect assay of twenty five species of various medicinal plants families in Iran

Background: Medicinal plants have been traditionally used for different kinds of ailments including infectious diseases. There is an increasing need for substances with antiviral activity since the treatment of viral infections with the available antiviral drugs often leads to the problem of viral resistance. There is a need to search for new and more effective antiviral agents. Objective: therefore in the present study 20 plants with ethno-medical background from different families were screened for antiviral activity against HSV-1, Adenovirus type 5, Echovirus type 11, Measles virus and Rotavirus. Methods: Different parts of the plants collected from Iran were extracted with aqueous solvents to obtain crude extracts. These extracts were screened for their cytotoxicity against Vero, BSC-1, Hep-II and RD cell lines by assays micro-culture neutral red dye absorption and microscopically follow up for CPE. Antiviral properties of the plant extracts were determined by cytopathic effect inhibition assay and plaque reduction assay. Results: Three plants extract; Aristolochia maurorum, Terminalia chebula Retz. and Cichorium intybus L. exhibited significant antiviral activity against HSV-1 and adenovirus type 5 at a concentration non toxic to the cell lines used. The extracts of Aristolochia maurorum and Cichorium intybus L. showed great anti viral activity against HSV-1 and partial activity against adenovirus at higher concentrations. Conclusion: Some of the medicinal plants have shown antiviral activity. Further research is needed to elucidate the active constituents of these plants which may be useful in the development of new and effective antiviral agents

Teoretyczne i numeryczne aspekty słabo ściśliwego sformułowania termosprężystości dużych deformacji

In this essay, a constitutive model for nearly incompressible elastic behavior is extended to the case to thermal effects. First, the use is made of the multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient into a thermal and a mechanical part. The thermal part is purely volumetric. Additionally, the mechanical part is multiplicatively decomposed into a volume-preserving and a volume-changing part so that the final stress state shows the influences of the temperature-dependence. The proposed model is carefully studied in view of the thermo-mechanical coupling effects. Second, the model is implemented into a time-adaptive finite element formulation based on higher-order Rosenbrock-type methods, which is a completely iteration-free procedure so that really fast computations are available. The article concludes with a three-dimensional numerical simulation of a representative elastomeric tensile specimen.W pracy przedstawiono model niemal nieściśliwego, sprężystego zachowania się materiału, rozszerzając go na efekty termiczne. Na początku rozważań dokonano multiplikatywnej dekompozycji gradientu deformacji na część termiczną i mechaniczną. Część termiczna wykazuje charakter czysto objętościowy. Dodatkowo, część mechaniczną zdekomponowano na element zachowujący objętość i element o zmiennej objętości w ten sposób, że wypadkowy stan naprężeń wykazuje wrażliwość na temperaturę. Zaproponowany model szczegółowo zbadano w kontekście efektów sprzężenia termomechanicznego. W dalszej części pracy, analizowany model zastosowano do czasowo adaptacyjnej metody elementów skończonych sformułowanej na podstawie metod Rosenbrocka wyższych rzędów. Takie sformułowanie umożliwia uzyskanie procedury beziteracyjnej, co z kolei pozwala na wykonanie wyjątkowo szybkich obliczeń numerycznych. Artykuł zamyka przykład symulacji numerycznej trójwymiarowej próbki elastomeru poddanej próbie rozciągania

Messung der Geschwindigkeit und der Kühlluftkonzentration mit Hilfe des L2F-Gerätes bei Plattformkühlung eines Turbinenstators

Am Statorgitter einer Gasturbinen-Hochdruckstufe mit dem Profil T6.2 wurde der Einfluss der Plattformkühlung auf das wandnahe Strömungsfeld untersucht. Dabei wurde Kühlluft aus einem Schlitz und mehreren Bohrungsreihen auf der Plattform ausgeblasen. Der vorliegende Bericht beschreibt detailliert die Auswertung der Kühlluftkonzentrationsmessungen und der Geschwindigkeitsmessungen, welche beide mit Hilfe des L2F-Geräts am Modell 1 durchgeführt wurden. Die hier beschriebenen Messungen wurden bei der Abströmmachzahl, Ma2is = 1,00, durchgeführt. Um die Auswertung der Konzentrationsmessungen durchführen zu können wurden zunächst für jede Ausblasemessung die Ausblasekenngrößen ermittelt und mit den lokalen Größen der Hauptströmung in Beziehung gesetzt. Den Hauptteil des Berichts nehmen die Ergebnisse der Konzentrationsmessungen ein