Advancement in electrochemical DNA-biosensors for GMOs detection: A review

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are plants or animals whose genetic make-up has been transformed by recombinant DNA technology, which has new features such as resistance to herbicides, virus and insect. Recently, genetic modification of food products has increased in order to reduce world poverty and hunger and increase food production However, the impact of GMOs on the human health is a growing concern worldwide. Due to increased global production of GMOs, the presence of these in food products need to be monitored and has been attended by many researchers recently. The quick, simple, accurate and sensitive detection methods for these products have attracted the attention. Electrochemical DNA biosensors as one of these fast methods are highly studied by many researchers due to their high sensitivity, low cost, rapid reaction and the possibility of working in aqueous solutions. The present review will focus on several studies on the detection of GMO based on electrochemical biosensors

Phytoremediation of toxic metals in soils and wetlands: concepts and applications (Book Chapter)

Over centuries, industrial, mining and military activities, agriculture, farming, and waste practices have contaminated soils and wetlands in many countries with high concentrations of toxic metals. In addition to their negative effects on ecosystems and other natural resources, toxic metals pose a great danger to human health. Unlike organic compounds, metals cannot be degraded, and clean-up usually requires their removal. Most of the conventional remedial methods have lost economic favor and public acceptance because they are expensive and cause degradation of soil fertility that subsequently results in adverse impacts on the ecosystem. Conventional methods of environmental remediation do not solve the problem; rather they merely transfer it to future generation. Obviously, there is an urgent need for alternative, cheap, and efficient methods to clean-up sites contaminated with toxic metals. Phytoremediation, a plant-based green technology, is cost effective, environmental friendly, aesthetically pleasing approach for the remediation of toxic metals. Due to its elegance and the extent of contaminated areas, phytoremediation approaches have already received significant scientific and commercial attention. Two approaches have been proposed for the phytoremediation of toxic metals from soils and wetlands: natural and induced phytoremediation. Natural phytoremediation refers to the use of hyper-accumulating plants and associated soil microbes, while the induced phytoremediation refers to the use chemicals, especially synthetic chelating ligands, for the increase of metal bioavailability and uptake in plants. Recently, genetically modified plants (GMPs) have been proposed to use in phytoremediation technology; however, this approach is being hindered by ideology-driven restrictive legislation over the use of GMPs. We will discuss the concepts and practical applications of phytoremediation technologies for the restoration of contaminated soils and wetlands. © Springer Japan 2016. All rights are reserved.[Book Chapter

Anemia is associated with cognitive impairment in adolescent girls: a cross-sectional survey

Anemia is associated with impairment in oxygen transport, affecting an individual’s physical and mental wellbeing, and work performance. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of anemia and its possible association with serum antibody titers to Hsp27 (as an indicator of cellular stress), cognitive function, measures of emotion, sleep patterns in adolescent girls. A total of 940 adolescent girls were assessed to evaluate neuropsychological function with validated questionnaires. A complete blood count was determined as part of the assessment of hematological parameters. Serum anti-Hsp27 was measured for each subject. Among the total of 940 participants, 99 girls (10.5%) were anemic [hemoglobin <12(g/dl)]. Serum anti-HSP27 was significantly higher in anemic compared to healthy girls (p<0.05). There was no significant differences in depression, aggression, insomnia, daytime sleepiness and sleep apnea score between two groups. However, the total cognitive abilities score was significantly lower in the anemic girls (76.8±2.1 versus 85.7±2.5, p = 0.002). Logistic regression analysis showed that anemic girls were 1.73 times more likely than non-anemic girls to have cognitive impairment (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-2.78; P = 0.025). Anemia was associated with elevated levels of anti-HSP27 and supports the hypothesis that cellular stress may be associated with anemia. Anemia was adversely associated with an assessment of cognitive abilities and was an independent risk factor for cognitive impairment in this grou

Evaluation of ecological risk based on the sediment and water quality in Klang Strait, Malaysia / Seyedeh Belin Tavakoly Sany

Sediment and water monitoring was performed from Nov. 2009 to Oct. 2010 to assess and evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution of physical and chemical parameters and biological variables such as PAHs, trace metals (Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn, Zn, Cr, Ni, V, and Fe), the structure of the benthic community in the sediment, nutrients and chlorophyll a in the water. Sediment and water samples were collected from 22 stations, which covered three coastal ports (North Port, West Port and South Port) and a control point. The primary objectives of this study were to evaluate the sources of pollutants and each pollutant’s distribution, concentration and contamination degree, as well as to assess the biological response to these stressors based on the ecological risk. Significant variations were found in the distribution and concentrations of all heavy metals and PAHs. The spatial and temporal scales of these variations were related to the several sources contributing to the contamination load in the Klang Strait and to seasonal fluctuations, respectively. The highest concentrations of all metals (except for Mn) were recorded at South Port at stations 16 and 17 parallel to the mouth of the Klang River and at station 13 around the container terminal in the West Port, whereas the lowest concentrations were recorded at the control point. Enrichment factor (EF) index also indicated that all metal concentrations except for Fe were influenced by anthropogenic effects. Similarly, the total organic carbon and fine particle size had significant correlations with most metals (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, V and Zn). Thus, both natural processes and human activities contributed to the load of these pollutions in the Klang Strait. The PCA analysis is concordant with the pair isomer ratio of PAHs, which revealed that the anthropogenic sources of PAHs were a mixture of pyrogenic and petrogenic sources at all stations except for stations 4, 14 and 21, where combustion was the more frequent cause. Source analysis revealed that PAHs are primarily derived from liquid fossil fuels related to the use of vehicles, crude oil and coal (petroleum combustion sources), and a minor amount of PAHs may be related to the direct discharge of petroleum and land-based runoff. Results revealed that most of the sediment samples are in a pristine state with respect to PAHs and metal contamination except for Cd, As, Hg and Pb. Surface sediment in the Klang Strait are moderately polluted by Hg, Pb and As, and only Cd was estimated to have a high level of contamination. Furthermore, risk analysis showed that living organisms in the strait have a high risk of Cd and Hg exposure and only a low risk of overexposure to the rest of the investigated metals and PAHs at all stations. Regarding the risk index classification, only sediments from stations 16 and 17 (mouth of the Klang River) can be considered to represent a high ecological risk. Other stations were categorized as representing slight to moderate risk, and adverse effects were rarely recorded at the control station, which usually showed normal responses. In addition, the level of response of benthic communities to pollutants in the sediment was completely homogeneous with the risk level in most of the stations. In the case of water-quality assessment, multi-metric indices and operational indicator have been proposed to classify trophic level at different sites. The trophic level of Klang Strait coastal water ranges from eutrophic to hypertrophic. Chl-a concentration was used to estimate the biological response of phytoplankton biomass and indicated eutrophic conditions in the Klang Strait and mesotrophic conditions at the control site. During the study period, no harmful algal bloom (secondary symptom) occurred, which may be related to hydrodynamic turbulence and water exchange, which prevent the development of eutrophic conditions in the Klang Strait. Keywords: Ecological risk, Heavy metal, Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), Nutrients, Benthic organisms, Chlorophill a, Klang Strait, Malaysi

Dual-signaling electrochemical ratiometric strategy for simultaneous quantification of anticancer drugs

A novel and unique ratiometric electrochemical sensing strategy for highly reliable and selective simultaneous quantification of Irinotecan (IRI) and 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) has been developed based on Pd-Au/MWCNT-rGO nanocomposite. Introduction of Pd-Au/MWCNT-rGO significantly improved the speed of electron transport, specific surface area, and electrical catalytic ability of sensing system due to synergistic effect of Pd-Au bimetallic nanoparticles and MWCNT-rGO hybrid structure. The assay strategy was based on the use of ferrocene (Fc) as reference electroactive substance and IRI and 5-FU as analytes with three oxidation peaks at different potentials (Fc at +0.20 V, IRI at +0.58 V, and 5-FU at +1.17 V). The oxidation peak currents of the IRI and 5-FU were gradually enhanced while that of Fc remained almost constant with continuous adding of IRI and 5-FU. By using IIRI/IFc and I5-FU/IFc signals as output, the designed ratiometric system showed good performance with a wide linear range of 0.05-40 mu M for IRI and 0.05-75 mu M for 5-FU and low detection limit of 0.0061 mu M and 0.0094 mu M for IRI and 5-FU, respectively. This study proved that ratiometric strategy is able to eliminate disturbance caused by the sensing environment and possess high sensitivity, reproducibility, stability, and selectivity toward anticancer drugs detection, over potential interferents as well as opens a new procedure for reliable and selective simultaneous analysis of other analytes

The Health Literacy Status and Its Role in Interventions in Iran: A Systematic and Meta-Analysis

There are increasing calls for public health policies to realize the visions of a health literate society and health literacy on a global scale. However, there are still more gaps in what researchers recognize and what steps they should take to improve health literacy (HL) skills. This review aimed to measure the HL status of the Iranian population and the effect size of the underlying association between HL and other health outcomes, and to examine the effectiveness of HL interventions on improving the functional dimension of HL, self-efficacy, and health-promoting behaviors. All full text published articles written in English and Persian language were included from inception until January 2019, but the type of study is not limited. A total of 52 potentially relevant articles with data on 36,523 participants were included in this review. In the population with health conditions, the average HL score was 62.51 (95% CI: 59.95–65.08), while in the patient population, the HL score was 64.04 (95% CI: 60.64–67.45). Health literacy was positively and significantly correlated with self-care behaviors 0.42 (95% CI; 0.35–0.49), self-efficacy 0.35 (95% CI; 0.26–0.43), knowledge 0.50 (95% CI; 0.44–0.55), communication skills 0.33 (95% CI; 0.25–0.41), and health promotion behaviors 0.39 (95% CI; 0.35–0.44). The meta-analyses showed that overall, HL interventions significantly improved HL status, self-efficacy, and health promotion behaviors. Results indicate that HL status was in the range of marginal HL level in the Iranian population. Our finding highlights the beneficial impact of HL intervention on health-promoting behaviors and self-efficacy, particularly in low literacy/socioeconomic status people

Review of Organizational Health Literacy Practice at Health Care Centers: Outcomes, Barriers and Facilitators

The term organizational health literacy (OHL) is a new concept that emerged to address the challenge of predominantly in patients with limited health literacy (HL). There is no consensus on how OHL can improve HL activities and health outcomes in healthcare organizations. In this study, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to understand the evidence for the effectiveness of OHL and its health outcome, and the facilitators and barriers that influence the implementation of OHL. A literature search was done using six databases, the gray literature method and reference hand searches. Thirteen potentially articles with data on 1254 health organizations were included. Eight self-assessment tools and ten OHL attributes have been identified. Eleven quality-improvement characteristics and 15 key barriers were reviewed. Evidence on the effectiveness of HL tools provides best practices and recommendations to enhance OHL capacities. Results indicated that shifting to a comprehensive OHL would likely be a complex process because HL is not usually integrated into the healthcare organization&rsquo;s vision and strategic planning. Further development of OHL requires radical, simultaneous, and multiple changes. Thus, there is a need for the healthcare system to consider HL as an organizational priority, that is, be responsive

Body image perception and physical activity behavior among adult population: Application of trans-theoretical model of behavior change.

BackgroundThe human body changes during life, but research on how sociodemographic characteristics and physical activity (PA) related to all aspects of body image are still unclear and there is conflict in the relevant results. This study aims to examine gender-specific body image perception and physical activity in relation to BMI and sociodemographic characteristics among health employees who worked in health and medical care centers.MethodsThe study was a population-based cross-sectional survey of 170 health employees (55 men and 115 women) in Binaloud, Iran. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire, which consisted of a self-administered Multidimensional Body-Self Image Questionnaire (MBSRQ) and stages of change scales. The full version of Marcus-TTM based on the stages of physical activity changes was used based on 5 items related to regular physical activity behavior and intentions.ResultsThere were no significant differences between men and women in total body image score, body area satisfaction, and attitude. Disease orientation (p = 0.02) and health orientation (p = 0.05) were the only significant differences between men and women. The number of children, level of education, BMI, and PA had a stronger influence on body image concerns and body dissatisfaction. PA and 7 of the 10 subclasses of MBSRQ (appearance evaluation, fitness evaluation, fitness orientation, health evaluation, health orientation, and illness orientation) showed a significant difference (PConclusionThe ideal body image and body satisfaction may differ by the number of children, level of education, gender, BMI, and PA. Evidence from this study supports that participants' stages of change affect their physical activity and body image perception. This result suggests a need for conducting work/home place intervention to promote adults' body image perception and body area satisfaction based on the usage-specific stage under consideration