Combining mammaglobin and carcinoembryonic mRNA markers for early detection of micrometastases from breast cancers - a molecular study of 59 patients

Introduction: As many as 30% of node-negative breast cancer patients relapse within five years, suggesting that current histological detection methods are inadequate for identifying metastatic disease. Detecting small number of cancer cells in the breast tissue or lymph node by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays using a combination of tissue and cancer specific markers might be very useful in the early detection or monitoring of the treatment. Mammaglobin is a member of the uteroglobin gene family and appears to be expressed only in breast tissue. Carcinoembryonic antigen has been the preferred molecular marker for detection of micro metastases in lymph nodes in almost all carcinomas. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from randomly chosen breast cancer patients undergoing modified mastectomy or breast conserving surgery between September 2003 and July 2004. RT-PCR was applied to study the expression of MMG and CEA markers. Breast cancer micrometastases in axillary lymph nodes were also assessed. Results: The MMG marker was positive in 9/10 normal breast tissues, 3/ 3 breast fibroadenomas and 37/39 of breast carcinoma tissues, giving an overall sensitivity of 94%. The sensitivity was 80% for metastatic lymph node samples. On the other hand CEA showed 95% sensitivity for malignant breast tumors and 100% sensitivity for metastatic lymph nodes. Conclusions: RT-PCR using a combination of MMG and CEA markers is a powerful tool to complement current routine histopathology techniques for detection of breast cancer metastasis in axillary nodes

Prevalence and Characterization of Plasmid-mediated Quinolone Resistance Genes among Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Different Water Sources in Alborz Province, Iran

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of quinolone resistance associated (qnr) antibiotic resistance among Escherichia coli strains isolated from different water sources in Alborz province, Iran.METHODS: E. coli strains were isolated and identified by standard microbiological and biochemical tests from surface water sources in Alborz province, Iran in 2013. Fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates were determined using the antimicrobial susceptibility test determined by the Kirby–Bauer assay. Total genomic and plasmid DNA were extracted by boiling method. The presence of qnr genes in all nalidixic-acid and ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli strains was determined by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The PCR amplicons were visualized after electrophoresis stained with ethidium bromide.RESULTS: One hundred E. coli strains were isolated from the water sources examined in this study. As much as 22.7% and 7.3% of the isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin respectively. While qnrS, qnrB and qnrA genes were detected in 28%, 9% and 1% of fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates respectively. All fluoroquinolone-susceptible isolates however did not contain any of the qnr genes.CONCLUSION: This study reflects an increasing prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli strains in surface water sources. Underlining the importance of surface water sources as reservoirs for dissemination of potentially pathogenic E. coli and horizontal gene transfer between other waterborne bacterial species. Other possible mechanisms of resistance should also be investigated for better characterization of quinolone-resistant E. coli isolates. Therefore, immediate measures are needed to control and treat water sources more effectively.KEYWORDS: antibiotic resistance, E. coli, qnr genes, water sources

A novel sorting method topsis-sort: an applicaiton for tehran environmental quality evaluation

Many real-life problems are multi-objective by nature that requires evaluation of more than one criterion, therefore MCDM has become an important issue. In recent years, many MCDM methods have been developed; the existing approaches have been improved and extended. Multi criteria decision analysis has been regarded as a suitable set of methods to perform sustainability evaluations. Among numerous MCDM methods developed to solve real-life decision problems, Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) continues to work satisfactorily in diverse application areas. In this paper, a novel sorting method (TOPSIS-Sort) based on the classic TOPSIS method is presented. In the TOPSIS-Sort approach an outranking relation is used for sorting purposes. The proposed approach uses characteristic profiles for defining the classes and outranking relation as the preference model. Application of the proposed approach is demonstrated by classifying 22 districts of Tehran into five classes (but none of the districts fits into Classes 4 and 5), representing areas with different levels of environmental quality. An analysis and assessment of the environmental conditions in Tehran helps to identify the districts with the poor environmental quality. Priority should be given to these areas to maintain and improve the quality of environment. The results obtained by the TOPSIS-Sort give credence to its success, because the results of sorting con firm our and specialists’ evaluation of the districts. This research provides appropriate results with respect to the development of sorting models in the form of outranking relations. The model, proposed by this study, is applicable to the other outranking methods such as ELECTRE, PROMETHEE, etc

An Intelligent Method for Industrial Location Selection: Application to Markazi Province, Iran

Decision-making and selection are important and sensitive aspects of planning. An important part of land-use planning is the location of human activities. Locating activities in the right places determines the future space of a region. Selection and definition of natural and human indices and criteria for location always face uncertainty. Thus, this study aimed to develop an intelligent method for industrial location. In this study a developmental-applied approach was used along with a descriptive-analytical method for data analysis. Through the review of related literature and a Delphi survey, 18 criteria were extracted and 6 main components were categorized. The data were analyzed and modeled by GIS, MATLAB software, and the Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) methods. For each modeling three industrial domains were extracted, i.e. weak, medium, and premium. A total of 42,968 hectares of premium industrial location with a score higher than 0.7 resulted from combining the produced maps. Other important findings were related to the architecture and methodology applied in the research based on computational intelligence and knowledge-based systems to analyze and understand the processes that influence the score of locations. The novelty of this method lies in the use of high computing power and information evaluation based on artificial intelligence (AI), making it possible to analyze and understand the processes influencing industrial location.   Abstrak. Pengambilan keputusan dan seleksi adalah aspek-aspek penting dan sensitive dalam perencanaan. Bagian yang penting dalam sebuah perencaan penggunaan lahan adalah terkait lokasi kegiatan manusia. Alokasi kegiatan manusia pada tempat yang benar adalah penentu ruang masa depan dari suatu wilayah. Dalam hal seleksi dan definisi index, juga kriteria lokasi selalu menghadapi ketidakpastian. Sehingga, studi ini dilakukan untuk mengembangkan metode yang berguna dalam alokasi industri. Pada artikel ini, digunakan pendekatan terapan-terkembangkan dengan metode analisis deskriptif dalam hal analisis data. Berdasarkan tinjauan pada literatur terkait dan survey Delphi, 18 kritersia diekstraksi yang dikategorikan pada 6 komponen utama. Data dianalisis dan dimodelkan menggunakan GIS, MATLAB, Fuzzy Inference System (FIS), dan metode Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). Untuk setiap model, tiga domain industry ditentukan, yakni: lemah, moderat, dan premium. Terdapat lokasi industry premium dengan total 42,968 ha dengan nilai lebih dari 0.7. Hasil penting lainnya berkaitan dengan arsitektur dan metode terapan dalam penelitian yang berdasar kepada ilmu komputasi untuk memahami proses yang memengaruhi nilai untuk suatu lokasi. Kebaruan dari metode ini ada pada penggunaan model komputasi tinggi dan evaluasi informasi berdasarkan kecerdasan buatan (AI) yang memungkinkan untuk melakukan analisis dan memahami proses yang memengaruhi lokasi industri.   Kata kunci. Fuzzy Inference System (FIS), Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), lokasi industri, Provinsi Markazi

Investigation of Carbapenem-Resistant AcinetobacterBaumannii Resistance Rate in Clinical Specimens of Newborns at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii (CRAB) hospital infection poses a serious threat to the health of the newborns in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The present study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence and resistance of hospital infections in the NICU ward at Imam Khomeini hospital in Tehran.Materials and Methods: The blaOXA-51 like gene was investigated with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Then, sensitivity of isolates to different antibiotics was assessed using disc diffusion method and broth micro dilutions to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used for typing of randomly collected CRAB infection at different wards of this hospital. Results: A total of 10 CRAB infections were isolatedduringthe6-month study period, and it was found that 100% of them were positive forblaOXA-51-like gene in PCR assay.  All  isolates were resistant to all tested antibiotics, except colistin, polymyxin B, and tigecycline. CRAB isolates had a high MIC values for imipenem, cefotaxim, and amikacin, showing multidrug resistant (MDR) phenotype. According to PFGE analysis,3palsotypes including clone A (7%), clone B (2%), and clone D (1%) were seen in the 10 CRAB isolates. Clone A was a dominant clone and spread in different wards of the hospital, especially in other ICUs and the emergency ward. Moreover, the similarity between the palsotypes showed the ability of transferring CRAB infection from different wards of the hospital to the NICU.Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, CRAB infection, with a high resistance rate, has the ability to enter into important wards such as NICU, and thus it is highly important to control the presence of these isolates in different parts of the hospital

Prevalence of human papillomavirus genotypes in women with normal and abnormal cervical cytology in Iran

Introduction: HPV infection has a prime etiologic role in development and progression of cervical cancer, one of the most frequent forms of cancer among women in developing countries. This study was designed to determine the most prevalent HPV genotypes in women with normal and abnormal cervical cytology in Iran. Materials and Methods: Samples from134 patients, including 127 who attended gynecology clinics and 7 with solid cervical tumors were used. All 127 patients underwent routine Pap tests for cytological evaluation and at the same visit a sample of cervical epithelial cells was obtained by scraping the cervix osteum. In each case HPV infection was primarily evaluated by PCR using GP 5/6 primers and then subtyping was performed in proved infected samples with specific primers for HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 11 and 6. After cytological evaluation, 50 patients with abnormal Pap tests were categorized as the abnormal group and the remaining 77 patients as the normal group. Results: In the normal group, HPV infection was established in 10 cases (13% infection rate), while 30 HPV positive cases were discovered in the abnormal group (60% infected). The most prevalent genotypes among the infected samples were HPV 16 (76%), HPV18 (12.7%) and HPV11/6 (8.5%). Moreover, all 7 tumor samples were positive for HPV general primers of which, 5 samples were infected with HPV 16, two were co-infected with HPV16,18 and HPV16,31 genotypes and one was infected with HPV 18. Conclusions: Infection with HPV 16 was found to be significantly higher in abnormal group in comparison with normal group (42% vs. 11.6%, P value <0.005), likewise HPV18 genotypes were proved to be more prevalent in abnormal group (8% vs. 0%, P value <0.05). No significant relation between other HPV genotypes and pathologic cervical changes was obtained. According to our study high rates of infection with HPV genotypes in sexually active Iranian women makes molecular investigation for HPV16 and 18 very essential in clinical approaches to patients with proven dysplasia in their screening tests and also for those patients with borderline (i.e. ASCUS) or incongruous pathology reports. Larger studies are required to determine the most appropriate vaccine with highest protection in Iranian women

Indicators Affecting the Urban Resilience with a Scenario Approach in Tehran Metropolis

Urban resilience refers to the capacity of an urban system to fully recover from unforeseen calamities. This study aims to assess the physical resilience indicators used to measure urban resilience in Tehran, the political and economic capital of Iran, and to pinpoint the most significant direct and indirect influences on urban resilience. The research process divided into two parts. The environmental scanning approach (reviewing papers and published sources, interviewing specialists, and monitoring conferences) and the literature review were employed in the first part to compile a database of the key information on the elements impacting physical resilience. The most significant factors impacting physical resilience over the next ten years were requested to be identified by specialists and intellectuals in the second part. Finally, the MicMac program was used to analyze the data after 29 variables were specified in Delphi. In light of the trace-analysis-dependence diagram, which depicts the instability of the influential factors and the persistence of their impact on other variables, the results demonstrate that Tehran’s physical resilience is in an unstable condition. According to the results, the factors that have the maximum impact on other variables are granularity drivers, emergency evacuation capacity, rescue and security spaces (emergency, fire station, and police station), impermeability, rate of the amendment and retrofitting measures in the buildings of each zone, building age, and the compatibility of land uses. The variables that are most susceptible to change from other variables include the distribution status of dangerous land uses, the quality of the buildings, the rate of historically vulnerable buildings, the vulnerability of internal and external roads, the rate of improvements and retrofitting measures in buildings in each zone, as well as historically vulnerable historical buildings

The validity and reliability of intraocular pressure measurement using rebound tonometry in children with ocular and systemic disease

Objective: This study examined three main objectives: 1. The validity of Rebound Tonometry (RBT) measurements in children. 2. The reliability of suboptimal RBT readings and the relationship between co-existing characteristics and these measurements. 3. The reliability of suboptimal RBT measurements in children with heritable connective tissue disease (HCTD).Design: A cross-sectional study design was used for objectives 1 and 2 and a case control study was used for objective 3.Setting: The Eye Department of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital (BWCH).Participants: Fifty children were recruited, including 34 with glaucoma for objectives 1 and 2 and 16 for objective 3 (8 HCTDs, 8 healthy controls).Interventions: RBT measurements were taken at the geometric centre of the cornea of one eye (RBTon) and at 3 mm temporally (RBToff), followed by Goldmann tonometry (GAT). Additional data regarding sex, age, nystagmus, strabismus, type of glaucoma, treatment, visual acuity, spectacle prescription, ethnicity, health and corneal scars were recorded from the participants’ clinical notes. The same procedure was conducted on 8 children with HCTD and 8 controlsResults: Mean RBTon was significantly higher than GAT by 2.4 (SD 3.0) mmHg. A statistical difference was found between the age groups and the IOP status (p 0.05). Mean (RBToff - RBTon ) was not significantly different between children with HCTDs and healthy controls (p = 0.06).Conclusion: This study achieved its main objectives and found that:• RBTon measurements differ from GAT but are useful clinically.• The relationship between RBTon and GAT varies with the age of the child.• Suboptimal RBToff measurements are reliable in children with glaucoma with a range of co-existing conditions and in children with HCTDs

Spatial Planning of Rural tourism with MAPPAC technique. Case study Khur and Biabanak County, (Iran)

Reviewing the concepts of space and tourism industry, tourism is in an old, deep, unbreakable bound with spatial and physical dimensions. In this way, the lack of systematic and scientific ranking process in spatial locating of rural tourism spots and also improper distribution of infrastructures are the critical deficiencies in this field. The research intends to introduce the hidden potentials and unique capabilities of Khur and Biabanak County, Iran. And prioritize their tourism spots. So tourism planners would be able to recognize proper space distribution. First, the weights of each criterion were calculated by a pairwise comparison questionnaire of AHP method, and MAPPAC technique was used for ranking. AHP was done in Expert Choice software and MAPPAC in MS Excel. Results showed that villages such as Bayaze, Jandagh, Mehrejan, Garmeh, and Iraj which are also older have a higher rank.Reviewing the concepts of space and tourism industry, tourism is in an old, deep, unbreakable bound with spatial and physical dimensions. In this way, the lack of systematic and scientific ranking process in spatial locating of rural tourism spots and also improper distribution of infrastructures are the critical deficiencies in this field. The research intends to introduce the hidden potentials and unique capabilities of Khur and Biabanak County, Iran. And prioritize their tourism spots. So tourism planners would be able to recognize proper space distribution. First, the weights of each criterion were calculated by a pairwise comparison questionnaire of AHP method, and MAPPAC technique was used for ranking. AHP was done in Expert Choice software and MAPPAC in MS Excel. Results showed that villages such as Bayaze, Jandagh, Mehrejan, Garmeh, and Iraj which are also older have a higher rank