Nanofiber Eye Pad: A Promising Alternative as Skin Carrier

Introduction: The delicate area around the eye is the first place to show signs of aging due to the fact that the skin around the eye is thinner than the skin on the face. Also, facial movements and emotional expression affect this area as well. There are many carriers to apply to the skin. Among them, the pad is a carrier that uses a certain amount of nutrients. Conventional pads are fabrics that are prewetted with nutrients. The problem with them is that the solution phase increases the rate of degradation of unstable elements. Nanofiber pad has high surface-to-volume ratio and its size is within the range of skin pore size, which increases the contact surface between pad and face and improves the nutrients absorption. In this research, we are trying to develop a polymeric nanofiber eye pad which has nutrients within its structure. Methods and Results: The nanofiber eye pad was prepared from gelatin solution containing Q10 powder, Aloe Vera, and ascorbic acid by electrospinning machine at 20 kv on the spunlace media. The results of SEM images show continuous nanofibers without any beeds with an average diameter of 80-300 nm. Microbial analysis was performed on the polymeric solution. The colon size of aerobic bacteria (P.aeruginosa, E.coli and S.aureus) were measured in one-gram solution. The results showed no colonization of these bacteria. A Patch test was performed by inserting a pad on the skin of the volunteer’s arm and recording the results after specific time. The results showed that this pad did not create any redness and swelling on the skin and did not cause any irritation. Conclusions: The nanofiber eye pad containing nutrients does not provide any irritation for the skin, and is a good candidate for replacing an ordinary pad

Understanding wind turbine power converter reliability under realistic wind conditions

The reliability of wind turbine power converters is crucial for analyzing wind energy project costs, and for estimating maintenance and downtime. The published literature in this field relies on evaluating the reliability effect of wind speed to estimate the converter lifetime. However, this paper demonstrates that wind turbulence intensity, which has not been widely considered in similar reliability analyses, shows a significant impact on converter lifetime. This paper uses 821 10‐min wind speed time series sampled at 1 Hz on the two most commonly deployed wind turbine converter topologies: the two‐level voltage source and the three‐level neutral point clamped. Electromechanical and thermal modelling, combined with statistical analysis shows that mean wind speed and turbulence intensity both impact the lifetime of both converter topologies. However, the paper estimates that the three‐level converter can operate 2.4 to 4.0 times longer than the two‐level converter depending on the operating wind speed and turbulence intensity

Theoretical and technical potential evaluation of solar power generation in Iran

Nowadays, utilizing solar energy for power production at high efficiency and in a cost-effective status is a challenging issue for power plant engineers. This challenge would be answered by considering several affecting parameters such as technical, economic, and environmental criteria. In this investigation, in order to provide an assessment for implementing solar power plants in the southeast of Iran, Sistan and Baluchistan province, a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach is linked to a geographic information system (GIS). The MCDM approach is used to appraise the effective criteria for implementing solar power plants. The environment, orography, economic and climate are selected as the important criteria. Each criterion is assessed for the defined location of the investigation (Sistan and Baluchistan province) and in addition, GIS is employed to provide a geographical-graphical valuation to determine the most appropriate place for installing a large-scale solar power production plant. The solar systems considered in this study are photovoltaic (PV) collectors and concentrated solar power (CSP) generation plants (e.g. solar trough collectors). Technical and theoretical valuations are made to specify the amount of solar power which can be harnessed in Sistan and Baluchistan. In overall, it is demonstrated that this specific location in the southeast of Iran has the technical potential to provide 7,419 TWh/y and 8,758 TWh/y of solar electricity by installing CSP and PV technologies, respectively

Effects of hypnotherapy joint with drug therapy and drug therapy on severity and frequency of the symptoms of patients with irritable bowel syndrome

زمینه و هدف: سندرم روده تحریک پذیر یکی ازشایع ترین اختلالات عملکرد دستگاه گوارش است که با درد شکمی مزمن و تغییردر اجابت مزاج در غیاب هر گونه اختلال عضوی مشخص می شود. هیپنوتراپی در کاهش علائم این بیماری موثر است اما پژوهش های کمی در این زمینه گزارش شده است. هدف از این مطالعه مقایسه اثر بخشی هیپنوتراپی توام با دارو درمانی و دارو درمانی تنها روی فراوانی و شدت علائم بیماران مبتلا به سندرم روده تحریک پذیر بود. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه کارآزمایی بالینی تعداد 34 بیمار دارای علائم غالب اسهال، انتخاب و به صورت تصادفی به دو گروه هیپنوتراپی توام با دارو درمانی و دارو درمانی تنها تقسیم شدند. ابزار اندازه گیری شامل مقیاس فراوانی و شدت علائم روده (BSS-FS) بود که در سه مرحله پیش از مداخلات، پس از مداخلات و شش ماه پس از آخرین مداخلات درمانی بر روی بیماران اجرا گردید. داده های آماری ازطریق آزمون های کولموگراف-اسمیرنف، تحلیل کواریانس (Ancova) و آزمون لوین مورد تجزیه و تحلیل قرار گرفتند. یافته ها: در مرحله پس آزمون اختلاف معنی داری بین گروه هیپنوتراپی توام با دارو درمانی و گروه دارو درمانی تنها در فراوانی و شدت علائم سندرم روده تحریک پذیر وجود داشت (05/0P). نتیجه گیری: به کارگیری هیپنوتراپی در کنار درمان های دارویی می تواند در کاهش فراوانی و شدت علائم بیماران مبتلا به سندرم روده تحریک پذیر، نسبت به دارو درمانی تنها موثرتر باشد، اما عدم استمرار این نوع درمان ها منجر به عود علائم بیماری می شود

Modeling and Simulation of DC Electric Railway System with Regenerative Braking: A Case Study of Isfahan Metro Line 1

Background and Objectives: Modeling and simulation of electric railway networks is an important issue due to their non-linear and variant nature. This problem becomes more serious with the enormous growth in public transportation tracks and the number of moving trains. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to present a simple and applicable simulation method for DC electric railway systems. Methods: A train movement simulator in a DC electric railway line is developed using Matlab software. A case study based on the practical parameters of Isfahan Metro Line 1 is performed. The simulator includes the train mechanical movement model and power supply system model. Regenerative braking and driving control modes with coasting control are applied in the simulation. Results: The simulation results of the power network are presented for a single train traveling in both up and down directions. Results manifest the correctness and simplicity of the suggested method which facilitates the investigation of the DC electric railway networks. Conclusion: According to the results, the train current is consistent with the electric power demand of the train. But the pantograph voltage has an opposite relationship with its electric power demand. In braking times, the excess power of the train is injected into the electrical network, and thus, overvoltage and undervoltage occur in the overhead contact line and the substation busbar. Therefore, at the maximum braking power of the train, the pantograph voltage reaches its maximum. The highest amount of fluctuation is related to the substation that is closest to the train. As the train moves away from the traction substations, the voltage fluctuations decrease and vice versa

Isolation, Characterization and in vitro Evaluation of Specific Bacteriophages Targeting Extensive Drug Resistance Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Septic Burn Wounds

Background: Antibiotic resistant bacteria and various infections caused by them especially extensive drug resistance (XDR) strains and worrying statistics of mortality due to these strains and also the lack of a clear vision for development and production of new effective antibiotics have made the necessity of using alternative therapies more apparent. Materials and Methods: In this study, specific phages affecting the Pseudomonas aeruginosa XDR strain were extracted from hospital wastewater and their laboratory characteristics along with lysis effect on 40 XDR strains of P. aeruginosa were investigated. Results: The results indicated that three isolated phages (PaB1, PaBa2 and PaBa3) belonged to the Myoviridae and Pododoviridae families and were specific to Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. More than 98% of phages absorbed their host in less than 10 minutes (Adsorption time <10 min) and completed their lytic cycle after 40 minutes (latent time = 40 min). Burst size of PaBa1, PaBa2 and PaBa3 was 240, 250 and 220 pfu/cell, respectively. PaBa1 lysed 62.5% of the XDR strains with the highest efficiency. The three Phage cocktail was effective against 67.5% of the studied strains. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate the significant potential of these phages for therapeutic use and prophylaxis of infections caused by this bacterium. Keywords: Bacteriophage; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Drug resistance; Antibiotic resistanc

Molecular beacon strategies for sensing purpose

The improvement of nucleic acid probes as vital molecular engineering devices will cause a noteworthy contribution to developments in bioimaging, biosensing, and disorders diagnosis. The molecular beacon (MB) which was designed by Tyagi and Kramer in 1996, are loop-stem hairpin-designed oligonucleotides armed with a quencher and a dye (also named reporter groups) at the 30 or 50 ends. This construction allows that MBs in the absence of their target complementary molecules do not fluoresce. Through hybridization with their specific targets a spontaneous configuration change on MBs occur and the dye and quencher separate from each other, resulting in emitting the fluorescence. MBs are effective probes for biosensing because of their extraordinary target-specificity, unique structure, inherent fluorescent signal transduction mechanism, low background fluorescence emission, recognition without separation, and favorable thermodynamic properties. In comparison to other probes (such as linear DNA sequences), MBs with the same number of complementary nucleotides matching their target, are multitasking probes. They have advantages of thermodynamic and photostability, flexible ability for conjugation, higher efficient intrinsic signal switching, and ultra-sensitivity. MBs not only are useful for identifying a nucleic acid target but can also be employed for recognition of various non-nucleic acid goals, including heavy metals and cations, enzymes, cells, ATP, etc. Hence, this review highlights the potential of MBs in the improvement of biosensors and their usage in detection of different analytes such as miRNA, mRNA, cocaine, methamphetamine, actin, thrombin, heavy metal and cations and so on. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

The Correlation between Serum Levels of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies and the Risk of Diabetes

Background: This study investigated the presence of specific antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii infection among people with diabetes (type I and II) in comparison with control group. Methods: Overall 300 serum samples were collected equally from three groups including patients with type I and type II diabetes and non-diabetic healthy control that referred to Tabriz Central Laboratory in northwest Iran during July to Sep 2015. The level of specific IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii were measured using the chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) method. Chi-square and One-Way ANCOVA were used for data analysis. Results: Overall, 300 samples from diabetic patients (type I and type II) and control group were examined and results showed 3, 8 and 2 cases were seropositive for anti- T. gondii IgM respectively. Anti- T. gondii IgG seropositivity in type I and type II diabetes and control groups were 69%, 63% and 59% respectively. We did not observe any statistical differences among all studied groups in terms of toxoplasmosis. There was no statistically significant relationship between all variables and seropositivity for anti-T. gondii antibodies in type I and II diabetes and non-diabetic groups. Conclusion: Although there was no statistically significant relationship between diabetes and toxoplasmosis further investigations especially experimental studies using animal models are needed. Furthermore, these findings would not be contrary to the need for healthcare in order to the prevention of infectious disease in diabetic patients