Sharif Digital Repository

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated malignancy remain a main cause of cancer in men and women. Cancer immunotherapy has represented great potential as a new promising cancer therapeutic approach. Here, we report Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a carrier for the delivery of oncolytic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) for the treatment of HPV-associated tumor. Methods: For this purpose, MSCs obtained from the bone marrow of C57BL mice, then cultured and characterized subsequently by the flow cytometry analysis for the presence of cell surface markers. In this study, we sought out to determine the impacts of MSCs loaded with oncolytic NDV on splenic T cell and cytokine immune... 

This study investigated the synthesis of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) using a high-gravity technique mediated by Salvia hispanica leaf extracts. Biological assays confirmed their antibacterial activity against gram positive (S. aureus) and gram negative (E. coli) bacteria with significant antioxidant activity in comparison with the standards as well as low cellular toxicity on PC12 and HEK293 cell lines. To the best of our knowledge, this study can be considered as the first investigation of Pd-NPs synthesized by Salvia hispanica leaf extracts assisted by a high-gravity technique. In addition, the mentioned green synthesis procedure led to the formation of nanoparticles with considerable... 

In the last decades, numerous attempts have been made to prevent microbial pollution spreading, using antibacterial agents. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) belongs to a subgroup of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) merits of attention due to the zinc ion clusters and its effective antibacterial activity. In this work, Ag-doped magnetic microporous γ-Fe2O3@SiO2@ZIF-8-Ag (FSZ-Ag) was successfully synthesized by a facile methodology in room temperature and used as an antibacterial agent against the growth of the Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Several characterization methods were applied to analyze the properties of the materials, and the... 

In the present work we report the enhanced UV light photocatalytic performance of cadmium titanate photocatalyst by MoO 3 for Drug pollutant degradation. The nano photocatalyst sample was synthesized employing the Pechini-ultrasonic-hydrothermal route. Therefore, the nano photocatalyst were characterized by various analytical devices. The wide scan X-ray photoelectron spectral study confirmed the MoO 3 in the CdTiO 3 matrix. The crystallite size calculated with the Debye-Scherrer equation (55.4, 57.0, 61.2 and 63.1 nm for pure CdTiO 3 , MoCdTi-0, MoCdTi-1, and MoCdTi-2 nanocomposites, respectively). SEM micrographs revealed nanowire morphology indicated the crystalline nature of the sample.... 

Enzymatic removal of Bisphenol A (BPA), acknowledged as an environmentally friendly approach, is a promising method to deal with hard degradable contaminants. However, the application of “enzymatic treatment” has been limited due to lower operational stability and practical difficulties associated with recovery and recycling. Enzyme immobilization is an innovative approach which circumvents these drawbacks. In this study, laccase from Trametes hirsuta was used for BPA removal. Amino-functionalized magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized via the co-precipitation method followed by surface modification with (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS). The as-prepared nanoparticles were... 

Human infertility is a multifactorial disease that affects 8%–12% of reproductive-aged couples worldwide. However, the genetic causes of human infertility are still poorly understood. Synaptonemal complex (SC) is a conserved tripartite structure that holds homologous chromosomes together and plays an indispensable role in the meiotic progression. Here, we identified three homozygous mutations in the SC coding gene C14orf39/SIX6OS1 in infertile individuals from different ethnic populations by whole-exome sequencing (WES). These mutations include a frameshift mutation (c.204_205del [p.His68Glnfs∗2]) from a consanguineous Pakistani family with two males suffering from non-obstructive... 

In this research, the efficiency of the integrated fixed-film activated sludge-oxic settling anoxic (IFAS-OSA) system in biological nutrient removal was studied. The oxic-settling anoxic (OSA) process is known as a cost effective way to reduce the nutrients (nitrogen and Phosphorus). According to the results, the percentages of total nitrogen removal efficiency in the IFAS, IFAS-OSA2h and IFAS-OSA4h systems were 78.56 ± 2.46, 83.60 ± 0.92 and 85.03 ± 1.69, respectively, while the percentages of phosphorus removal efficiency in these systems were 32.69 ± 8.25, 36.35 ± 6.73 and 39.87 ± 3.61, respectively. The PCR-RFLP method showed that C. albicans had the greatest prevalence (n = 36, 90%).... 

Mechanical ventilation (MV) can result in long-term brain impairments that are resistant to treatment. The mechanisms underlying MV-induced brain function impairment remain unclear. Since nasal airflow modulates brain activity, here we evaluated whether reinstating airflow during MV could influence the memory performance of rats after recovery. Rats were allocated into two study groups: one group received rhythmic air-puff into the nasal cavity during MV and a control group that underwent ventilation without air-puff. During MV, air-puffs induced time-locked event potentials in OB, mPFC and vHPC and significantly increased the oscillatory activity at the air-puff frequency. Furthermore, in... 

AgNPs@Chitosan and Co3O4-NPs@Chitosan were fabricated with Salvia hispanica. Results showed MZI values of 5 and 30 mm for Co3O4-NPs- and AgNPs@Chitosan against S. aureus, and 15 and 21 mm for Co3O4-NPs- and AgNPs@Chitosan against E. coli (24 h, 20 μg/mL), respectively. MTT assays showed up to 80% and 90%, 71% and 75%, and 91% and 94% mammalian cell viability for the green synthesized, chemically synthesized AgNPs and green synthesized AgNPs@Chitosan for HEK-293 and PC12 cells, respectively, and 70% and 71%, 59% and 62%, and 88% and 73% for the related Co3O4-NPs (24 h, 20 μg/mL). The photocatalytic activities showed dye degradation after 135 and 105 min for AgNPs@Chitosan and... 

Increasing energy demands for pollution-free and renewable energy technologies have stimulated intense research on the development of inexpensive, highly efficient, and stable non-noble metal electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this study, a superior OER performance was achieved using a tri-metallic (Zn, Co, Ni) high-performance electrocatalyst. We successfully fabricated a peony-flower-like hierarchical ZnCo2O4 through an additive-free hydrothermal reaction followed by heat treatment. Then NiCo-LDH (layered double hydroxides) nano-flakes was electrodeposited on the ZnCo2O4/GCE surface to prepare NiCo-LDH/ZnCo2O4/GCE which was used as electrode for OER. The structure and... 

The novel coronavirus pandemic has rapidly spread around the world since December 2019. Various techniques have been applied in identification of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 infection including computed tomography imaging, whole genome sequencing, and molecular methods such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This review article discusses the diagnostic methods currently being deployed for the SARS-CoV-2 identification including optical biosensors and point-of-care diagnostics that are on the horizon. These innovative technologies may provide a more accurate, sensitive and rapid diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 to manage the present novel coronavirus outbreak, and could be... 

Niosomes, as a kind of drug delivery system, is widely used for the topical delivery of lipophilic drugs. Optimization of niosomes plays an essential role in enhancing their therapeutic efficiencies. This study aims to prepare an optimized niosomal formulation of simvastatin (nSIM), a lipophilic member of statins, through the experiment (Response Surface methodology). Optimized niosomes were characterized in size, polydispersity index (PDI), entrapment efficiency (EE), stability, releasing pattern, and antimicrobial activity. The different molar ratio of surfactant and cholesterol were applied to prepare various formulation of simvastatin loaded niosome. Mean particle size and size... 

The novel coronavirus pandemic has rapidly spread around the world since December 2019. Various techniques have been applied in identification of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 infection including computed tomography imaging, whole genome sequencing, and molecular methods such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This review article discusses the diagnostic methods currently being deployed for the SARS-CoV-2 identification including optical biosensors and point-of-care diagnostics that are on the horizon. These innovative technologies may provide a more accurate, sensitive and rapid diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 to manage the present novel coronavirus outbreak, and could be... 

Niosomes, as a kind of drug delivery system, is widely used for the topical delivery of lipophilic drugs. Optimization of niosomes plays an essential role in enhancing their therapeutic efficiencies. This study aims to prepare an optimized niosomal formulation of simvastatin (nSIM), a lipophilic member of statins, through the experiment (Response Surface methodology). Optimized niosomes were characterized in size, polydispersity index (PDI), entrapment efficiency (EE), stability, releasing pattern, and antimicrobial activity. The different molar ratio of surfactant and cholesterol were applied to prepare various formulation of simvastatin loaded niosome. Mean particle size and size... 

Protein aggregation, such as amyloid fibril formation, is molecular hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Prion disease. Indole alkaloids are well-known as the compounds having the ability to inhibit protein fibrillation. In this study, we experimentally and computationally have investigated the anti-amyloid property of a derivative of a synthesized tetracyclic indole alkaloid (TCIA), possessing capable functional groups. The fibrillation reaction of Hen White Egg Lysozyme (HEWL) was performed in absence and presence of the indole alkaloid. For quantitative analysis, we used Thioflovin T binding assay which showed ~50% reduction in fibril... 

Acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), also called COVID-19, is one of the most contagious viruses resulting in a progressive pandemic. Since specific antiviral treatments have not been developed yet and its fatal rate is almost high, early and fast detection is critical for controlling the outbreak. In this study, a piezoelectric microcantilever biosensor has been designed for detecting COVID-19 samples directly without requiring preparation steps. The biosensor acts as a transducer and is coated with the related antibody. When the SARS-CoV-2 antigens adsorbed on the microcantilever top surface through their spike proteins, a surface stress due to the mass change would be... 

Memory and motor deficits are commonly identified in Parkinson's disease (PD). 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is transformed to MPP+ via monoamine oxidase B (MAOB), which causes oxidative stress and destroys dopaminergic (DA) neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and is widely used to create animal models of PD. However, to-date, a comprehensive analysis of the MPTP effects on various aspects of PD does not exist. Here, we provide a systematic review and meta-analysis on the MPTP effects on memory and motor functions by analyzing 51 studies on more than one thousand animals mainly including rats and mice. The results showed that in addition to motor functions... 

Two-dimensional MXenes are the newly emerging family of nanomaterials with competitive performance for nano-device development. Surface functional groups and abundant binding sites make these materials ideal candidates for sensor applications. Herein, we report the successful fabrication of a MXene-based nano-bio device for capturing, sensing, and filtering the Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Mannose carbohydrate, which binds strongly to E.coli's fimH protein via glucan multivalent interactions, is used as the bio-receptor element. MXene's structure was engineered to guarantee efficient E. coli capturing without mannose detachment. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic... 

In the present contribution, visible-near infrared hyperspectral imaging (Vis-NIR-HSI) combined with a novel chemometric approach based on mean-filed independent component analysis (MF-ICA) followed by multivariate classification techniques is proposed for saffron authentication and adulteration detection. First, MF-ICA was used to exploit pure spatial and spectral profiles of the components. Then, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were used to find patterns of authentic samples based on their distribution maps. Then, detection of five common plant-derived adulterants of saffron including safflower, saffron style, calendula, rubia and turmeric were... 

Sulfur quantum dots (SQDs) were fabricated using a facile hydrothermal method and used for the preparation of functional food packaging film and compared the properties with other sulfur-based fillers like elemental sulfur (ES) and sulfur nanoparticles (SNP). The SQDs have an average size of 5.3 nm and were very stable in aqueous suspension. Unlike other sulfur-based fillers, the SQD showed high antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activity, but no cytotoxicity was found for L929 mouse fibroblasts even after long-term exposure of 48 h. When sulfur-based fillers were added to the alginate film, SQD was more evenly dispersed in the polymer matrix than SNP and ES. The addition of SQD to...