Expression and in vitro characterization of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) ORF P protein

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) unspliced 8.3 latency associated transcript (LAT), which located in the long repeat sequences, has been shown to contain at least 16 open reading frames (ORF: A-P). One of these ORF, ORF P, maps almost entirely antisense to HSV-1 neurovirulence gene, ICP34.5. Both ORF P and ICP34.5 are located in the long repeat and are antisense overlapping genes. Therefore, in ORF P deletion mutants, ICP34.5 is also deleted and thus, the characterization of ORF P mutants is almost impossible. An alternative way to analyse its function is to determine those cellular and viral proteins which interact with ORF P. During these experiments, firstly, the expression of full length Glutatione-S-transferase (GST)-ORF P fusion protein was optimised and then, using GST-pull down, it was shown that ORF P interacts with a viral and a few cellular proteins in vitro. Conclusively, ORF P might have some functions in HSV-1 replication cycle

Comparison of Manual Tools, Ultrasonic and Erbium-Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Er:YAG) Laser on the Debridement Effect of the Surface of the Root of Teeth Suffering from Periodontitis

Introduction: Periodontal diseases are considered as some of the most common reasons of teeth loss, which occur due to the aggregation of microbial plaque and other precipitations on the dental surfaces. In this study, the scaling effect using manual tools, ultrasonic machine and Erbium-Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Er:YAG)laser on the connection of the human gums connective tissue cells on the root surface of the teeth suffering from severe periodontitis will be compared.  Methods: After removal of the big precipitations with manual tools, Er:YAG laser light emission of Photona machine is used with respect to the following characteristics: wavelength: 2940μm, each pulse: 100mJ, frequency: 10 pulse/sec, optic fiber with cross section 0.5x1.65mm, fiber tip angle with root surface: 15-20 degrees with non-contact mode, 1.5mm farther than the root surface and pulse duration 230 very short. The gingival fibroblast cellular was incubated as a sample of the human gums connective tissue cells under 37C. These cells were departed from the culture medium after the cellular reproduction in the third passage.On the 3rd day after incubation, the gingival fibroblast cells morphology was studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Results: The results of SEM images in the present study indicated the spread fibroblast cells with philopodia were found  in all of 5 groups; untreated healthy group (control), untreated group suffering from periodontitis, the scaling effect using manual tools (Scaled Gracey), ultrasonic machine and Er:YAG laser. There is a meaningful difference among the three treatment groups (P<0.001) in the numbers of the fibroblast cells, while all the four treated groups had a meaningful difference with the positive control group (P < 0.001).Conclusion: The present study indicated that although various dental surfaces cleaning methods may be different in other aspects, but are similar concerning the fibroblasts morphology. Also in addition to power, laser emission time may also be effective in the cells morphology results

Strategic planning for parsa chemical industry Company Using SWOT Analysis, QSPM model (one of the Top companies of Iranian paint)

In the complex and competitive business world today speak of a profitable and successful business without a clear methodological map, is nothing more than a joke. Understanding the organization's mission and objectives, environmental and organizational characteristics, resources and organizational capabilities and finally the power and ability of competitors to achieve business success is inevitable but critical  Strategic management process provides a close estimation of environmental changes and more preparation to react toward changes and organization internal/external pressures. Applying a specific strategy based on long-term goals could result in an optimal usage of organization internal resources for taking the environmental opportunities and overcoming the threats. Using the SWOT analysis and QSPM models, the present paper tries to methodize an appropriate strategy for a paint manufacturing company..After completing the checklists provided to assess the strength points, weak points, opportunities, and threats, the weight and importance of each factor was defined by the company managers and they were interviewed for final conclusions. Based on the acquired data, EFE and IFE matrixes were calculated and the results were analyzed on diagrams. The results showed that the company was placed in the region of Competitive strategies. These results were also confirmed by QSPM matrix. The strategy of Obtaining quality certifications gained the highest score and therefore, became the top priority.   Keywords: Strategic Planning, SWOT Analysis, IFE Matrix, EFE Matrix, OSPM Model

Tourism and Economic Development of the Village (Farsian Qanchi and Tilabad villages, Azadshahr, Iran)

Purpose: Tourism as a process in rural development can provide the basis for diversification of financial resources, increase of income and job creation in the village. The situation of the rural society of Iran shows that the villages, like the cities, are full of opportunities and natural and human resources, that the correct and optimal use of these opportunities and the creation of new businesses can bring significant economic benefits. The rural tourism industry is one of the activities and fields that have a great capacity for the economic development of the country's villages. Therefore, this article seeks to investigate and analyze the effects and consequences of tourism in the economic development process of Farsian Qanchi and Tilabad villages of Azadshahr county in Iran. Methodology: This research is applied studies in terms of its purpose and descriptive and analytical research in terms of methodology. The validity of the research tool (questionnaire) was confirmed by Delphi method and its reliability was proved using Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α = 0.853). The statistical population includes all heads of households in the villages of Farsian Qanchi and Tilabad, among which 140 people were selected as the sample size by simple random sampling. Findings: The general results of the research show that Farsian Qanchi village has a much better and higher capacity than Til Abad village for the development of tourism and economic growth of the village. So that the native residents of Farsian Qanchi village have a higher level of entrepreneurship, more diverse financial resources and more income compared to the native residents of Tilabad village. Originality/Value: In this paper, we will examine Tourism and Economic Development of the Village (Farsian Qanchi and Tilabad villages, Azadshahr, Iran)

Investigation of host cell protein synthesis shut-off inhibition by a Herpes simplex virus type-1 gene, ICP34.5, in a neuronal cell line, SK-N-SH

زمینه و هدف: پا سخ سلولی به عفونت‌ ویروسی بک واکنش پیچیده‌ای است که شامل القاء اینترفرون می باشد. اینترفرون‌ها اجزاء مهم و کلیدی پاسخ‌های ایمنی طبیعی میزبان به عفونت ویروسی بوده و از طریق چندین مکانیزم تکتیر ویروس در سلول و در نتیجه ویرولانس آن را مهار می کند. در سلول های آلوده با ویروسهای مختلف، RNA دو رشته‌ای سنتز می‌شود که القاء کننده اینترفرون است. آ‌نزیم پروتئین کیناز R (‍ (PKRبوسیله اینترفرون القاء شده و یک وا‌سطه مهم و عمده پاسخ سلولی به عفونت ویروسی است. فعالیت این آنزیم منجر به فسفوریله ‌شدن جزء آلفا فاکتور آغاز گر (eIF2-a) و در نتیجه توقف سنتز پروتئین در سلول می‌گردد. در سلول آ‌لوده با هرپس سیمپلکس ویروس نوع یک (HSV-1)، نیز این عمل منجر به توقف زودرس سنتز پروتئین سلول میزبان می شود ولیکن این ویروس دارای ژ‌نی بنام ICP34.5 است که مانع این عمل در سلول آلوده با این ویروس می گردد. این ژن عامل تکثیر و ویرولانسHSV-1 در سیستم عصبی مرکزی (CNS) نیز بوده ولیکن برای تکثیر ویروس در تعدادی از کشت های سلولی ضروری نیست، نقش این ژن در کشت سلولی با منشاء عصبی بنام SK-N-SH آلوده با موتانت های نو‌تر‌کیبی ازHSV-1 که اختصا‌صاً ژن مذکور را بیا‌ن کند، بررسی نشده است. لذا هدف از این تحقیق، بررسی این نقش بوده است. روش مطالعه: بر ا‌ساس خاصیت نوترکیبی ژنتیکی، یک موتانت نو ترکیب از ویروس فوق الذکر سا خته شد، درستی اسیدنوکئیک آن با روش ساترن بلاتینگ تایید و سپس با روشهای وسترن بلاتینگ و جلوگیری از توقف سنتز پروتئین، خصوصیات آن بررسی گردید. نتایج: جلوگیری از توقف سنتز پروتئین بوسیله موتا‌‌نت نو‌تر‌کیب مذکور در مقایسه با یک موتانت حذ‌فی فا‌‌قد این ژن و نیز یک سویه وحشی از HSV-1 بنام (17+) در کشت سلولی SK-N-SH نشان داد که ژن مذکور برای حفظ سنتز پروتئین و در نتیجه تکثیر HSV-1 در این کشت سلولی ضروری می با شد. نتیجه گیری: احتمالاً این ژن مسئول جلوگیری از توقف سنتز پروتئین در سلول های فوق الذکر پس از عفونت با HSV-1 می با شد

Using the Fuzzy Grey Relational Analysis Method in Wastewater Treatment Process Selection

Due to the variety of treatment processes, the decision to choose the best treatment process is difficult. This paper describes a fuzzy grey relational analysis (GRA) method for selection of the optimal wastewater treatment process. The rating of all alternatives and the weight of each criterion is described by linguistic variables, which can be expressed in triangular fuzzy numbers. Then, a vertex method is used to calculate the distance between two triangular fuzzy numbers. According to the concept of the GRA, a fuzzy relative relational degree is defined to determine the ranking order of all alternatives by calculating the degree of fuzzy grey relational coefficient to both the fuzzy positive ideal solution (FPIS) and fuzzy negative ideal solution (FNIS) simultaneously. Furthermore, a case study is carried out and solved by both methods (i.e., GRA and fuzzy GRA) to show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. In the case study, five anaerobic wastewater treatment alternatives are evaluated and compared against technical, economic, environmental and administrative criteria and their sub-criteria. Finally, the related results of ranking alternatives from two methods are compared with each other's. By using both Fuzzy GRA and GRA, ABR process has been selected as the first priority and the best anaerobic process. The frequency count assessment of the Iran's industrial parks' WWTPs which have used this method and their performance, proved the priority of this method

Beliefs and Practices of EFL Instructors in Teaching Pronunciation

Pronunciation teaching and learning have stimulated a renewed interest among second language acquisition (SLA) researchers in the past few years. To pursue this line of inquiry, this study set out to investigate the beliefs and practices of Iranian EFL teachers on pronunciation teaching. Convenience sampling was employed to recruit 74 participants who completed a pronunciation teaching and learning questionnaire. Interviews were also conducted with volunteered participants. The results revealed that 57% of the respondent teachers mostly worked on suffixes such as the -ed and -s endings always or often in their classrooms. The second most frequently taught feature was word stress (54%), followed by syllable structure, which 53% of the teachers often or always taught. Drama and role-play were the most common strategies often or always used by 49% of the teachers in teaching pronunciation. In addition, interviews with participant teachers revealed that the most common classroom activities were imitation and repetition. Finally, although most participants emphasized the need to teach pronunciation, they did not consider themselves highly qualified. They indicated an insatiable desire for more pronunciation training in teacher education programs to use opportunistic teaching and integrated phases to teach pronunciation. Most of the teachers did not teach pronunciation as a separate lesson since the school curriculum, the pre-specified book, and the time limitation did not let them focus on pronunciation as a separate lesson

Beliefs and Practices of EFL Instructors in Teaching Pronunciation

Pronunciation teaching and learning have stimulated a renewed interest among second language acquisition (SLA) researchers in the past few years. To pursue this line of inquiry, this study set out to investigate the beliefs and practices of Iranian EFL teachers on pronunciation teaching. Convenience sampling was employed to recruit 74 participants who completed a pronunciation teaching and learning questionnaire. Interviews were also conducted with volunteered participants. The results revealed that 57% of the respondent teachers mostly worked on suffixes such as the -ed and -s endings always or often in their classrooms. The second most frequently taught feature was word stress (54%), followed by syllable structure, which 53% of the teachers often or always taught. Drama and role-play were the most common strategies often or always used by 49% of the teachers in teaching pronunciation. In addition, interviews with participant teachers revealed that the most common classroom activities were imitation and repetition. Finally, although most participants emphasized the need to teach pronunciation, they did not consider themselves highly qualified. They indicated an insatiable desire for more pronunciation training in teacher education programs to use opportunistic teaching and integrated phases to teach pronunciation. Most of the teachers did not teach pronunciation as a separate lesson since the school curriculum, the pre-specified book, and the time limitation did not let them focus on pronunciation as a separate lesson

Efficacy of Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy as an Adjunctive to Mechanical Debridement in the Treatment of Peri-Implant Diseases: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to assess the clinical effects of anti-microbial photodynamic therapy (PDT) after closed surface scaling in the treatment of peri-implant diseases.Methods: Ten patients with a total of 15 pairs of dental implants, showing clinical and radiographic signs of peri-implant diseases, were included in this study. In each patient, one implant randomly served as control implant and the other served as test implant. The control implants were treated with closed surface scaling only and the test implants received additionally PDT, using light with a wavelength of 630 nm and intensity of 2000 mw/cm2 for 120 seconds after application of photosensitizer in peri-implant sulcus. Clinical parameters were evaluated before and 1.5 and 3 months after treatment.Results: Statistical analysis showed significant differences in probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP), and gingival index (GI) at each time point between the two groups. There were no statistically significant changes with respect to any of the parameters in the control group. Complete resolution of BOP at 3 months was achieved in 100% of test implants. At 1.5 and 3 months, there were significant differences in the mean probing depth and CAL gain measurements at implants in the test group.Conclusion: The present study revealed that adjunctive use of PDT following closed surface scaling could lead to clinical improvement of peri-implant diseases. Further studies are necessary to confirm our result