Evaluation of knowledge and attitude of Kerman residents about the usage of bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes

Use of bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes is common in many communities, particularly in places where there is no water of good quality. This type of water supply is an appropriate alternative in prevention of much investment in full-scaled water treatment and dual water distribution system. In Iran, where water is considered as a serious challenge, use of bottled water can be constructive. In this investigation a questionnaire considered of 17 questions was designed and distributed among different classes of Kerman community (N=500) selected by random cluster method in order to evaluate their level of knowledge and attitude about the usage of bottled water. According to the results 45% of the respondents had poor knowledge, 38.8% average, and only 16.2% had a high level of knowledge about the usage of bottled water. Attitudes of the respondents to the use of bottled water were positive, but the market price of the available bottles as well as authorities’ motive for promoting the use of bottled water were questioned by the respondents. It is necessary to take proper measure in order to improve peoples’ level knowledge in this respect, and to encourage people for using bottled water by lowering the price. Keywords: Bottled water, Knowledge, Attitude, Drinking water, Kerma

Molecular Epidemiology of Cryptosporidiosis in Iranian Children, Tehran, Iran

Background: Cryptosporidium is a worldwide protozoan parasite and one of the most common causes of infection and diarrhea in humans and cattle. The aim of the present study was determina­tion of subtypes of Cryptosporidium among children with diarrhea in Tehran by se­quence analysis of the highly polymorphic 60-kDa glycoprotein (GP60) gene.Methods: Fecal samples were collected from 794 diarrheic children. Initial identification of Crypto­spo­ridium was carried out on stool samples by Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast staining method. DNA was extracted from positive microscopically samples and Cryptosporidium genotypes and subtypes were determined, accordingly."nResults: Out of 794 collected samples, 19 (2.40 %) were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. Sequences analysis of GP60 gene showed that 17 (89.47 %) of the positive isolates were Crypto­spori­dium parvum and 2 (10.52 %) were C. hominis. All subtypes of C. parvum isolates belonged to allele families IIa (6/17) and IId (11/17). The most common allele in all 17 isolates belonged to IId A20G1a (41.18%). A22G1 (IF) subtype was detected in two C. hominis isolates of the chil­dren."nConclusion: The predominancy of C. parvum species (specially, IId A20G1a sub­type) in current study underlines the importance of zoonotic Cryptosporidium transmission in Iran

Scans for signatures of selection in Russian cattle breed genomes reveal new candidate genes for environmental adaptation and acclimation

Domestication and selective breeding has resulted in over 1000 extant cattle breeds. Many of these breeds do not excel in important traits but are adapted to local environments. These adaptations are a valuable source of genetic material for efforts to improve commercial breeds. As a step toward this goal we identified candidate regions to be under selection in genomes of nine Russian native cattle breeds adapted to survive in harsh climates. After comparing our data to other breeds of European and Asian origins we found known and novel candidate genes that could potentially be related to domestication, economically important traits and environmental adaptations in cattle. The Russian cattle breed genomes contained regions under putative selection with genes that may be related to adaptations to harsh environments (e.g., AQP5, RAD50, and RETREG1). We found genomic signatures of selective sweeps near key genes related to economically important traits, such as the milk production (e.g., DGAT1, ABCG2), growth (e.g., XKR4), and reproduction (e.g., CSF2). Our data point to candidate genes which should be included in future studies attempting to identify genes to improve the extant breeds and facilitate generation of commercial breeds that fit better into the environments of Russia and other countries with similar climates

Patterns of default mode network deactivation in obsessive compulsive disorder

The objective of the present study was to research the patterns of Default Mode Network (DMN) deactivation in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in the transition between a resting and a non-rest emotional condition. Twenty-seven participants, 15 diagnosed with OCD and 12 healthy controls (HC), underwent a functional neuroimaging paradigm in which DMN brain activation in a resting condition was contrasted with activity during a non-rest condition consisting in the presentation of emotionally pleasant and unpleasant images. Results showed that HC, when compared with OCD, had a significant deactivation in two anterior nodes of the DMN (medial frontal and superior frontal) in the non-rest pleasant stimuli condition. Additional analysis for the whole brain, contrasting the resting condition with all the non-rest conditions grouped together, showed that, compared with OCD, HC had a significantly deactivation of a widespread brain network (superior frontal, insula, middle and superior temporal, putamen, lingual, cuneus, and cerebellum). Concluding, the present study found that OCD patients had difficulties with the deactivation of DMN even when the non-rest condition includes the presentation of emotional provoking stimuli, particularly evident for images with pleasant content.The first author was funded by the Brazilian National Counsel for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) as a Special Visiting Researcher of the Science Without Borders program (grant number: 401143/20147). This study was partially conducted at the Neuropsychophysiology Lab from the Psychology Research Centre (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University of Minho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education through national funds and co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145FEDER-007653).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

SummaryBackground The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 provides an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence for risk factor exposure and the attributable burden of disease. By providing national and subnational assessments spanning the past 25 years, this study can inform debates on the importance of addressing risks in context. Methods We used the comparative risk assessment framework developed for previous iterations of the Global Burden of Disease Study to estimate attributable deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and trends in exposure by age group, sex, year, and geography for 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks from 1990 to 2015. This study included 388 risk-outcome pairs that met World Cancer Research Fund-defined criteria for convincing or probable evidence. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from randomised controlled trials, cohorts, pooled cohorts, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. We developed a metric that allows comparisons of exposure across risk factors—the summary exposure value. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk level, we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We decomposed trends in attributable burden into contributions from population growth, population age structure, risk exposure, and risk-deleted cause-specific DALY rates. We characterised risk exposure in relation to a Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Findings Between 1990 and 2015, global exposure to unsafe sanitation, household air pollution, childhood underweight, childhood stunting, and smoking each decreased by more than 25%. Global exposure for several occupational risks, high body-mass index (BMI), and drug use increased by more than 25% over the same period. All risks jointly evaluated in 2015 accounted for 57·8% (95% CI 56·6–58·8) of global deaths and 41·2% (39·8–42·8) of DALYs. In 2015, the ten largest contributors to global DALYs among Level 3 risks were high systolic blood pressure (211·8 million [192·7 million to 231·1 million] global DALYs), smoking (148·6 million [134·2 million to 163·1 million]), high fasting plasma glucose (143·1 million [125·1 million to 163·5 million]), high BMI (120·1 million [83·8 million to 158·4 million]), childhood undernutrition (113·3 million [103·9 million to 123·4 million]), ambient particulate matter (103·1 million [90·8 million to 115·1 million]), high total cholesterol (88·7 million [74·6 million to 105·7 million]), household air pollution (85·6 million [66·7 million to 106·1 million]), alcohol use (85·0 million [77·2 million to 93·0 million]), and diets high in sodium (83·0 million [49·3 million to 127·5 million]). From 1990 to 2015, attributable DALYs declined for micronutrient deficiencies, childhood undernutrition, unsafe sanitation and water, and household air pollution; reductions in risk-deleted DALY rates rather than reductions in exposure drove these declines. Rising exposure contributed to notable increases in attributable DALYs from high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, occupational carcinogens, and drug use. Environmental risks and childhood undernutrition declined steadily with SDI; low physical activity, high BMI, and high fasting plasma glucose increased with SDI. In 119 countries, metabolic risks, such as high BMI and fasting plasma glucose, contributed the most attributable DALYs in 2015. Regionally, smoking still ranked among the leading five risk factors for attributable DALYs in 109 countries; childhood underweight and unsafe sex remained primary drivers of early death and disability in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Interpretation Declines in some key environmental risks have contributed to declines in critical infectious diseases. Some risks appear to be invariant to SDI. Increasing risks, including high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, drug use, and some occupational exposures, contribute to rising burden from some conditions, but also provide opportunities for intervention. Some highly preventable risks, such as smoking, remain major causes of attributable DALYs, even as exposure is declining. Public policy makers need to pay attention to the risks that are increasingly major contributors to global burden. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Nasopharyngeal Bacterial Colonization and Gene Polymorphisms of Mannose-Binding Lectin and Toll-Like Receptors 2 and 4 in Infants

BACKGROUND: Human nasopharynx is often colonized by potentially pathogenic bacteria. Gene polymorphisms in mannose-binding lectin (MBL), toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 have been reported. The present study aimed to investigate possible association between nasopharyngeal bacterial colonization and gene polymorphisms of MBL, TLR2 and TLR4 in healthy infants. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: From August 2008 to June 2010, 489 nasopharyngeal swabs and 412 blood samples were taken from 3-month-old healthy Finnish infants. Semi-quantitative culture was performed and pyrosequencing was used for detection of polymorphisms in MBL structural gene at codons 52, 54, and 57, TLR2 Arg753Gln and TLR4 Asp299Gly. Fifty-nine percent of subjects were culture positive for at least one of the four species: 11% for Streptococcus pneumoniae, 23% for Moraxella catarrhalis, 1% for Haemophilus influenzae and 25% for Staphylococcus aureus. Thirty-two percent of subjects had variant types in MBL, 5% had polymorphism of TLR2, and 18% had polymorphism of TLR4. Colonization rates of S. pneumoniae and S. aureus were significantly higher in infants with variant types of MBL than those with wild type (p = .011 and p = .024). Colonization rates of S. aureus and M. catarrhalis were significantly higher in infants with polymorphisms of TLR2 and of TLR4 than those without (p = .027 and p = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that there is an association between nasopharyngeal bacterial colonization and genetic variation of MBL, TLR2 and TLR4 in young infants. This finding supports a role for these genetic variations in susceptibility of children to respiratory infections

Exogenous coenzyme Q10 modulates MMP-2 activity in MCF-7 cell line as a breast cancer cellular model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background/Aims</p> <p>Matrix Metalloproteinases 2 is a key molecule in cellular invasion and metastasis. Mitochondrial ROS has been established as a mediator of MMP activity. Coenzyme Q₁₀contributes to intracellular ROS regulation. Coenzyme Q₁₀beneficial effects on cancer are still in controversy but there are indications of Coenzyme Q₁₀complementing effect on tamoxifen receiving breast cancer patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study we aimed to investigate the correlation of the effects of co-incubation of coenzyme Q10 and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) on intracellular H2O2 content and Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) activity in MCF-7 cell line.</p> <p>Results and Discussion</p> <p>Our experiment was designed to assess the effect in a time and dose related manner. Gelatin zymography and Flowcytometric measurement of H2O2 by 2'7',-dichlorofluorescin-diacetate probe were employed. The results showed that both coenzyme Q10 and N-acetyl-L-cysteine reduce MMP-2 activity along with the pro-oxidant capacity of the MCF-7 cell in a dose proportionate manner.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Collectively, the present study highlights the significance of Coenzyme Q₁₀effect on the cell invasion/metastasis effecter molecules.</p

A comparison of polarized and non-polarized human endometrial monolayer culture systems on murine embryo development

BACKGROUND: Co-culture of embryos with various somatic cells has been suggested as a promising approach to improve embryo development. Despite numerous reports regarding the beneficial effects of epithelial cells from the female genital tract on embryo development in a co-culture system, little is known about the effect of these cells when being cultured under a polarized condition on embryo growth. Our study evaluated the effects of in vitro polarized cells on pre-embryo development. METHODS: Human endometrial tissue was obtained from uterine specimens excised at total hysterectomy performed for benign indications. Epithelial cells were promptly isolated and cultured either on extra-cellular matrix gel (ECM-Gel) coated millipore filter inserts (polarized) or plastic surfaces (non-polarized). The epithelial nature of the cells cultured on plastic was confirmed through immunohistochemistry, and polarization of cells cultured on ECM-Gel was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). One or two-cell stage embryos of a superovulated NMRI mouse were then flushed and placed in culture with either polarized or non-polarized cells and medium alone. Development rates were determined for all embryos daily and statistically compared. At the end of the cultivation period, trophectoderm (TE) and inner cell mass (ICM) of expanded blastocysts from each group were examined microscopically. RESULTS: Endometrial epithelial cells cultured on ECM-Gel had a highly polarized columnar shape as opposed to the flattened shape of the cells cultured on a plastic surface. The two-cell embryos cultured on a polarized monolayer had a higher developmental rate than those from the non-polarized cells. There was no statistically significant difference; still, the blastocysts from the polarized monolayer, in comparison with the non-polarized group, had a significantly higher mean cell number. The development of one-cell embryos in the polarized and non-polarized groups showed no statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION: Polarized cells could improve in vitro embryo development from the two-cell stage more in terms of quality (increasing blastocyst cellularity) than in terms of developmental rate

Making SENS: exploring the antecedents and impact of store environmental stewardship climate

Retailers increasingly recognize that environmental responsibility is a strategic imperative. However, little research has investigated or identified the factors that facilitate the successful implementation of environmentally responsible strategies across a network of customer-facing sales units (stores). We propose that a store manager’s ability to lead by example facilitates this process by fostering a supportive climate for store environmental stewardship (SENS-climate). By examining the influence of store managers’ actions on sales associates’ perceptions of the SENS-climate, as well as the subsequent impact on their performance—measured by margins, as well as sales of green and regular products—this study demonstrates that store managers can foster a SENS-climate by articulating their prioritization of environmental responsibility in their operational decisions. These positive effects are sustained by relational factors, such as the moderating effect of the store manager–sales associate dyadic tenure. In contrast, when store managers display high variability in their environmental orientation, it hinders the development of SENS-climate perceptions among sales associates. If sales associates perceive an enabling SENS-climate, they achieve higher margins and more green but fewer regular sales