Evaluating the Catalytic Performance of La1-xCexNi1-yZnyO3 Nanostructure Perovskites in the Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane

AbstractIn this research nanostructure perovskites La1-xCexNi1-yZnyO3 were prepared by sol-gel auto-combustion method and their application were evaluated for methane reforming with carbon dioxide and syngas production. Catalysts were designed by Response Surface Method (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD) with three factors of catalyst characteristics, x, y and Tc. The prepared catalysts were examined in methane reforming process at 750 ˚C temperature and atmospheric pressure. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that parameters don’t have any linear effect on catalytic activity and their effect is proportional to square form. Among this investigated parameters, Ni content effect is considerable and calcination temperature (Tc) has a partial effect. In this research R2 value was 94.88%. The optimum catalyst which determined by RSM was La0.60Ce0.40Ni0.81Zn0.19O3 in 747 ˚C calcination temperature that corresponds to empirical result. The XRD characterization of optimum catalyst showed that perovskite catalyst was formed in rhombohedra phase with nanostructure crystals and the SEM of optimum catalyst confirmed the nano scale of prepared particles

A randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating quality of life when using a simple acupressure protocol in women with primary dysmenorrhea

Objective: To evaluate a simple acupressure protocol in LIV3 and LI4 acupoints in women with primary dysmenorrhea. Methods: This paper reports a randomized, single blinded clinical trial. 90 young women with dysmenorrhea were recruited to three groups to receive 20 minutes acupressure every day in either LIV3 or LI4, or placebo points. Acupressure was timed five days before menstruation for three successive menstrual cycles. On menstruation, each participant completed the Wong Baker faces pain scale, and the quality of life short form -12 (QOL SF-12). Results: Intensity and duration of pain between the three groups in the second and third cycles during the intervention (p<0.05) differed significantly. Significant differences were seen in all domains of QOL except for mental health (p=0.4), general health (p=0.7) and mental subscale component (p=0.12) in the second cycle, and mental health (p=0.9), and mental subscale component (p=0.14) in the third cycle. Conclusion: Performing the simple acupressure protocol is an effective method to decrease the intensity and duration of dysmenorrhea, and improve the QOL. Key words: Dysmenorrhea, acupressure, quality of life Registration ID in IRCT: IRCT2016052428038N

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Death Attitude Profile

Introduction: The type of human attitude toward death, as an unavoidable event, can affect the human approach to the themes of the worldly life and the afterlife. This study aimed to identify the factor structure of Persian version of Death Attitude Profile. Methods: In this descriptive survey research, 444 students of Jamia al-Zahra Seminary and Khomein Azad University, were selected by convenient sampling method. They responded to Persian version of the Death Attitude Profile. Results: Analysis of the findings indicated the Persian version of this profile, while deleting some items, supports the same 5-factor structure of the original form. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.79 in the research sample. Conclusion: The obtained psychometric properties indicated the validity and reliability of this scale in Iranian society. Therefore, It can be used to measure the attitudinal properties of individuals to death. Declaration of Interest: None

The clinical and environmental spread and diversity of toxigenic Clostridium difficile diarrhea in the region of the Middle East.

Stool samples of 1822 hospitalized patients with nosocomial diarrhea and 100 environmental samples were collected at three teaching hospitals and PCR amplification of rRNA intergenic spacer regions (ISR) was conducted. Bacterial cytotoxicity was assayed by conducting three assays namely toxigenic culture on vero cells, stool cytotoxin, and enzyme immunoassay. ISR was carried out using two universal primers complementary to conserved regions in the 16S and 23S rRNA genes. It was found that the toxigenic culture, stool cytotoxin and enzyme immunoassay showed close rates of detection of toxigenic C. difficile, 124, 121, and 122 /1822 (6.8, 6.64., and 6.7%) respectively. In addition, 32 different ribotypes for toxigenic C. difficile were detected, 28 in clinical and 6 in environmental isolates. The predominant ribotypes from the clinical isolates were 13-15, 35.6%, of isolates. Ribotypes were associated with age, location of isolation, and severity of symptoms of clostridial diarrhea (P<0.05). Ribotypes 6-9 affected children only. The most common ribotype of C. difficile , no. 13, as well as ribotypes 16, 20, and 4 covered almost the whole range of severity of symptoms. Ribotypes 21-27, 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14, and 19 caused mild-moderate CDAD symptoms while ribotypes 5, 10 8, 12, 15, 17, and 28 were dominantly of severe symptoms (P<0.05). Environmental isolates showed 17% toxigenic strains composed of 4 different ribotypes while ribotypes 5 was shared with clinical isolates. These findings showed that C. difficile associated with diarrhea were genetically diverse and linked to environmental strains

First record of genus leveillula on a member of the moraceae: Leveillula taurica on Ficus carica

A powdery mildew fungus Leveillula taurica (Erysiphales) is reported for the first time on fig tree ( Ficus carica ) (Moraceae) in Sistan region, Iran. One hundred fungal organs including clistothecia, asci, ascospores and conidia, were micrometried by the calibrated Olympus BH2 microscope. All characters of the organs were recorded and drawn using a drawing tube. Conidiophores were with cylindrical foot cells, bearing a single conidium or occasionally with short chains of 2-3 conidia. The fungus produced both primary and secondary conidia. Primary conidia were lanceolate and secondary ones were ellipsoid to cylindrical. Cleistothecia were 160-230 \u3bcm in diameter and cleistothecia appendages were myceliod. There were 20-30 cases in each cleistothecia which were clavate stalked. In each ascus, there were 1-4 ascospores which were ellipsoid-ovoid shaped. On the basis of morphological characters of the anamorph and telemorph, this fungus was identified as Leveillula taurica. This fungi is the second powdery mildew species in addition to Oidium erysipheoide reported for Moraceae. This is also the first report of genus Leveillula on Moraceae in the world making Moraceae the latest host family for Leveillula taurica.Le champignon Leveillula taurica (Erysiphales), mildiou poudreux, a \ue9t\ue9 signal\ue9 pour la premi\ue8re fois sur le figuier ( Ficus carica ) (Moraceae) dans la r\ue9gion de Sistan en Iran. Cent organes fongiques comprenant l\u2019asci, les ascospores et les conidia ont \ue9t\ue9 measur\ue9s \ue0 l\u2019aide d\u2019un microm\ue8tre \ue0 microscope calibr\ue9, l\u2019Olympus BH2. Tous les caract\ue8res des organes ont \ue9t\ue9 enregistr\ue9s et dessin\ue9s \ue0 l\u2019aide d\u2019un tube pour dessin. Les conidiophores avaient des pattes \ue0 cellules cylindriques, munis d\u2019une seule de conidium ou occasionnellement avec des cha\ueenes courtes de 2-3 conidia. Les champignons avaient produit des conidia primaries \ue0 bout en forme de lance, ainsi que des conidia secondaires ellipsoides voire cylindriques. Les cl\ue9istoth\ue8ces avaient un diam\ue8tre de 160-230 \uecm ainsi que des appendices \u201cmyceliod\u201d. Le nombre d\u2019\u201dasci\u201d variait de 20 \ue0 30 dans chaque cl\ue9istoth\ue8ces, et \ue9taient claviformes et p\ue9tiol\ue9s. Les ascospores variaient de 1-4 dans chaque ascus, et \ue9taient en forme ovo\uefde ellipso\uefdale. Sur base des caract\ue8res morphologiques de l\u2019anamorphe et le t\ue9l\ue9morphe, ce champignon \ue9tait identifi\ue9 comme \ue9tant Leveillula taurica. Il est la seconde esp\ue8ce du mildiou podreux, en plus de l\u2019 Oidium erysipheoide reconnu pour Moraceae. Ceci est aussi le premier rapport du g\ue8ne Leveillula sur les Moraceaes dans le monde, faisant du Moraceae la derni\ue8re famille d\u2019acceuil pour Leveillula taurica

Rapid detection of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (G241R and K469E) polymorphisms by a novel PCR-SSP assay

Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) is a cell surface glycoprotein member of the immunoglobulin superfamily and is actively involved in immune and inflammatory responses. We introduce a novel polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) method for rapid and simultaneous genotyping of ICAM-1 G241R and K469E polymorphisms. In a total of 184 DNA samples that have been previously analyzed for these polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique, re-genotyping of all samples with this new assay showed accurate and reproducible results. As PCR-SSP-based genotyping protocols are more convenient and cost-effective to do, it could therefore offer a valuable tool for assessment of ICAM-1 polymorphisms to which more confirmatory studies are needed. © 2007 Blackwell Munksgaard

Study of morphological characteristics and frequency of Dendrobranchiata larval shrimp in artificial reefs of Khuzestan coasts, Bahrekan area

This study was done to identify larval stages and biodiversity of Dendrobranchiata planktonic communites in artificial reefs of Khuzestan coasts(Bahrekan area in Northwest Persian gulf) for one year from May 2011 to April 2012 monthly basis. Sampling was conducted using a plankton net with a spring 300 micrometers. Totally, from two superfamily: Penaeoidea and Sergestoidea, 3 families: Sergestidae, Luciferidae, Penaeidae were identified.From Penaeidae family, Metapenaeus affinis ,Penaeus indicus and Parapenaeopsis stylifera species, from Luciferidae family, Lucifer hanseni specie and from Sergestidae family, Acetes sp specie were identified and introduced. Also larval density of identified species in different months and stations are calculated and determined Metapenaeus affinis specie (With the average of number per cubic meter in 1029±830) from Penaeidae family account for larval density is maximum in September. Finally, two abundance peak was observed that the first peak was in September and the second peak was in November. The maximum of relative frequency percentage in Penaeoidea superfamily related to mysisI stage and 62 percentage. The results obtained indicate that the artificial structures are well managed nursery area for Penaeidae shrimp. The maximum average value of Shanon-wiener index was in November (1.36) due to the presence of all species in the same month. Simpson index was lowest in November, which confirms the above conclusion