Interfacial Characterization of Natural Fique Fibre/Polypropylene Composites Using Single Fibre Fragmentation Test (SFFT)

The present work focuses on a comprehensive investigation into the fibre-matrix interface of fique fibre-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites using the single fibre fragmentation test. The objective was to establish the degree of adhesion that exists between fique fibre and PP prior to subsequent surface treatment, which is targeted for a following study

Evaluation of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of carbapnemases-producing enterobacteriaceae and its prevalence in a referral hospital in Tehran city

Background & Objective: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae is a growing concern worldwide including Iran. The emergence of this pathogen is worrying as carbapenem is one of the �last-line� antibiotics for treatment of infections caused by multi drug resistant gram- negative bacteria. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in a referral hospital in Tehran, Iran. Methods: In this study, all positive isolates of Enterobacteriaceae recorded in blood, urine, and other body fluids were studied during April 2017 to April 2018 in a referral hospital in Tehran. All cases of resistance to carbapenems were first tested by modified Hodge test. All cases with positive or negative test, after gene extraction, were examined genotypically based on the primers designed for the three Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM), and OXA-48 genes by conventional PCR method. Results: 108 isolates (13.6) were resistant to all cephalosporins as well as to imipenem and meropenem. In a genotypic study, including 45 isolates, 13 isolates were positive for OXA-48 gene, 11 isolates for OXA-48 and NDM genes, 11 isolates for OXA-48, NDM and KPC genes, 4 isolates for OXA-48 genes and KPC, 3 isolates for NDM, one isolate for KPC. On the other hand, two isolates were negative for all three genes examined. Conclusion: OXA-48 gene was one of the most common genes resistant to carbapenems in Iran. According to studies, the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in Iran is rising dramatically, which reduces the choice of antibiotics to treat severe infections in the future. © 2020, Iranian Society of Pathology. All rights reserved

Exome sequencing utility in defining the genetic landscape of hearing loss and novel-gene discovery in Iran

Hearing loss (HL) is one of the most common sensory defects affecting more than 466 million individuals worldwide. It is clinically and genetically heterogeneous with over 120 genes causing non-syndromic HL identified to date. Here, we performed exome sequencing (ES) on a cohort of Iranian families with no disease-causing variants in known deafness-associated genes after screening with a targeted gene panel. We identified likely causal variants in 20 out of 71 families screened. Fifteen families segregated variants in known deafness-associated genes. Eight families segregated variants in novel candidate genes for HL: DBH, TOP3A, COX18, USP31, TCF19, SCP2, TENM1, and CARMIL1. In the three of these families, intrafamilial locus heterogeneity was observed with variants in both known and novel candidate genes. In aggregate, we were able to identify the underlying genetic cause of HL in nearly 30 of our study cohort using ES. This study corroborates the observation that high-throughput DNA sequencing in populations with high rates of consanguineous marriages represents a more appropriate strategy to elucidate the genetic etiology of heterogeneous conditions such as HL. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Lt

Panel 6 : Vaccines

Objective. To review the literature on progress regarding (1) effectiveness of vaccines for prevention of otitis media (OM) and (2) development of vaccine antigens for OM bacterial and viral pathogens. Data Sources. PubMed database of the National Library of Science. Review Methods. We performed literature searches in PubMed for OM pathogens and candidate vaccine antigens, and we restricted the searches to articles in English that were published between July 2011 and June 2015. Panel members reviewed literature in their area of expertise. Conclusions. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) are somewhat effective for the prevention of pneumococcal OM, recurrent OM, OM visits, and tympanostomy tube insertions. Widespread use of PCVs has been associated with shifts in pneumococcal serotypes and bacterial pathogens associated with OM, diminishing PCV effectiveness against AOM. The 10-valent pneumococcal vaccine containing Haemophilus influenzae protein D (PHiD-CV) is effective for pneumococcal OM, but results from studies describing the potential impact on OM due to H influenzae have been inconsistent. Progress in vaccine development for H influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and OM-associated respiratory viruses has been limited. Additional research is needed to extend vaccine protection to additional pneumococcal serotypes and other otopathogens. There are likely to be licensure challenges for protein-based vaccines, and data on correlates of protection for OM vaccine antigens are urgently needed. Implications for Practice. OM continues to be a significant health care burden globally. Prevention is preferable to treatment, and vaccine development remains an important goal. As a polymicrobial disease, OM poses significant but not insurmountable challenges for vaccine development.Peer reviewe

A joint problem of strategic workforce planning and fleet renewal: With an application in defense

Reductions in defense expenditure require holistic and coordinated planning of two critical and interconnected defense capabilities, namely a fleet of assets and the workforce required. In this paper, we model and solve a joint problem of strategic workforce planning and fleet renewal in a military context. The joint problem studied involves addressing a trade-off among several costs (e.g., workforce, maintenance, operating, etc.) and operational readiness (availability) of the fleet. To make such trade-offs, the decisions associated with workforce planning (i.e., the recruitment and the career progression of the workforce) and fleet renewal (i.e., the timing of asset replacements) strategies have to be simultaneously considered and optimized. We develop a simulation-optimization approach by coupling a system dynamics (SD) simulation model and a genetic algorithm (GA) to solve the joint problem. In the developed approach, the GA generates candidate workforce planning and fleet renewal strategies to find the best joint strategy. Then, the candidate workforce planning and renewal strategies are passed to the SD model which simulates both the career progression of the workforce and the life-cycle of assets to evaluate the total cost. We illustrate the applicability and effectiveness of the joint model on a realistic case study motivated by the recent modernization efforts of the Royal Australian Navy. The results obtained indicate that this approach leads to a considerable cost reduction and identifies the causes of inferior performance. We also test the robustness of the optimized strategies under uncertainty by sensitivity and scenario discovery analyses to infer further insights

Developing an interesting electrochemical biosensing system from an enzyme inhibition study: Binding, inhibition and determination of catalase by ascorbate

By this article, we are going to report results of one of works which has been performed on investigation of the binding and inhibition of catalase (CAT) by ascorbate (ASC). To achieve this goal, different electrochemical experiments have been performed and their data have been analyzed by conventional and chemometric methods. Conventional methods were including direct analysis of the electrochemical data by observation of them and using simple mathematical equations while chemometric analyses of the electrochemical data helped us to obtain more information which completed the previous information and gave us a new insight to the binding of the ASC with CAT. The next step of our study was devoted to the investigation of the binding of ASC with CAT by molecular docking methods which gave us new information about binding and inhibition of the CAT by ASC. All the steps gave specific information which not only confirmed each other but also gave new information which helped us to better understanding the mechanism of the binding and inhibition of the CAT by ASC. Finally, based on inhibition of the CAT by ASC, we have developed a novel impedimetric method for determination of the CAT. © 2020 The Author(s

The Laminin Interactome : A Multifactorial Laminin-Binding Strategy by Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae for Effective Adherence and Colonization

Laminin is a well-defined component of the airway basement membrane (BM). Efficient binding of laminin via multiple interactions is important for nontypeable Haemophilusinfluenzae (NTHi) colonization in the airway mucosa. Here we identified elongation factor thermo-unstable (EF-Tu), L-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Protein D and peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein P6 as novel laminin-binding proteins (Lbps) of NTHi. In parallel with other well-studied Lbps (P4, PE, PF and Hap), EF-Tu, LDH, PD and P6 exhibited interactions with laminin, and mediated NTHi laminin-dependent adherence to pulmonary epithelial cell lines. Importantly, the NTHi laminin interactome consisting of the well-studied and novel Lbps recognized laminin LG domains from the subunit α chains of laminin-111 and -332, of which the latter isoform is the main laminin in the airway BM. The NTHi interactome mainly targeted multiple heparin-binding domains of laminin. In conclusion, the NTHi interactome exhibited a high plasticity of interactions with different laminin isoforms via multiple heparin-binding sites

Introducing a novel chemotherapeutic drug formulated by iron nanoparticles for the clinical trial studies

In recent years, the experiments have revealed that plants raise the cytotoxicity and anticancer potentials of iron nanoparticles against several cell lines especially tumor cell lines. In the present study, we formulated a modern drug by iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) containing Glycyrrhiza glabra L leaf for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Characterization of FeNPs was done by TEM, FE-SEM, UV-Vis, and FT-IR. FE-SEM and TEM images revealed an average diameter of 11-18 nm for the nanoparticles. UV-Vis revealed an absorption band at 298 nm that is related to the surface plasmon resonance of FeNPs. FT-IR results offered antioxidant compounds in the nanoparticles were the sources of reducing power, reducing iron ions to FeNPs. MTT assay was used on normal (HUVEC) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (MOLT-3, CEM/C2, TALL-104, and CCRF-CEM) cell lines for comparing the anti-acute lymphoblastic leukemia properties of FeCl3, G. glabra, and FeNPs. Iron nanoparticles had very low cell viability dose-dependently against MOLT-3, CEM/C2, TALL-104, CCRF-CEM cell lines without any cytotoxicity on the HUVEC cell line. The best result of cytotoxicity property of FeNPs against the above cell lines was seen in the case of CCRF-CEM cell line. These nanoparticles can be administrated in humans for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia after confirming in the in vivo and clinical trials