Analysis of RC Deep Beams Considering the Shear Deformations and Bar-concrete Interaction

In this paper, reinforced concrete (RC) deep beams (DBs) have been analyzed numerically and a new approach is proposed to the nonlinear numerical modeling of such structural members. The effect of shear deformations and the interaction between reinforcing steel bar and concrete are considered in modeling and analysis. In order to consider the effect of shear deformations, the Timoshenko beam theory has been applied to formulate the analysis method. In the modeling, the RC DB is divided into several sub-elements which are composed of concrete and reinforcing steel bars. Individual degrees of freedom have been assigned to each reinforcing steel bar. Thus, each reinforcing steel bar is able to slip relative to its surrounding concrete and the bond effect is simulated by nonlinear springs. To consider the interaction between reinforcing steel bar and concrete, the concrete segment acts as a beam element, and each reinforcing steel bar acts as a truss element. The reliability of this method has been confirmed by comparing the obtained results from the numerical analysis and the results of the experimental pushover test

Isolation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) from Wharton’s Jelly (WJ) Tissue of Human Umbilical Cord (hUC); a Protocol

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with their spindle like shapes are a lineage of stem cells with the capacity to self-renew and differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes and with CD105, CD73, and CD90 expression and the lack of CD34, CD14, CD45, and HLA - DR expression. The immunomodulatory, angiogenic, antiapoptotic, antimicrobial, and antioxidative characteristics of these cells made them more attractive in the field of cell - therapy for several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including diabetes, neurological disorders, sepsis, cardiac ischemia, and GvHD. For this reason, various protocols have been proposed to isolate mesenchymal stem cells from different tissue sources, such as adipose tissue (AT), umbilical cord (UC), Wharton’s jelly (WJ), bone marrow (BM), dental pulp, and even menstrual fluid. Considering the ease of access to the umbilical cord tissue and the fact that this tissue is rich in MSCs with embryonic origin and higher proliferation rate and lower senescence of the cells, the umbilical cord became a suitable source for explant MSC culture. In this study, we decided to introduce an explant culture protocol of MSCs that is less expensive and cost - effective achieving a high yield of MSCs

Homing and mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are non-stop travelers throughout body in both time and space. Understanding the mechanism of HSPCs homing and mobilization is important to enhance the efficacy at bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapy. Mobilized HSPCs has largely replaced than the use of bone marrow as a source of stem cells for both allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantation. This review describes the specific factors which play a key role in homing and mobilization of HSPCs, includes SDF-1 and its receptor CXCR4, proteases (MMPs and CPM). Moreover, chemokines inducing rapid HPSCs mobilization would be discussed. In this article we showed that many factors such as adhesion molecules and SDF-1/CXCR4 have critical roles in homing hematopoietic stem cells and G.CSF, MMPs, adhesion molecules and ROS involvement in mobilization of stem cells. According to above, we can be rich the peripheral blood of HSPCS using of this factors and antagonist for this receptors on the osteoblastic cells or/and HSPCs to bone marrow transplant

Application of bacteriophage cocktails for reducing the bacterial load of nosocomial pathogens in hospital wastewater

Background and Objectives: In the third world and developing countries, hospital sewage is mixed with municipal wastewater. The treated effluent contains dangerous bacteria released into the environment and used in the irrigation of agricultural products, and eventually these bacteria may endanger the human health through foods. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are mostly found in hospital wastewater. In water and wastewater treatment plants, large amounts of toxic and polluting substances are removed and destroyed, but this process does not eliminate bacteria. Materials and Methods: Wastewater samples from 22 hospitals in Iran were collected and in the meantime specific phages (against drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria) extracted using the bilayer agar technique. Phage amplification was performed by employing a fermenter after phage identification. Amplified phages were added to the primary sedimentation pond using New-Brunwick biofermenter BioFlo/Celligen®115 and the bacterial count was evaluated for the desired bacteria. Results: Our phage cocktail was able to reduce 99.8%, 99.4%, 99.5%, 99.8%, 99.7%, 99.8%, 99.6% and 99.9% of E. coli, E. faecium, E. faecalis, K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, S. maltophilia and S. aureus counts respectively. Conclusion: The application of phage cocktails can remarkably help improve personal hygiene, the environment, and the optimization of surface wate

Comparative Neurocognitive Functions of Schizophrenics and temporal lobe epileptic Patients

Introduction: Shared neuropathology hypothesis in schizophrenia and temporal lobe epilepsy has been introduced long term ago. Similar neuropathology leads to the analogous clinical features like neuropsychological features as an example. The aim of this study was to examine this hypothesis by the means of comparing neuropsychological functions in these two patient groups.Method: Present study consisted of 28 DSM_IV_TR schizophrenics and 29 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy recruited from Roozbeh, Razi and khatamolanbia hospital in Tehran by convenient sampling method. SCID in schizophrenic group and EEG, MRI in epileptic patients were taken in regard to diagnostic determination. Neuropsychological tests were taken later. Package of neuropsychological tests consisted of Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Stroop Color- Word Test, Logic Memory, Visual Reproduction and Digit Span subscales of Wechsler Memory Scale- Revised and Block Design, Vocabulary and Symbol Digit subscales of Wechsler Adult intelligence Scale- Revised.Result:  there was no significant difference in two groups of patients with respect to demographic and clinical (Age, Depression, premorbid function and duration) variables. Analysis of MANOVA was taken to compare two groups of patients in neuropsychological functions. The results revealed no significant differences between schizophrenics and temporal lobe epileptic patients except for Symbol Digit subscale that was significantly lower in schizophrenic group (p<0.05).Conclusion: the result of current study is consistent with shared neuropathology hypothesis in schizophrenia and temporal lobe epilepsy. Profile of neuropsychological functions in both groups was generalized and beyond temporal lobe. Keywords: schizophrenia, temporal lobe epilepsy, neuropsychological function

Effect of Hypoxia Preconditioned Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Conditioned Medium on Cerulein-Induced Acute Pancreatitis in Mice

Purpose: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disorder distinguished by tissue injury and inflammation of the pancreas. Using paracrine potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) provides a useful clinical approach in treating inflammatory diseases. We investigated the therapeutic effects of adipose-derived MSC conditioned medium (CM) and hypoxia preconditioned adipose-derived MSC conditioned medium (HCM) in cerulein-induced AP in mice. Methods: AP was induced in C57BL/6 mice by intraperitoneal injection of cerulein (75 μg/ kg/h × 7 times). One hour following the last injection of cerulein, mice were treated with intraperitoneal injection of CM and HCM (500 µL/mice/30 min × 3 times). Twelve hours following the treatment, serum levels of amylase and lipase were measured. In addition, pancreas pathological changes, immunohistochemical examinations for evaluation of IL-6 expression and pancreatic myeloperoxidase (MPO) enzyme activity were analyzed. Results: The in vitro results of the morphological, differentiation and immunophenotyping analyses confirmed that hypoxia preconditioned MSCs (HP-MSCs) conserve MSCs characteristics after preconditioning. However, HP-MSCs significantly expressed high mRNA level of hypoxia inducible factor 1-α and higher level of total protein. The in vivo findings of the current study showed that CM and HCM significantly reduced the amylase & lipase activity, the severity of pancreas tissue injury and the expression of IL-6 and MPO enzyme activity compared with the AP group. However, no significant difference between CM and HCM groups was demonstrated. Conclusion: Use of CM and HCM can attenuate cerulein-induced AP and decrease inflammation in the pancreas tissue in AP mice

Development of ELISA method for primary detection of HCV using core antigen

Studies show that Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) antigens appear before antibody while the early days of infection. Therefore detecting antigens could lead us to diagnosing the infection on time. The aim of this study was to develop a simple and sensitive enzyme immunoassay for the detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core antigen in order to evaluate the role of core antigen as a marker of HCV infection. A total of 280 samples was tested by third generation anti-HCV, and the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed only when the anti-HCV enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was positive. All samples were tested with HCV core antigen using Elisa kits. Among the 280 samples, 95 samples were anti-HCV positive. Among those 95 samples, 75 samples were RT-PCR-positive. The cut-off value was set at 0.15 unit of optical density (equivalent to 2.5 pg/ml of core antigen based on the distribution of healthy subjects (anti-HCV-negative subjects). The difference between the mean optical density values of HCV-ribonucleic acid-positive (HCV-RNA-positive) samples and HCV-RNA-negative samples in the HCV core antigen assay was highly significant (1.4 us 0.08, p < 0.005). The sensitivity and specificity of the core antigen assay were 88% and 96%, respectively. The pretreatment of the anti-HCV-positive samples with a solution that contained 1.5 M glycin buffer (pH = 2) increased the sensitivity of the assay (from 57.3% to 88%). This assay is a simple, sensitive, and useful method for use as a screening strategy for HCV infection in anti-HCV-positive or anti-HCV-negative individuals

Non-Pharmacologic Interventions in COVID-19 Pandemic Management; a Systematic Review

Introduction: Different countries throughout the world have adopted non-pharmacologic interventions to reduce and control SARS - CoV-2. In this systematic approach, the impact of non-pharmacologic interventions in management of COVID-19 pandemic was assessed. Methods: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, systematic search was carried out on the basis of a search strategy on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and WHO databases on COVID-19. The impact of travel ban, personal protective equipment, distancing, contact tracing, school closure, and social distancing and the combined effect of interventions on COVID-19 were assessed. Results: Of the 14,857 articles found, 44 were relevant. Studies in different countries have shown that various non-pharmacological interventions have been used during the COVID-19 pandemic. The travel ban, either locally or internationally in most of the countries, movement restriction, social distancing, lockdown, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), quarantine, school closure, work place closure, and contact tracing had a significant impact on the reduction of mortality or morbidity of COVID-19. Conclusion: Evidence shows that the implementation of non-pharmacologic interventions (NPIs), for example, social distancing, quarantine, and personal protective equipment’s are generally effective and the best way to prevent or reduce transmission. However, this study suggests that the effectiveness of any NPI alone is probably limited, thus, a combination of various actions, for example, social distancing, isolation, and quarantine, distancing in the workplace and use of personal protective equipment, is more effective in reducing COVID-19

Association of Paraoxonase-1 Genotype and Phenotype with Angiogram Positive Coronary Artery Disease

Funding Information: This study was supported by Mashhad and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The authors would like to thank technicians of Sina, Sadi, Ghaem catheterization laboratory and technicians of Isfahan Alzahra genetics laboratory.Peer reviewedPublisher PD