Enhanced Biodegradation Of Dispersed Crude Oil Using Marine Microorganisms

Cleanup of oceanic oil spills continues to be an important biotechnological challenge due to the highly variable nature of spills and the large number of complicating factors introduced by the environment in which they occur. Although much research in bioremediation has been conducted in the past two decades, appropriate crude oil and nutrient concentration for application of bioremediation in the marine environment is still inconclusive. Therefore this study aims to investigate the effects of crude oil concentration on its biodegradation in seawater as well as optimization of nutrient concentration for improved hydrocarbon removal in high and low initial crude oil concentrations. In the first part of study, the effects of initial oil concentration and dispersant on the rate of bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in seawater samples were investigated for four concentrations i.e. 100, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/L. In crude oil experiments, bioreactors were supplemented with microorganisms and nutrients. KNO3 and K2HPO4 were used as nitrogen and phosphorus sources respectively. A total of 1.00 mL microorganism inocula (containing 1.2 × 107 cell /mL) were added to each bioreactor. In dispersed crude oil (DCO) experiments, bioreactors were supplemented with the dispersant Corexit 9500 at a ratio of 20:1 (w/w), crude oil-to-dispersant. In low crude oil concentrations, natural attenuation (no nutrient addition) removed 22% of crude oil in 28 days. The highest removal of 68% was observed in un-optimized condition by using nitrogen 20 mg/L and phosphorus 2 mg/L in 28 days; while process optimization exhibited a crude oil removal of 69% with nitrogen 16.05 mg/L and phosphorus 1.34 mg/L in 27 days. Thus, optimization process can improve biodegradation rate and reduce nutrient consumption

CD73 a novel marker for the diagnosis of benign and malignant salivary gland tumors

Ecto-5?-nucleotidase (CD73) plays an important role in the development of several types of cancer; however, its prognostic significance in salivary gland tumors remains unknown. The current study was conducted to investigate the expression of CD73 in such tumors. In this retrospective study, immunohistochemical expression of CD73 was evaluated in 25 pleomorphic adenomas, 20 mucoepidermoid carcinomas and 20 adenoid cystic carcinomas using the Envision technique. Labeling indices of CD73 expression were calculated and compared between lesions. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that the CD73 expression was significantly higher in salivary gland tumors than in normal salivary gland tissue (p0.05). The findings suggest that CD73 can be an independent and useful biomarker for predicting the clinical behavior of salivary gland tumors

Benzene and MTBE removal by Fenton’s process using stabilized Nano Zero-Valent Iron particles

A bench-scale study was designed for removal of Methyl Tertio Butyl Ether (MTBE) and benzene from south of Tehran groundwater. The experiments were implemented on a one-dimensional soil column with similar chemical and physical conditions of the region. Fenton’s chemical oxidation with stabilized nano zero-valent iron particles (S-NZVI) as catalyst was used. For treatment of groundwater polluted with 2 mg L-1 MTBE and 1 mg L-1 benzene, optimum concentrations of H2O2 and S-NZVI were 1500 and 300 mg L-1, respectively. The optimum concentrations led to 78 % elimination of MTBE and 87 % of benzene. Hazardous by-products (acetone and tertio-butyl alcohol) concentrations were less than 0.1 mg L-1, which were considered to be negligible. The soil permeability was reduced to 30 % after removal process. To increase the system efficiency and reduce the consumption of iron, the reaction environment was acidified down to pH = 3.2 led to removal efficiency of 90 % and 96 % for MTBE and benzene, respectively. The scavengers (ions) reduced the system efficiency up to 15 %. This study indicates that theoretically the MTBE and benzene could be removed from groundwater using Fenton’s chemical oxidation with S-NZVI

The Effect of Rhythmic Movements on Mild Anxiety in Children of 7 to 12 Years Old with Cancer

 Background and Aim: Cancer is a chronic childhood disease with many unpleasant psychological consequences such as anxiety. The study conducted to assess the effect of rhythmic movement on mild anxiety of children with cancer.Material and Methods: This study was a Quasi-experimental study. The study population included all children aged 7 to 12 years old diagnosed with cancer who were hospitalized in oncology ward of a pediatrics hospital affiliated with Shahidbeheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran. Sampling was through convenient sampling and based on the inclusion criteria. 31 children with mild anxiety chosen according to ʺSpielberger Anxiety Inventoryʺ were recruited. Rhythmic movements with hip-hop style along with playing music performed in the playing room for 45 minutes during 6 sessions. Questionnaires were recompleted on the final day of intervention (sixth day) and 3 weeks later through reading the items for children and filling by researcher. Data analyzed using SPSS V.18 by repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: The results showed significant differences between the mean values of anxiety (P<0.05) score before intervention and at the end of day 6 and weeks 3.Conclusion: Rhythmic movements as a non pharmacologic intervention reduce mild anxiety in children with cancer. It is recommended that nurses use non pharmacological approaches such as rhythmic movements to reduce the psychological effects of cancer instead of using drugs

Urbach-Wiethe Syndrome and the Ophthalmologist: Review of the Literature and Introduction of the First Instance of Bilateral Uveitis

Patients suffering from Urbach-Wiethe syndrome (UWS), also known as lipoid proteinosis or hyalinosis cutis et mucosae, may have an ophthalmologist involved in the diagnosis and management of their disease. Along with moniliform blepharosis as a pathognomonic feature of the disease, an ophthalmologist may encounter other manifestations of UWS in any part of the eye such as cornea; conjunctiva; sclera; trabecular meshwork; iris/pupil; lens and zonular fibers; retina; nasolacrimal duct. This paper provides a review on the pathogenesis and the diverse ocular manifestations seen in UWS patients. Uncommon complications are discussed in this paper (glaucoma; dry eye and epiphora; complications of lens, retina, cornea; iris/pupil and conjunctiva). Moreover, a 27-year-old male UWS patient is described with bilateral diffuse anterior stromal iris atrophy, diffuse keratic precipitates; posterior subcapsular cataract; 1 + vitreous cell in anterior vitreous examination. This case was thought to be the first instance of bilateral uveitis associated with UWS. Overall, ophthalmologists may encounter diverse ocular complications accompanying this syndrome. They should be familiar with well-established ophthalmologic manifestations leading them to cooperate with other specialists in diagnosis and management of the disease

Wet deposition of hydrocarbons in the city of Tehran-Iran

Air pollution in the city of Tehran has been a major problem for the past three decades. The direct effects of hydrocarbon contaminants in the air are particularly important such as their carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic effects which can be transported to other environments via dry and wet deposition. In the present study, rainwater samples were collected and analyzed for 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene (BTEX) as well as fuel fingerprints in two ranges of gasoline (C5–C11) and diesel fuel (C12–C20) using a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (GC/FID). Mean concentrations of ∑16 PAHs varied between 372 and 527 µg/L and for BTEX was between 87 and 188 µg/L with maximum of 36 µg/L for toluene. Both gasoline range hydrocarbons (GRH) and diesel range hydrocarbons (DRH) were also present in the collected rainwater at concentrations of 190 and 950 µg/L, respectively. Hydrocarbon transports from air to soil were determined in this wet deposition. Average hydrocarbon transportation for ∑PAHs, BTEX, GRH, and DRH was 2,747, 627, 1,152, and 5,733 µg/m2, respectively

Health risk of PCBs and DDTs in seafood from Southern Iran

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs) were measured in 18 species of fish, crab, shrimp, and bivalve samples collected from the northern region of the Persian Gulf in Iran. The levels of ∑PCBs varied from 259.92 ± 31.04 ng/g to 1648.88 ± 176.96 ng/g in lipid weight. CB118 showed the highest concentration. ∑DDT variations ranged from ND to 570.45 ± 806.74 ng/g in lipid weight. Health risk was assessed by estimating both dietary intakes and screening values (SVs). Daily intake levels were much lower than the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) standards for PCBs and DDTs. Based on an average bodyweight of 73 kg and consumption rates of 0.055 kg/person. day, the SVs for the carcinogen and non-carcinogen effects of PCB and DDT were calculated. Average concentrations of PCBs and DDTs showed that the levels of PCBs exceeded the established SV for carcinogens. This finding suggests the need to enhance risk management regarding seafood consumption through public advisory

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Chronic Liver Failure Patients Measured by OHIP-14 and GOHAI

Background. Oro-dental diseases are prevalent in chronic liver failure (CLF) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life associated with oral health in candidates for liver transplant surgery. Materials and Methods. The demographic information of 105 end-stage liver cirrhotic patients was collected. All patients were ordered a panoramic view for pretransplant dental evaluation. The DMFT (decayed-missing-filled tooth) index was calculated for dental examination. The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) was used for the severity of liver disease. The OHIP-14 (Oral Health Impact Profile) questionnaire and GOHAI (Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index) questionnaire were applied to evaluate the impact of oral disease on the quality of life. Results. A total of 79 patients thoroughly completed the questionnaires; 79.7% were male, 32.9% were over 50, and 25.3% were less than 30 years old. Further, 12.7% smoked, 2.5% were illiterate, 64.6% had not finished school, and 10.1% had university degrees. Almost half of the cirrhotic patients were suffering from the disease for more than 3 years. Most complaints reported by the patients as “very often” were becoming self-conscious (13.9%) and being uncomfortable when eating any foods (13.9%) followed by feeling tense (12.8%). There was no significant difference between gender, smoking, age, and MELD score based on quality of life (OHIP and GOHAI) (P>0.05). The level of education (P=0.020), duration of disease (P=0.017), and DMFT index (P=0.039) had a significant impact on oral health-related quality of life in CLF patients. An inverse relationship was seen between the DMFT index and the quality of life. Conclusion. Oral health has a high impact on the quality of life of cirrhotic patients. The psychological dimension of oral health is the most debilitating factor affecting the quality of life. This shows the importance of professional oral care, oral health, and self-care education in this group of patients