Analysis of the Factors Affecting the Implementation of Virtual R&D in Iranian Tile and Ceramic Companies Using Structural Equation Modeling Approach

The final goal of this study is to provide a model with structural modeling approach of virtual R & D implementation in Iranian ceramic tile companies and small and medium-sized industries and services are one of the broadest fields of activity of manufacturing and economic enterprises that are of great importance. Accordingly, the establishment and expansion of research and development systems in order to infuse new sciences and technologies into this industry is of great importance

Evaluation of the chemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial activity of Rosmarinus officinalis, Zataria multiflora, Anethum graveolens and Eucalyptus globulus against Streptococcus iniae; the cause of zoonotic disease in farmed fish

There is a growing interest of industry to replace synthetic chemicals by natural products with bioactive properties from plant origin. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the factors affecting antimicrobial effectiveness of essential oils Rosmarinus officinalis, Zataria multiflora, Anethum graveolens and Eucalyptus globulus against food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria, Streptococcus iniae; the cause of zoonotic streptococcosis in fish. Food conservation is based on an intermittent search for foods with a high nutritional quality and microbial stability and it has been reached by the control of the growth/survival of spoiling and pathogen foodborne microorganisms. Based on several reports, fish streptococcosis is currently considered as one of the main limiting factors in the aquaculture industry, due to the significant economic losses (annually more than $150 million) that these infections cause in different cultured fresh and seawater fish species worldwide. The sensitivity of S. iniae to antibacterial activity of the essential oils was determined using well diffusion assays and paper disc diffusion method. The ranges of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the oils and extracts were 3.9-250 and 7.8-500 µg/ml and the ranges of minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values for the oils and extracts were found to be in the range of 7.8-250 and 15.6-500 µg/ml, respectively. The essential oils exhibited antibacterial activity against S. iniae. The essential oil of rosemary showed the strongest antimicrobial activity

Effect of Four Chicken Carcass Transportation Methods at Selected Room Temperatures on the Bacterial Load of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Species, and Escherichia coli

Pathogenic bacteria are responsible for a significant number of food poisonings in humans through infected poultries. The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of transportation of chicken carcasses at 18-24, 4-5, and 10-14 oC on the bacterial loads of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella species, and Escherichia coli. This study was conducted on 180 fresh chicken carcasses (1197.0±19.88 g) randomly collected from a commercial poultry processing plant in southern Tehran, Iran, in a hot season in 2015. The sampling was performed at two stages, namely post-chilled washing and after 4 h of transportation. In the latter stage, the samples were selected from three vehicles with three types of temperatures. These vehicles included a pickup (18-24 oC), a refrigerated car (4-5 oC), and a refrigerated vehicle with switched off refrigerator (10-14 oC). According to the results, the whole body carcass samples transported at the pickup temperature had the highest mean total count (18.63×106±2.82×106 cfu.ml-1) and was greater (

Preparation of Liposomal Nanoparticles Containing Ziziphora tenuir Essential Oil and Evaluation of its Antimicrobial Effects

Background and Objectives  Natural preservatives extracted from herbs are important sources for bioactive compounds that can be used in protection of food products. Essential oils are aromatic oily liquids, obtained from plant material like flowers, buds, seeds, leaves, and roots. Unfortunately, most natural compounds are biologically instable, poorly soluble in water and they distribute poorly to target sites. Currently, some novel methods have been introduced in order to improve their stability and their bioavailability, among which is the use of liposomal encapsulation. Microencapsulation reduces reactivity with the environment (water, oxygen, light), decreases the evaporation or the transfer rate to the outside environment, promotes handling ability, masks taste and enhances dilution to achieve a uniform distribution in the final product when used in very small amounts. Essential oils, as natural extracted compounds extracted from plants, are unstable compounds with low water solubility and unable to achieve target cells. Essential oils encapsulation by nanoliposomes is a novel method for increasing their biological activity and protecting them from destructive factors. The aim of this study was production and optimization of nanoliposomes containing Z. teniur essential oil and investigating their antibacterial effects against pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli).   Materials and Methods  Lipid film hydration method was used to produce nanoliposomes containing Z. teniur essential oil. Soy phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol were the main wall materials and chloroform was used as the mixing solvent . The particle size of nanoliposomes and their zeta-potential were investigated using laser diffraction method. In order to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration of Z. teniur essential oil against examined bacteria, serial dilution method was used. Also, antioxidant activity of free and nano-encapsulated essential oil of Z. teniur was determined by DPPH method.   Results  According to the results, highest encapsulation efficiency achieved by using 80:20 ratio of soy phosphatidylcholine to cholesterol in nanoliposomes’ wall structures. In general, by increasing the ratio of phosphatidylcholine to cholesterol, encapsulation efficiency was improved. Zeta-potential of nanoliposomes was equal to -5.3 mv and mean particle sizes were in the range of 94.7-119.9 nm. Results indicated that essential oil ejection from nanoliposomes has direct relation to the time of storage and after 30 hours, ejection rate will increase considerably. Ejection rate was higher in phosphate buffer pH=7.4 in comparison with phosphate buffer pH=5.4. Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of free essential oil against Escherichia coli was 100 and 175 (µl/ml) respectively. Although, Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of nanoliposomes containing Z. teniur essential oil were equal to 75 and 150 (µl/ml) respectively. Also, results shown that , minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of encapsulated Z. teniur essential oil against Staphylococcus aureus were lower in comparison with free form of Z. teniur essential oil. Staphylococcus aureus (as Gram-positive bacteria) was more susceptible than Escherichia coli (as Gram-negative bacteria).   Conclusion  Encapsulation of Z. teniur essential oil by nanoliposomes led to improve antibacterial effects of essential oil against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Also, investigating of antioxidant activity showed that encapsulated Z. teniur essential oil in nanoliposomes was more effective than free form of Z. teniur essential oil in scavenging of DPPH free radicals. Using nanoliposome encapsulation technology can be an effective way for increasing the efficiency of natural antibacterial compounds and essential oils encapsulated in nanoliposomes are suitable alternatives for synthetic preservatives used in food industry nowadays. The use of liposomes containing Z. teniur essential oil can provide the necessary protection against growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in food products

Celecoxib as an Adjuvant to Fluvoxamine in Moderate to Severe Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Randomized Trial

Introduction: A growing body of evidence implicates inflammatory cascades in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), making this pathway a target for development of novel treatments. Methods: 50 outpatients with moderate to severe OCD participated in the trial, and underwent 10 weeks of treatment with either celecoxib (200 mg twice daily) or placebo as an adjuvant to fluvoxamine. Participants were investigated using Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). The main outcome measure was to assess the efficacy of celecoxib in improving the OCD symptoms. Results: General linear model repeated measures demonstrated significant effect for time � treatment interaction on the Y-BOCS total scores F (1.38, 66.34)=6.91, p=0.005. Kaplan-Meier estimation with log-rank test demonstrated significantly more rapid response in the celecoxib group than the placebo group (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in adverse event frequencies between the groups. Discussion: The results of the current study suggest that celecoxib could be a tolerable and effective adjunctive treatment for more rapid and more satisfying improvements in OCD symptoms. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart, New York

Reliability and validity of the persian version of compulsive eating scale (CES) in overweight or obese women and its relationship with some body composition and dietary intake variables

Objective: Compulsive or binge eating is a kind of disturbed eating behavior, which is mostly observed among dieting women, and is integrated with appetite disorder, and uncontrolled eating of plenty of junk food. The Compulsive Eating Scale (CES) created first by Kagan & Squires in 1984, is an eight-item self-reporting instrument that is made to measure the severity of binge eating disorder. The aim of this study was to provide the reliability and validity of the Persian version of Compulsive Eating Scale (CES) among overweight and obese women in Iran. Method: One hundred and twenty six (N = 126) overweight and obese women consented to participate in this study. We estimated the anthropometric indices, including body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, a total body fat percentage, and visceral fat level with body analyzer all in standard situations. Then, the participants completed the CES. Next, to assess concurrent validity, Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger anxiety scale, appetite visual analogue rating scale, Food Craving questionnaire, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18, and Restraint eating visual analogue rating scale were performed simultaneously. To assess test-retest reliability, CES was repeated for all the participants two weeks later. Moreover, we reported the internal consistency and factor analysis of this questionnaire. Furthermore, we estimated the concurrent correlation of CES with logically relevant questionnaires and body composition and anthropometric indices. Results: Based on the reliability analysis and factor analysis of the principal component by Varimax rotation, we extracted two factors: eating because of negative feelings, and overeating. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) of the CES was 0.85 (Cronbach alpha of the factors was 0.85, and 0.74, respectively). The test-retest correlation of the CES was 0.89. Also, the split-half reliability of the questionnaire was established with the correlation coefficient between Sets I and II. The correlation was 0.85. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the CES. This instrument would be helpful in measuring the clinical practice and research studies of obesity, appetite and eating disorders reliably and validly

Anticonvulsant effects of aerial parts of Passiflora incarnata extract in mice: involvement of benzodiazepine and opioid receptors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Passion flower (<it>Passiflora incarnata</it>) is used in traditional medicine of Europe and South America to treat anxiety, insomnia and seizure. Recently, it has shown antianxiety and sedative effects in human.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study, anticonvulsant effects of hydro- alcoholic extract of Passiflora, Pasipay, were examined by using pentylentetrazole model (PTZ) on mice. Pasipay, diazepam, and normal saline were injected intraperitoneally at the doses 0.4–0.05 mg/kg, 0.5–1 mg/kg and 10 ml/kg respectively 30 minutes before PTZ (90 mg/kg, i.p). The time taken before the onset of clonic convulsions, the duration of colonic convulsions, and the percentage of seizure and mortality protection were recorded. For investigating the mechanism of Pasipay, flumazenil (2 mg/kg, i.p) and naloxone (5 mg/kg, i.p) were also injected 5 minutes before Pasipay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>An ED₅₀value of Pasipay in the PTZ model was 0.23 mg/kg (%95 CL: 0.156, 0.342). Pasipay at the dose of 0.4 mg/kg prolonged the onset time of seizure and decreased the duration of seizures compared to saline group (p < 0.001). At the dose of 0.4 mg/kg, seizure and mortality protection percent were 100%. Flumazenil and naloxone could suppress anticonvulsant effects of Pasipay.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It seems that Pasipay could be useful for treatment absence seizure and these effects may be related to effect of it on GABAergic and opioid systems. More studies are needed in order to investigate its exact mechanism.</p

Minocycline combination therapy with fluvoxamine in moderate-to-severe obsessive�compulsive disorder: A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial

Aim: Several lines of evidence implicate glutamatergic dysfunction in the pathophysiology of obsessive�compulsive disorder (OCD), presenting this neurotransmitter as a target for the development of novel pharmacotherapy. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of minocycline as an augmentative agent to fluvoxamine in the treatment of patients with OCD. Methods: One hundred and two patients with the diagnosis of moderate-to-severe OCD were recruited to this study. A randomized double-blind trial was designed and patients received either L-carnosine or placebo as adjuvant to fluvoxamine for 10 weeks. The patients randomly received either minocycline 100 mg twice per day or placebo for 10 weeks. All patients received fluvoxamine (100 mg/day) for the first 4 weeks, followed by 200 mg/day for the rest of the trial, regardless of their treatment groups. Participants were evaluated using the Yale�Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). The main outcome measure was to assess the efficacy of minocycline in improving the OCD symptoms. Results: General linear model repeated measures demonstrated significant effect for time � treatment interaction on the Y-BOCS total scores, F(1.49, 137.93) = 7.1, P = 0.003, and Y-BOCS Obsession subscale score, F(1.54, 141.94) = 9.72, P = 0.001, and near significant effect for the Y-BOCS Compulsion subscale score, F(1.27, 117.47) = 2.92, P = 0.08. A significantly greater rate of partial and complete response was observed in the minocycline group (P < 0.001). The frequency of side-effects was not significantly different between the treatment arms. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that minocycline could be a tolerable and effective adjuvant in the management of patients with OCD. © 2016 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2016 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurolog

Factors Associated with Anxiety in Premature Coronary Artery Disease Patients : THC-PAC Study

Anxiety may negatively affect the course of coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to assess which factors are associated with anxiety in young adults with CAD. A cohort of individuals with premature coronary artery disease was formed between 2004-2011, as the Tehran Heart Center's Premature Coronary Atherosclerosis Cohort (THC-PAC) study. Patients (men 6445-year-old, and women 6455-year-old) were visited between March 2013 and February 2014. All participants were examined, and their demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected. Then, all participants filled in the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Logistic regression models were used to identifying factors related to anxiety in both sexes. During the study, 708 patients (mean [SD] age: 45.3 [5.8] y, men:48.2%) were visited. Anxiety was present in 53.0% of participants (66.0% of women and 39.0% of men). The logistic regressions model showed that the associated factors for anxiety in men were opium usage (OR=1.89, 95% CI: 1.09-3.27), positive family history (OR=1.49, 95% CI:0.94-2.35), and creatinine serum level (OR=1.17, 95% CI:1.05-1.303); and in women were major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during follow-up (OR=2.30, 95% CI:1.25-4.23), hypertension (OR=1.71, 95% CI:1.07-2.73) and the duration of CAD (OR=0.99, 95% CI:0.98-1.00). In premature CAD patients, the determinants of anxiety seem to be different in each sex. Opium usage, positive family history of CAD, and creatinine serum levels in men, and MACE, hypertension, and duration of CAD in women appear the relevant factors in this regard