Seroprevalence of and Risk Factors for Toxoplasma gondii among Pregnant Women in Abyek Township of Qazvin Province , Iran (2013)

 Objective: Toxoplasmosis is an important disease which is caused by the coccidian parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The aim of this study was to determineseroprevalence of and risk factors for T. gondii among pregnant women in Abyek township of Qazvin province by enzyme-linked immunosorbentassay method.Methods: Blood samples were taken from 200 pregnant women referred to the health centers of Abyek township. Immunoglobulin M (IgM)and IgGtiters and effects of some factors on incidence of the disease were evaluated. The collected data were statistically analyzed with SPSS 17 using Chisquaretest.Results: Anti toxoplasma IgM and IgG were positive in 2% and 29% respectively. Seropositive subjects were more frequently seen in women withage >30 years compared to younger women. No significant relationship was found between the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection and level ofeducation, residence area, history of abortion and gestational age.Conclusion: It was indicative of having a latent infection due to the previous exposure to toxoplasma parasite in this region.Keywords: Toxoplasma gondii, Prevalence, Pregnant women, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Immunoglobulin M

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

Systematic measurements of CH4 and CO2 adsorption isotherms on cation-exchanged zeolites 13X

Experimental data for adsorption of pure carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen on zeolite 13X granules at different temperatures (288.15-318.15 K) and pressure up to 20 bar are reported. The cation of adsorbent is exchanged with H+, Li+, and Cu2+, and the adsorption of pure gases is measured. The equilibrium adsorption isotherms of gases are performed with a static volumetric adsorption instrument, which was designed and built. The results show that the adsorption capacity of carbon dioxide is higher than that of methane and nitrogen and that the cation exchange improved the adsorption capacity of pure gases. The LiX adsorbent has the highest adsorption capacity among the studied adsorbents. However, the relative selectivity of carbon dioxide over methane for zeolite 13X has the highest value of 30.48. The CuX adsorbent shows the highest selectivity for carbon dioxide over nitrogen. The adsorption isotherms for all of the pure gases are fitted successfully with the Toth model

Experimental Measurement for Adsorption of Ethylene and Ethane Gases on Copper-Exchanged Zeolites 13X and 5A

New experimental data for adsorption of ethylene and ethane on zeolite 13X and zeolite 5A are reported at a temperature range of 288-308 K and pressure up to 20 bar. The cation exchange for zeolites 13X and 5A was performed using copper, and the observed adsorption capacities of the copper-exchanged zeolites were measured. The equilibrium adsorption capacities of these adsorbents toward ethylene and ethane were compared. The copper-exchanged zeolites showed improved adsorption capacities toward both gases, where CuA was found to have the highest adsorption capacity. However, the copper-exchanged zeolites 13X and 5A underperformed in comparison to the expected high selectivity for ethylene/ethane separation. The data utilized for expressing the adsorption isotherm were successfully correlated with the Toth model, and the parameters for this model were calculated as reported in this paper

PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway: a potential target for anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapy

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A single-stranded RNA virus from a β-Coronaviridae family causes acute clinical manifestations. Its high death rate and severe clinical symptoms have turned it into the most significant challenge worldwide. Up until now, several effective COVID-19 vaccines have been designed and marketed, but our data on specialized therapeutic drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 is still limited. In order to synthesis virus particles, SARS-CoV-2 uses host metabolic pathways such as phosphoinositide3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB, also known as AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). mTOR is involved in multiple biological processes. Over-activation of the mTOR pathway improves viral replication, which makes it a possible target in COVID-19 therapy. Clinical data shows the hyperactivation of the mTOR pathway in lung tissues during respiratory viral infections. However, the exact impact of mTOR pathway inhibitors on the COVID-19 severity and death rate is yet to be thoroughly investigated. There are several mTOR pathway inhibitors. Rapamycin is the most famous inhibitor of mTORC1 among all. Studies on other respiratory viruses suggest that the therapeutic inhibitors of the mTOR pathway, especially rapamycin, can be a potential approach to anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapy. Using therapeutic methods that inhibit harmful immune responses can open a new chapter in treating severe COVID-19 disease. We highlighted the potential contribution of PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors in the treatment of COVID-19

PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway: a potential target for anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapy

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A single-stranded RNA virus from a β-Coronaviridae family causes acute clinical manifestations. Its high death rate and severe clinical symptoms have turned it into the most significant challenge worldwide. Up until now, several effective COVID-19 vaccines have been designed and marketed, but our data on specialized therapeutic drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 is still limited. In order to synthesis virus particles, SARS-CoV-2 uses host metabolic pathways such as phosphoinositide3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB, also known as AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). mTOR is involved in multiple biological processes. Over-activation of the mTOR pathway improves viral replication, which makes it a possible target in COVID-19 therapy. Clinical data shows the hyperactivation of the mTOR pathway in lung tissues during respiratory viral infections. However, the exact impact of mTOR pathway inhibitors on the COVID-19 severity and death rate is yet to be thoroughly investigated. There are several mTOR pathway inhibitors. Rapamycin is the most famous inhibitor of mTORC1 among all. Studies on other respiratory viruses suggest that the therapeutic inhibitors of the mTOR pathway, especially rapamycin, can be a potential approach to anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapy. Using therapeutic methods that inhibit harmful immune responses can open a new chapter in treating severe COVID-19 disease. We highlighted the potential contribution of PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors in the treatment of COVID-19

Experimental Study on the Solubility of Carbon Dioxide in Nitrate and Thiocyanate-Based Ionic Liquids

New experimental results are reported for the solubility of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in nitrate- and thiocyanate-based ionic liquids (ILs) at temperatures ranging from 298.15 to 333.15 K and pressure up to 4.5 MPa. The studied ILs are 1-methyl 3-octylimidazolium thiocyanate [Omim]­[SCN], 1-methyl 3-hexylimidazolium thiocyanate [Hmim]­[SCN], 1-methyl 3-octylimidazolium nitrate [Omim]­[NO₃], and 1-butyl 3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [Bmim]­[BF₄]. The solubility measurements are performed in a known volume stainless steel equilibrium cell. The experimental data indicated the solubility of CO₂ decreases with increasing of temperature. Henry’s constant are calculated from the solubility data. The experimental results for CO₂ solubility are correlated with the extended Henry’s law and Pitzer virial expansion using binary parameters. The correlation results of gas solubility are agreed with the experimental data

Experimental Study of Carbon Dioxide Solubility in Aqueous <i>N</i>‑Methyldiethanolamine Solution with 1‑Butylpyridinium Tetrafluoroborate Ionic Liquid

New experimental data for CO₂ solubility in the aqueous solutions of <i>N</i>-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) and 1-butylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate ([Bpy]­[BF₄]) ionic liquid (IL) are reported. The experiments were conducted in a static high pressure equilibrium cell. Solubility measurement of CO₂ was performed in various solution compositions of IL and MDEA in a wide temperature range of 298.15–343.15 K and pressures up to 4 MPa. The experimental results revealed that, by increasing the weight percent of IL, the absorption capacity of aqueous mixtures diminishes. It was also observed that the main capacity of CO₂ loading in the absorbent solutions belonged to MDEA through chemical absorption, whereas its concentration was more effective than IL in gas solubility. The experimental results are correlated using a semiempirical model with good accuracy