Application of Poly(hydroxyalkanoate) In Food Packaging: Improvements by Nanotechnology

The environmental impact of plastic usage is of critical concern and too great to repair. A shift toward biodegradable food packaging is one option. The aim of this review paper is the study of the potential of biodegradable materials for food packaging. The main characteristics in relation to food usage can be narrowed down to mass transfer (gas and water vapor), thermal and mechanical properties. Among several kinds of biodegradable polymers, poly(hydroxyalkanoate) is one of the favorable candidates for food packaging due to its physical and mechanical properties, biodegradability, with low permeability for O2, H2O and CO2 without residues of catalysts and water solubility. The main focus of this article is to address poly(hydroxyalkanoate) as a potential candidate for food packaging. The need of applying biobased polymers in food packaging is presented in the introduction of this study. We also describe the most common biopolymers providing a brief overview of classification and application. This is followed by an outline of biopolymer production and a main section in which the properties of poly(hydroxybutyrate)-based nanocomposites of greatest relevance to food packaging are discussed. Furthermore, several approaches for improvement of poly(hydroxybutyrate) properties are described and the role of nanotechnology to improve its mechanical properties is presented. Finally, the article concludes with a summary as well as some possible future trends

Role of Feeling of Loneliness and Emotion Regulation Difficulty on Drug Abuse

Background: The Risk behaviors such as drug abuse are prevalent anxiously in youth. Thus investigation and recognition risk behaviors are important.  The aim of the study was to investigate on relationship between loneliness and the difficulties in emotion regulation with drug abuse.Methods: This research was descriptive correlation. The sample was comprised of students of University of Sistan and Baluchestan, southeastern of Iran. Participants were selected by cluster sampling. The instruments were the loneliness scale, the difficult in emotion regulation scale and the drug abuse. For statistical analysis, Pearson correlation and regression analysis methods were used.Results: The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between loneliness and the difficulties in emotion regulation with drug abuse. The Enter regression analysis for prediction of the drug abuse showed that the loneliness predicted 0.09 and the difficulties in emotion regulation predicted 0.08 of the drug abuse variances.Conclusion: Regard to the results, it is recommended to university and cultural instructional planners to pay attention to variables of loneliness and emotional self-regulation as drug abuse risk factors and introduce especial and preventer programs in this subject

Isolation of Taxol-producing endophytes fungi from Iranian yew (Taxus baccata L.)

زمینه و هدف: تاکسول یکی از مهمترین داروهای ضد سرطان و منبع اولیه تهیه آن گیاه سرخدار است و با توجه به محدود بودن تعداد این درختان جایگزینی روش های دیگر تولید به جای استخراج از پوست گیاه امری ضروری به نظر می رسد. با توجه به اینکه تاکنون تحقیقات گسترده و جامعی بر روی قارچ های تولید کننده تاکسول در داخل کشور انجام نشده، لذا این مطالعه با هدف بررسی روی فلور طبیعی ایران به منظور جداسازی قارچ های اندوفایت و بررسی تولید تاکسول در این قارچ ها انجام شده است. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی - تحلیلی نمونه های ساقه گیاهان سرخدار مناطق جنگلی شمال کشور به منظور جداسازی قارچ های اندوفایت جمـــع آوری شد. پس از استریل کردن سطحی نمونه های گیاهی، نمونه های مورد نظر بر روی محیط Potato dextrose agar کشت داده شدند. پس از گذشت چند روز قارچ های رشد یافته جداسازی شده و برای اطمینان از خلوص هر کلنی، عمل ایزوله کردن قارچ های حاصل 3 بار تکرار شد. بررسی حضور تاکسول در قارچ های اندوفایت جدا شده، بوسیله تکنیک کروماتوگرافی مایع با عملکرد بالا (HPLC) و با استفاده از ستون کروماسیل C18 انجام پذیرفت. داده ها با استفاده از آزمون آماری دانکن تجزیه و تحلیل شدند. یافته ها: تعداد 80 ایزوله قارچ اندوفایت از سرخدار بومی ایران جداسازی شد. بررسی های انجام شده تولید تاکسول را در 5 ایزوله جدا شده نشان داد در میان قارچ های تولید کننده تاکسول، ایزوله TbPm4 با بیشترین میزان تولید، قادر به تولید متوسط L/gµ 74/21 تاکسول بود. نتیجه گیری: جداسازی 80 ایزوله قارچ اندوفایت در این پروژه از سرخدار بومی ایران و قابلیت تولید تاکسول در 5 ایزوله جدا شده نشان داد که این ایزوله ها پتانسیل قابل قبولی جهت تولید تاکسول را دارا می باشند.

Acylated ghrelin, growth hormone and IGF-1 levels in the cord blood of small for gestational age newborns

Background: Ghrelin is a pleiotropic hormone that regulates feeding and energy balance and stimulates growth hormone release. Ghrelin also exerts developmental and organizational effects during prenatal life. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine ghrelin levels in cord blood of small for gestational age (SGA) infants and its association with GH (growth hormone) and IGF-1 levels (insulin-like growth factor-1). Methods: Cord blood sample was obtained from 31 SGA and 25 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants. Acylated ghrelin, GH, and IGF-1 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: No significant differences were observed in ghrelin and GH concentrations between SGA and AGA infants. However, IGF-1 levels were significantly lower in SGA infants. Cord blood ghrelin was negatively correlated with the infants' birth weight (r = -0.33, P = 0.013); on the other hand, IGF-1 level was positively correlated with birth weight (r = 0.43, P = 0.002). Conclusions: IGF-1 has the most significant effect on intrauterine growth. Acylated ghrelin is detectable in cord blood and correlated with birth weight, suggesting a role in intrauterine development, but its level is not affected by intrauterine growth retardation. © 2016, Iranian Society of Pediatrics

Epidemiological alteration in pathogens found in ground meat in Iran: unexpected predominance of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis

Colonization of the human and animal intestinal tract with potential pathogenic bacteria is correlated with the risk of contamination of food products. The current study analyzed the prevalence of Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli O157H7 in ground meat in Ilam, Iran. Both index organisms were identified following standard food microbiological methods. For E. faecalis, the susceptibility to vancomycin was tested, and PCR was used to check for the vanA gene. E. faecalis was present in all 24 ground meat samples, with no E. coli O157H7 detected in samples. The analysis showed the presence of the vanA gene in 5/24 vancomycin resistant enterococci. In conclusion, this study for the first time demonstrates the presence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in ground meat in Iran. This observation warrants further epidemiologic investigation and should be followed up in the future

Comparison of drrA and drrB Efflux pump genes expression in drug-susceptible and -resistant mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from tuberculosis patients in Iran

Background: Among different resistance mechanisms in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), efflux pumps may have a role in drug-resistance property of MTB. So, the aim of this study was to compare the relative overexpression of two important efflux pump genes, drrA and drrB, among MTB isolates from TB patients. Methods: A total of 37 clinical isolates of confirmed MTB isolates were analyzed. Drug susceptibility testing (DST) was performed using the conventional proportional method. Real-time semiquantitative PCR profiling of the efflux pump genes of drrA and drrB was performed for clinical isolates. The receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis for differentiation of resistant from susceptible isolates on the basis of efflux pump expression fold changes was also performed. Results: According to DST, 16 rifampin (RIF) monoresistant, 3 isoniazid (INH) monoresistant, 5 multidrug-resistant (MDR) and 13 pan-susceptible isolates of MTB were evaluated for gene expression. The highest values of drrA and drrB gene expression fold changes were seen in MDR isolates, which were significant in comparison with susceptible isolates and H37Rv reference strain. By using comparative ROC analysis, the obtained cutoff point for drrA and drrB gene overexpression was the folds of >1.6 and >2.3, respectively. Conclusion: The results of the present study confirm the role of DrrA-DrrB efflux pump in antibiotic resistance in clinical MTB isolates. As the large number of efflux pumps are located in the cell envelope of MTB, we cannot correlate a single efflux pump overexpression to the drug-resistance phenotype, unless all the pumps simultaneously investigated

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

Thermodynamics of noncommutative de Sitter spacetime

We study the effects of noncommutativity of spacetime geometry on the thermodynamical properties of the de Sitter horizon. We show that noncommutativity results in modifications in temperature, entropy and vacuum energy and that these modifications are of order of the Planck scale, suggesting that the size of the noncommutative parameter should be close to that of the Planck. In an alternative way to deal with noncommutativity, we obtain a quantization rule for the entropy. Since noncommutativity in spacetime geometry modifies the Heisenberg algebra and introduces the general uncertainty principle, we also investigate the above problem in this framework.Comment: 11 pages, no figures, accepted for publication in IJMP

Nosocomial infection in an Iranian neonatal intensive care unit: Hospital epidemiology and risk factors

Background: Hospital-acquired infection is one of the main concerns in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), leading to increased mortality, hospital stay, and costs. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the risk factors of hospital-acquired infection in NICUs. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, prospective study was conducted in the NICU of Ali Asghar Children Hospital for one year. All admitted newborns were sampled on a simple basis. The criteria for the diagnosis of hospital-acquired infection were based on the definitions of the CDC and the NNIS system. Risk factors such as days of fully catheters usage, nurse-to-patient ratio, history of surgery, prematurity, and mechanical ventilation were considered as variables. The data collection tools consisted of a patient information questionnaire, the monthly report of the hospital infection control committee based on the NNIS system, a daily schedule of all risk factors for each infant, and the monthly nurse-to-patient ratio in the NICU. The STATA software was used for data analysis. Results: In our study, 654 newborns were enrolled. The rate of hospital-acquired infections was 13.5. Moreover, 80.7 of the cases exhibited sepsis (72.7 diagnosed based on clinical findings and 8 based on positive blood culture). Statistical analysis showed 9 pneumonia cases, 8 surgical site infection cases, and 2.3 urinary tract infection cases. The average time to the occurrence of hospital-acquired infection was 13.5 days after admission. All risk factors were significantly higher in the infected group than in the control group (P = 0.0001). Furthermore, surgical interventions were significantly more in the infected group than in the non-infected group (34.1 vs. 6.7, respectively, P = 0.0001). The prevalence rates in different weight ranges (less than 1000 g, 1001 to 1500 g, 1501 to 2500, and above 2501 g) were 2.6, 6.9, 21.4, and 69.1, respectively, in the infected group, which were significantly different from those of the non-infected group (P = 0.0001). The most common etiologic microorganism was Acinetobacter baumannii. Conclusions: Factors such as surgery, the presence of a central venous catheter, and the increased length of hospital stay significantly increased the hospital-acquired infections. Reducing invasive procedures, maintenance of full catheters, and providing optimal nursing care can help control hospital-acquired infections. © 2020, Author(s)

Nonlinear Aeroelastic Framework Based on Vortex-Lattice Method and Corotational Shell Finite Element

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97077/1/AIAA2012-1976.pd