Molecular identification of Sarcocystis species in raw hamburgers using PCR–RFLP method in Kashan, central Iran

The prevalence of bovine Sarcocystosis is high in the most regions of the world. It can be a human health problem due to consumption of raw or under cooked hamburgers or other bovine meat products. This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence and species identification of Sarcocystis among of hamburgers, using PCR–RFLP methods in Kashan, central Iran. Overall 200 raw industrial hamburgers samples with at least 60% meat were randomly collected from nine different brands in Kashan, central Iran. The genomic DNA was extracted and a PCR–RFLP method was used to amplify an approximately 900 bp fragment at the 18S rRNA(SSU) gene, restriction enzyme BclI was used for species identification. The results showed that 58 (29%) of 200 tested hamburger samples were infected to Sarcocystis spp. The prevalence rate was 31.25 and 26.9% in the hamburgers with 90 and 60–75% meat, respectively. According to PCR–RFLP analysis, 43 (74.1%) of the 58 isolates were Sarcocystis cruzi, 12 (20.7%) showed co-infection to S. cruzi and Sarcocystis hirsuta, 2 (3.5%) was mixed infected to S. cruzi and Sarcocystis hominis, 1 (1.7%) showed the pattern of mix infection to three species. This study revealed one-third of industrial hamburger were infected to S. cruzi or mixed infection of S. cruzi with other bovine sarcocytosis. To prevent cattle infection, the possible ingestion of the disposal sporocyst stage from dogs must be eliminated. Although in this study, the prevalence of S. hominis was low and cannot be considered as a major zoonosis, it should be recommended avoiding eating under cooked hamburger and other bovine meat products to prevent human infection

The Prevalence of Needle sticks injuries among health care workers at a hospital in Tehran

ABSTRACT Needle stick injuries (NSIs) are one of the most significant and preventable hazards in relation to Healthcare workers (HCWs). Such injuries have been shown to be of high prevalence within developing countries. To determine the prevalence and circumstances pertaining to the occurrence of NSIs among HCWs employed at a special hospital. The study conducted was a cross-sectional study on HCWs and was carried out in one of Tehran's special hospitals in the year 2012. In this study, in order to identify and determine hazardous potential due to needle stick, HFMEA method was chosen. This resulted in the collection of 240 valid and reliable questionnaires. The validity and reliable nature of the questionnaires was confirmed by experts and by means of the test re-test method. The gathered data was analyzed with SPSS software, version 16.From the analysis of the data it was shown that, a total of 97 (40.42%) HCWs had suffered NSIs in the last year. The patient ward showed the highest prevalence of NSIs (47.42%) in the hospital. Nurses had the highest risk of suffering NSIs (56.7%) in comparison with the other occupational groups. All in all 175 NSIs occurred for the 240 HCWs trialed during the selected period of clinical practice. Of those that received injuries, only roughly 1 in 3 (38.14%) reported it to their infection control officer. Just over a quarter (26.80%) of the injured HCWs used post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) against HIV. Almost all (88.75%) of the HCWs had received a safe injection course. In general, NSIs and their subsequent underreporting are commonplace among hospital healthcare professionals. Significantly, more than two-thirds of the injured HCWs did not use post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) against HIV. Improved prevention and reporting strategies are needed if the occupational health and safety of healthcare workers is to improve

A review of the most important native medicinal plants of Iran effective on leishmaniasis according to Iranian ethnobotanical references

The World Health Organization has declared that leishmaniasis is one of the six leading infectious diseases of tropical regions. The disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of sandflies from the genus Phlebotomus and develops cutaneous, mucosal or visceral clinical forms. Although cutaneous leishmaniasis is not a main health issue in terms of mortality, it causes numerous problems due to long period of the wound, tremendous healthcare costs, remaining scar, the likelihood of developing secondary infections or associated complications and sometimes malignancies in the scar site, and complications due to available pharmacotherapies. Studies are being conducted on medicinal plants to identify a suitable drug against Leishmania to treat leishmaniasis. We sought to identify medicinal plants that are used to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis according to references of Iranian traditional medicine. To conduct this review, Leishmania, leishmaniasis, ethnobotany, Iran, and medicinal plants were used to retrieve relevant publications indexed in databases including Scopus, Islamic World Science Citation Center, Scientific Information Database, and Magiran. According to the findings of this review, nine medicinal plants native to Iran are used to treat leishmaniasis. Medicinal plants Calotropis procera, Morus alba, Nerium oleander, Emex spinose, Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia absinthium, and etc are used to treat the wound according to herbal and traditional references. According to phytochemical analysis of these plants, gutaprecha, prenylated flavonoid, scopolin, reseosaid, skimmin, mulberroside A, astroglide, artemisinin, quercetin, and lawson are the most important active anti-leishmaniasis compounds with pharmaceutical potential as well as antiparasitic and disinfectant properties. These compounds can also be used to treat leishmaniasis wound

Numerical investigation of the effect of rolling on the localized stress and strain induction for wire + arc additive manufactured structures

Cold rolling can be used in-process or post-process to improve microstructure, mechanical properties and residual stress in directed-energy-deposition techniques, such as the high deposition rate wire + arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) process. Finite element simulations of the rolling process are employed to investigate the effect of rolling parameters, in particular rolling load and roller profile radius on the residual stress field as well as plastic strain distribution for the profiled roller. The results show the response to rolling of commonly used structural metals in WAAM, i.e., AA2319, S335JR steel and Ti-6Al-4V, taking into account the presence of residual stresses. The rolling load leads to changes in the location and the maximum value of the compressive residual stresses, as well as the depth of the compressive residual stresses. However, the roller profile radius only changes the maximum value of these compressive residual stresses. Changing the rolling load influences the equivalent plastic strain close to the top surface of the wall as well as in deeper areas, whereas the influence of the roller profile radius is negligible. The plastic strain distribution is virtually unaffected by the initial residual stresses prior to rolling. Finally, design curves were generated from the simulations for different materials, suggesting ideal rolling load and roller profile combinations for microstructural improvement requiring certain plastic strains at a specific depth of the additive structure

Experimental characterization of the fracture properties of pultruded GFRP structural elements

Pultruded Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRPs) are a class of novel composite materials with remarkable strength (comparable or even greater to that of steel) and resistance to environmental effects. However, the strongly orthotropic behavior of these materials and the relatively high deformability and spatial variability in mechanical properties bring challenges to the widespread adoption of these elements in structural applications. To this end, the orientation and distribution of the fibers are the most influential parameters that affect both the ultimate strength and stiffness of the specimens. This work presents an experimental campaign conducted on GFRP specimens in uniaxial tension and 3-point bending; coupon specimens with three different fibers orientations (namely 0, 45, and 90 degrees) were tested to characterize the ultimate strength and failure modes Results of such experimental campaign are first presented, and detailed statistical measures of the so-obtained strength values are presented with the ultimate goal of characterizing the variability in mechanical properties in commercially available profiles