QuantiFERON-TB gold and tuberculin skin test for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection in children

Background: Appropriate diagnosis and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) play the most important role in the control of tuberculosis. This study aimed to determine theprevalence of LTBI among healthy tuberculosis unexposed children vaccinated with BCG using the tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) and comparing the agreement between the two tests. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between October 2009 and March 2010 in 24 schools and 11 daycare centers. A total of 967 children were divided into 15 age groups, with a minimum of 64 children per group. Results: The prevalence rates of LTBI with TST were 3.8, and 2.2 with QFT-GIT. One case was positive in TST and QFT-GIT, 20 cases were QFT-GIT positive, but TST negative and 36 cases were TST positive, but QFT-GIT negative, and finally, 910 cas eswere negative in both. There was poor agreement between TST and QFT-GIT (1.8, 95, CI: 0-5.3, k=0.007). The specificity of QFT-GIT in the BCG vaccinate, children aged 1-15 years old, was 97.8 (97.8, 95 CI: 96.8-98.8). After three months, 2/17 (11.8) of those initially QFT-GIT negative converted, and 10/15 (66) of those initially QFT-GITpositive reverted. Conclusion: It seems that TST and QFT-GIT are not appropriate tests for the diagnosis of LTBI among healthy tuberculosis unexposed BCG vaccinated children. There was a low reproducibility rate of QFT-GIT. The cause of the the poor agreement requires further studies. © 2015 Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Strategic Ingestion of High-Protein Dairy Milk during a Resistance Training Program Increases Lean Mass, Strength, and Power in Trained Young Males

Background: We evaluated the effects of high-protein dairy milk ingestion on changes in body composition, strength, power, and skeletal muscle regulatory markers following 6 weeks of resistance training in trained young males. Methods: Thirty resistance-trained young males (age: 27 ± 3 years; training experience: 15 ± 2 months) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: high-protein dairy milk (both whey and casein) + resistance training (MR; n = 15) or isoenergetic carbohydrate (maltodextrin 9%) + resistance training (PR; n = 15). Milk and placebo were ingested immediately post-exercise (250 mL; 30 g protein) and 30 min before sleep (250 mL; 30 g protein). Before and after 6 weeks of linear periodized resistance training (4 times/week), body composition (bioelectrical impedance), strength, power, and serum levels of skeletal muscle regulatory markers (insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), growth hormone, testosterone, cortisol, follistatin, myostatin, and follistatin–myostatin ratio) were assessed. Results: The MR group experienced a significantly higher (p 0.05) increase in lean mass, strength, and power (upper- and lower-body) than the PR group. Further, IGF-1, growth hormone, testosterone, follistatin, and follistatin–myostatin ratio were significantly increased, while cortisol and myostatin significantly decreased in the MR group than the PR group (p 0.05). Conclusions: The strategic ingestion of high-protein dairy milk (post-exercise and pre-sleep) during 6 weeks of resistance training augmented lean mass, strength, power, and altered serum concentrations of skeletal muscle regulatory markers in trained young males compared to placebo

Vat polymerization 3D printing of composite acrylate photopolymer-based coated glass beads

Vat photopolymerization-based three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques have been used as an efficient method for complex and special geometries in various applications. Composites are also a group of polymer materials that are obtained by adding a reinforcing component such as filler, fibres with different origins. Therefore, the development of 3D printable composites is paramount due to their high precision and speed of production. Glass beads (GBs) have been favorites as economical reinforcement agents for their chemical stability, water resistance in acidic environments, dimensional stability, and eco-friendly properties. In this study, 3D printable composites based on coated glass beads (CGBs) have been prepared. First, the beads are coated with ultraviolet (UV) curable resins to improve the interface with the polymer matrix. Then, CGBs are mixed with 3D printing resin and formulated for digital light processing (DLP) printing. The coating process is checked by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the mechanical properties of the 3D-printed composite structures have been evaluated by bending and compression tests. Also, the fracture behavior of cured resin has been checked with SEM. Mechanical property investigations have shown the success of the 3D printing of the CGBs into a photopolymer resin (PR) composite with behavior modification and compatibility of the interface with the matrix in practice

Polypyrrole grafting onto the surface of pyrrole-modified silica nanoparticles prepared by one-step synthesis

The grafting of polypyrrole onto the surface of modified silica nanoparticles has been investigated. These silica nanoparticles were modified with pyrrole moieties prepared by the well-known Stober method in one-step starting from TEOS and a pyrrole-bearing trialkoxysilane compound. The effects of various reaction conditions, including reaction time, solvent, and molar ratio of water to alkoxy groups, have been investigated in order to obtain pyrrole-modified silica nanoparticles with the optimal coreshell structure and the smallest possible particle size. The grafting was carried out in aqueous FeCl3 solution containing the modified silica nanoparticles, with pyrrole monomers already adsorbed on the surface of the particles by soaking. Several analytical tools have been employed to characterize the particles and to assess the degree of grafting, namely TEM, SEM, TGA, FTIR, and XPS. The final polypyrrole-grafted silica nanoparticles obtained had a mean diameter of about 220 nm and 50 wt.% of grafted polypyrrole with respect to the total weight of polypyrrole formed around the surface of the cores

Processed Data and Figure for Microfluidic PPy

Figures for the paper of Microfluidic synthesis of PP

New Portable Flexible Microchannel Based on Micro-Wire Molding Technique and Droplet Formation in the Circular Cross Section Microfluidics

Obtained data for the analysis of the micro-channel performance for drop production

Anti-scratch and adhesion properties of photo-curable polymer/clay nanocomposite coatings based on methacrylate monomers

Different types of polymer/clay nanocomposite were prepared and evaluated for theirapplication as hard and anti-scratch coating materials. Photo-curable nanocomposites, based on 2,2-bis[4-(methacryloxypropoxy)-phenyl]propane (Bis-GMA (2,2-bis[4-(methacryloxypropoxy)-phenyl]propane))and tri (ethylene glycol)dimethacrylate (TEGDMA (tri(ethylene glycol)dimethacrylate)) (50/50 wt%) wereprepared using three types of clay at different loading levels. The adhesion properties and scratchresistivity of the coatings on polymethymethacrylate slabs were investigated. The results were correlatedwith the clay dispersion state, determined by a transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction andthe surface morphology by atomic force microscopy. It was concluded that exfoliation or intercalationplays an important role, primarily in surface roughness, which in turn affects adhesion by changingthe characteristics of the coating-substrate interface. The highest scratch resistivity with appropriateadhesion quality was obtained for a sample containing 1 wt% of more compatible clay, Cloisite\u20ddR 30B inthe nanocomposite resin mixture

Microfluidic PPy

The raw data are for FTIR, EIS amd TGA analysis carried out for this pape