Hepatitis A virus and Hepatitis E virus seroprevalence among blood donors in Tehran, Iran

Background: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Hepatitis E virus (HEV) are both transmitted by the fecal-oral route and are known as the leading causes of acute viral hepatitis in the world, especially in developing countries. There is a lack of updated data on HAV and HEV seroprevalence in Iran. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of HAV and HEV among a group of blood donors in Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed from July 2014 to December 2014, on a total of 559 blood donors referred to the Tehran blood transfusion center. The serum samples were tested for antibodies to HAV and HEV, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: In the present study, 536 (95.9) cases were male and 23 (4.1) female with mean age of 38 years. Out of 559 blood donors, 107 (19.1) were first-time donors, 163 (29.2) lapsed donors and 289 (51.7) regular donors. Anti-HAV was found in 395 (70.7) and anti-HEV in 45 (8.1) of the blood donors. The HAV and HEV seroprevalence increased by age. There was no significant difference between genders in terms of anti-HAV and anti-HEV status. The HAV and HEV seroprevalence was significantly related to the level of education, where the donors with higher level of education had lower rate of HAV and HEV seroprevalence. The HAV and HEV seroprevalence was significantly higher in regular and lapsed donors than in first-time donors. Conclusions: The present study showed that both HAV and HEV infections are still endemic in Iran. © 2016, Kowsar Corp

Effect of various concentrations of Minimal Essential Medium vitamins (MEM vitamins) on development of sheep oocytes during in-vitro maturation

Abstract Background: Improvements in culture media formulations have led to an increase in the ability of sheep embryo in culture throughout the preimplantation period. Objective: This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of various concentrations of MEM vitamins during in vitro maturation of sheep oocytes and subsequent embryo development. Materials and Methods: Sheep ovaries were collected from a slaughterhouse and transported to the laboratory. Oocytes were matured in SOF medium supplemented with, eCG, hCG and EGF in various concentrations of MEM vitamins (control, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 ) for 24h. The cumulus oocyte compelex (COCs) were co-incubated with epididymal spermatozoa of post mortem rams in synthetic oviduct fluid fertilization (SOFF) medium with 10% heat inactivated estrous sheep serum for 18h. Embryos were cultured in synthetic oviduct fluid culture 1 (SOFC1) medium for 48h followed by cultured in synthetic oviduct fluid culture 2 (SOFC2) medium for six days. Results: Addition of 0.5 and 1 MEM vitamins significantly increased (P< 0.05) overall blastocyst development (21.62% and 22.33%; respectively) compared with 1.5 MEM vitamins (15.59%), but there was no difference between control, 0.5 and 1 MEM vitamins in the percentage of embryos successfully developing to the blastocyst stage (19.50%, 21.62% and 22.33% respectively). Conclusion: It seems that addition of 1.5 of MEM vitamins has detrimental effect on blastocyst rate

Branding Through Visitors: How Cultural Differences Affect Brand Co-Creation in Independent Hotels in Iran

This study examines the interrelationship of moral judgment, self-brand connection, customer brand engagement, eWOM and how brand co-creation occur in independent hotels and contrasts visitors’ perspectives between two different GLOBE clusters in independent hotels. Furthermore, this study also examines the moderating impact of Privacy Concern on the relationship between eWOM and Brand Co-Creation. Our findings indicate that there is a positive effect of eWOM on Brand Co-Creation in both clusters. Moreover,-there-are-some-major-differences-between-the constructs among-two-groups-which require further-investigations.-For example, the impact of moral judgment on customer brand-engagement, as-well as customer brand engagement on eWOM and brand co-creation provided different results among two clusters

Determinants of Intention to Revisit in Hospitality Industry: A Cross-Cultural Study Based on Globe Project

This study examines the impact of service quality on intention-to-revisit through variables such as emotion, satisfaction, eWOM and loyalty in the hotel industry from a cross-cultural perspective that goes beyond national boundaries. Four countries were chosen from two clusters, based on the GLOBE Project, the UK and the US from the Anglo cluster and Iran and India from the Southern Asia cluster. A total of 1418 questionnaires were received from guests of 122 independent hotels, and the data were analyzed using the partial square technique in SEM-PLS. The findings reveal that antecedents of intention to revisit follow both similar and different patterns of relationships because of the cultural dimensions of the countries. While positive emotions experienced by Iranians and Indians can make them satisfied customers, the satisfaction of US consumers and the British is derived from their evaluation of service quality. In addition, the intention of US consumers and the British to revisit the hotel is created through their loyalty, but satisfaction and eWOM can lead to Iranian and Indian customers’ revisit intention. This study contributes to the literature on the hospitality industry and the antecedents of intention-to-revisit by defining the distinction between countries within different clusters in the GLOBE Project and adds new knowledge to our understanding of culture

Age-sex specific and cause-specific health risk and burden of disease induced by exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) from drinking water: An assessment in four urban communities of Bushehr Province, Iran, 2017

Health risk and burden of disease induced by exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs, four compounds) and haloacetic acids (HAAs, 5 compounds) from drinking water through ingestion, dermal absorption, and inhalation routes were assessed based on one-year water quality monitoring in four urban communities (Bandar Deylam, Borazjan, Bushehr, and Choghadak) of Bushehr Province, Iran. The total average concentrations of THMs and HAAs at all the communities level were determined to be 92.9 ± 43.7 and 70.6 ± 26.5 μg/L, respectively. The dominant components of the THMs and HAAs were determined to be tribromomethane (TBM, 41.6%) and monobromoacetic acid (MBAA, 60.8%), respectively. The average contributions of ingestion, dermal absorption, and inhalation routes in exposure to the chlorination by-products (CBPs) were respectively 65.0, 15.4, and 19.6%. The total average non-carcinogenic risk as the hazard index (HI) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of the CBPs at all the communities level were found to be 4.03 × 10−1 and 3.16 × 10−4, respectively. The total attributable deaths, death rate (per 100,000 people), age-weighted disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and age-weighted DALY rate for all ages both sexes combined at all the communities level were estimated to be 1.0 (uncertainty interval: UI 95% 0.3 to 2.8), 0.27 (0.08–0.75), 30.8 (11.3–100.1), and 8.1 (3.0–26.4), respectively. The average contribution of mortality (years of life lost due to premature mortality: YLLs) in the attributable burden of disease was 94.7% (94.4–95.6). Although in most of cases the average levels of the CBPs were in the permissible range of Iranian standards for drinking water quality, the average values of ILCRs as well as attributable burden of disease were not acceptable (the ILCRs were higher than the boundary limit of 10−5); therefore, implementation of interventions for reducing exposure to CBPs through drinking water especially in Kowsar Dam Water Treatment Plant is strictly recommended

Diltiazem-loaded electrospun nanofibers as a new wound dressing: fabrication, characterization, and experimental wound healing

Calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem have recently been investigated for their wound-healing potential. The aims of this study were to fabricate diltiazem-loaded nanofibers for a new wound dressing and investigate their beneficial properties for wound healing. Nanofibers were electrospun using polyvinyl alcohol solution containing 0, 2 or 4% diltiazem. Fibers were characterized in terms of physicochemical properties, drug release and fibroblast viability, and in animal wound healing assays. Compared to other formulations, nanofibers containing 4% diltiazem showed thin fiber size (152.7 nm), high porosity (88.4%), high swelling (110.4%), low water contact angle (29.1°) and little weight loss (17.3%). Drug release from 4%-diltiazem nanofibers showed good fit to a Korsmeyer–Peppas model, suggesting a non-Fickian release mechanism (R 2 = 96%, n = 0.52). In vitro, 4%-diltiazem mats were not cytotoxic and enhanced fibroblast proliferation by 263% after 5 days of treatment compared to control. In vivo, wounds treated with this mat for 14 days showed the smallest size (14.7%) and better histopathologic characteristics compared to other wounds. The 4%-diltiazem mat also demonstrated significant antioxidant activity by reducing tissue MDA and nitrite levels by 63 and 59% compared to normal saline. The findings support the eligibility of this novel wound dressing for additional clinical research

Effect of Vitamin E on Oxidative Stress Markers of Proteins and Lipids in Children with Idiopathic Epilepsy

Introduction: Epilepsy is regarded as one of the prevalent neurological disorders in children. The role of anti-oxidants in protection of epilepsy has been discussed in several studies. Vitamin E can be mentioned as a natural antioxidant to neutralize free radicals. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of vitamin E on oxidative stress markers such as malone dialdehyde(MDA) and protein carbonyl(PC) in children suffering from idiopathic epilepsy and vitamin D deficiency. Methods: In the current study, children suffering from idiopathic epilepsy and vitamin D deficiency were randomly divided into two groups. One group was treated with 50000 units of vitamin D oral capsules (per week) for 8 weeks and the other  group was treated with 100 units of vitamin E (per day) for one month as well as 50000 unit of vitamin D for 8 weeks. The amount of MDA and PC were measured by the spectrophotometer method. The obtained data were analyzed via the  SPSS software (ver, 19) using t-test. Results: The results indicated that the amount of  MAD and PC revealed a significant decrease after the treatment. In fact, in the group treated with vitamin E, the amount of PC decreased significantly compared with the other group, though MDA reduction was not proved to be significant. Discussion: The findings of the present study revealed that treatment with vitamin E could reduce the PC amount in regard with epileptic patients

Photothermic therapy with cuttlefish ink-based nanoparticles in combination with anti-OX40 mAb achieve remission of triple-negative breast cancer

Immunostimulatory monoclonal antibodies (IS-mAb) have been proven to enhance the therapeutic effectiveness of various anticancer therapy. In the present investigation, we launched a separate combinational therapy for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) using cuttlefish ink-based nanoparticles (CINPs) for photothermal therapy (PTT) and anti-OX40 antibody. Our goal was to increase the therapeutic response to the disease. CINPs were characterized by their physicochemical properties, which revealed that they had a hydrodynamic diameter ranging from 128 to 148 nm, a negative surface charge, and a high photothermal conversion efficiency under both in vitro and in vivo settings. In TNBC model, we evaluated the therapeutic effectiveness of the following groups: CINP-PTT + anti-OX40 Ab (G1), CINPs-PTT (G2), CINPs + anti-OX40 Ab (G3), anti-OX40 (G4) or PBS (G5). In each case, we assessed the efficacy of these groups against one another. The intratumor administration of all of the substances and therapies was performed. CINP-PTT + anti-OX40 Ab and CINP + anti-OX40 Ab (particularly CINP-PTT + anti-OX40 Ab) induced significant tumor regression in treated (breast) and non-treated (flank) tumor, and completely inhibited lung metastasis, thereby inducing a higher survival rate in mice in comparison to CINP-PTT, anti-OX40 Ab, or PBS. This was the case because in CINPs-treated tumors, particularly those treated with CINPs-PTT, intratumoral injection of CINPs increased the frequency of OX40, CD8 double-positive T cells. CINPs improved the conversion of the macrophage phenotype from M2 to M1 in vitro, which is significant from an immunological point of view. In addition, anti-OX40 Ab combined with CINPs or, more specifically, CINPs-PPT produced a larger frequency of preexisting and newly formed tumor-specific CD8 T cells, as well as an enhanced frequency of CD8 T cells infiltrating non-treated tumors, in comparison to respective monotherapies. When the data were taken into consideration as a whole, it seemed that CINPs-based PTT may effectively enhance the antitumor response effectiveness of anti-OX40 Ab