Sharif Digital Repository

In current study, a meta-analysis approach was used to identify and evaluate the impact of various factors on the performance of integrated systems of anaerobic digestion with microbial electrolysis cell. In this study, related articles on the topic were systematically identified and collected according to the considered criteria, and the effect size that refers to the value of the difference between variables mean (total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal rate and CH4 yield) was estimated. According to the meta-analysis, fed-batch operation mode, the range of 20< temperature ≤30 °C, metal cathodes, the range of 500< anode surface area ≤5000 cm2, HRT (hydraulic retention time) >20 days,... 

The feasibility of employing the biological activated carbon (BAC) process to debilitate azo dye Carmoisine by Klebsiella spp. was investigated. Plate assay revealed the capability of Klebsiella spp. for removal of Carmoisine via degradation. Kinetic parameters were measured for Carmoisine debilitation by Klebsiella spp. using the suspended anaerobic process. Two types of granular and rod-shaped activated carbon were used to form the biological beds in order to study the Carmoisine debilitation in batch processes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used to indicate the colonization and biofilm formation of bacteria grown on activated carbon... 

Fabrication of scaffolds with enhanced mechanical properties and desirable cellular compatibility is critical for numerous tissue engineering applications. This study was aimed at fabrication and characterization of a nanofiber skin substitute composed of collagen (Col)/sodium alginate (SA)/ polyethylene oxide (PEO)/Rhodotorula mucilaginosa sp. GUMS16 produced exopolysaccharides (EPS) were prepared using the biaxial electrospinning technique. This study used collagen extracted from the bovine tendon as a natural scaffold, sodium alginate as an absorber of excess wound fluids, and GUMS16 produced exopolysaccharides as an antioxidant. Collagen was characterized using FTIR and EDS analyses. The... 

In this study, antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, and corrosion resistance of 316 LVM implants were improved using the development of HAp/GO/Ag nanocomposite coatings by the dip-coating method. The XRD and FTIR results confirmed the synthesis of HAp/GO/Ag nanocomposites. HAp/Ag nanoparticles (68 nm) bound to epoxy, hydroxyl, and carboxyl functional groups on GO sheets (size of GO sheets varies from 255 to 1480 nm) by electrostatic interaction. FESEM images showed that HAp/GO/Ag coatings had higher density and fewer micro-cracks than pure HAp coatings. In addition, HAp/GO/Ag coatings showed optimized nano-hardness (4.5 GPa) and elasticity modulus (123 GPa). The results of... 

The gut-brain axis is believed to constitute a bidirectional communication mechanism that affects both mental and digestive processes. Recently, the role of the gut microbiota in cognitive performance has been the focus of much research. In this paper, we discuss the effects of gut microbiota and nutrition on spatial memory and learning. Studies have shown the influence of diet on cognitive capabilities such as spatial learning and memory. It has been reported that a high-fat diet can alter gut microbiota which subsequently leads to changes in spatial learning and memory. Some microorganisms in the gut that can significantly affect spatial learning and memory are Akkermansia muciniphila,... 

In this study, optimized preparation, quality control, cell assessments and biostribution of 188Re-HYNIC-PSMA in normal rats and tumor bearing mice are studied. Optimized conditions for radiolabeling were evaluated and radiochemical purity (> 99%) was investigated using ITLC and HPLC methods. 188Re-HYNIC-PSMA was stable both in PBS (4 °C) and in human serum (37 °C) even after 48 h. The results showed the complex was cleared from the blood very fast via urinary track. This new radiolabeled compound has a high potential to be considered as an agent for the treatment of patients with PSMA expressing tumors however more biological studies are still needed. © 2022, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest,... 

A short lifespan and increased consumption patterns make e-waste the world's fastest-growing waste stream. Computers are one of the most significant parts of e-waste. Recycling of e-waste has been introduced as the main solution to deal with environmental problems and to save natural mines. This research aims to investigate the bioleaching of Cu, Ni, and Al from computer printed circuit boards (CPCBs) using Penicillium simplicissimum. The adaptation phase began at 1 g/l CPCBs powder with 107 spores and final pulp density was reached at 30 g/l. The most effective parameters including pulp density, initial pH, and the sucrose concentration were optimized to achieve maximum simultaneous... 

Green biomaterials play a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases as well as health-related problem-solving. Typically, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical strength are requirements centered on biomaterial engineering. However, in-hospital therapeutics require an elaborated synthesis of hybrid and complex nanomaterials capable of mimicking cellular behavior. Accumulation of hazardous cations like K+ in the inner and middle ear may permanently damage the ear system. We synthesized nanoplatforms based on Allium noeanum to take the first steps in developing biological porous nanomembranes for hazardous cation detection in biological media. The... 

Simultaneous recording of activity across brain regions can contain additional information compared to regional recordings done in isolation. In particular, multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) across voxels has been interpreted as evidence for distributed coding of cognitive or sensorimotor processes beyond what can be gleaned from a collection of univariate effects (UVE) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Here, we argue that regardless of patterns revealed, conventional MVPA is merely a decoding tool with increased sensitivity arising from considering a large number of ‘weak classifiers’ (i.e., single voxels) in higher dimensions. We propose instead that ‘real’ multivoxel... 

Although medical advancements have successfully helped a lot of couples with their infertility by assisted reproductive technologies (ART), sperm selection, a crucial stage in ART, has remained challenging. Therefore, we aimed to investigate novel sperm separation methods, specifically microfluidic systems, as they do sperm selection based on sperm and/or the female reproductive tract (FRT) features without inflicting any damage to the selected sperm during the process. In this review, after an exhaustive studying of FRT features, which can implement by microfluidics devices, the focus was centered on sperm selection and investigation devices. During this study, we tried not to only point to... 

Microfluidics is a promising approach for the facile and large-scale fabrication of monodispersed droplets for various applications in biomedicine. This technology has demonstrated great potential to address the limitations of regenerative medicine. Microfluidics provides safe, accurate, reliable, and cost-effective methods for encapsulating different stem cells, gametes, biomaterials, biomolecules, reagents, genes, and nanoparticles inside picoliter-sized droplets or droplet-derived microgels for different applications. Moreover, microenvironments made using such droplets can mimic niches of stem cells for cell therapy purposes, simulate native extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue... 

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent causes of cancer mortality in women. In order to increase patient prognosis and survival rates, new technologies are urgently required to deliver therapeutics in a more effective and efficient manner. Niosome nanoparticles have been recently employed as therapeutic platforms capable of loading and carrying drugs within their core for both mono and combination therapy. Here, niosome-based nanoscale carriers were investigated as a targeted delivery system for breast cancer therapy. The platform developed consists of niosomes loaded with letrozole and cyclophosphamide (NLC) and surface-functionalized with a folic-acidtargeting moiety (NLCPFA). Drug... 

Background: Melittin, a peptide component of honey bee venom, is an appealing candidate for cancer therapy. In the current study, melittin, melittin-loaded niosome, and empty niosome had been optimized and the anticancer effect assessed in vitro on 4T1 and SKBR3 breast cell lines and in vivo on BALB/C inbred mice. "Thin-layer hydration method" was used for preparing the niosomes; different niosomal formulations of melittin were prepared and characterized in terms of morphology, size, polydispersity index, encapsulation efficiency, release kinetics, and stability. A niosome was formulated and loaded with melittin as a promising drug carrier system for chemotherapy of the breast cancer cells.... 

Background: Superior biomechanical performance of tapered interference screws, compared with non-tapered screws, with reference to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction process, has been reported in the literature. However, the effect of tapered interference screw’s body slope on the initial stability of ACL is poorly understood. Thus, the main goal of this study was to investigate the effect of the interference screw’s body slope on the initial stability of the reconstructed ACL. Methods: Based on the best screw-bone tunnel diameter ratios in non-tapered screws, two different tapered interference screws were designed and fabricated. The diameters of both screws were equal to... 

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%).... 

Recent evidence implicates both basal ganglia and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) in encoding value memories. However, comparative roles of cortical and basal nodes in value memory are not well understood. Here, single-unit recordings in vlPFC and substantia nigra reticulata (SNr), within macaque monkeys, revealed a larger value signal in SNr that was nevertheless correlated with and had a comparable onset to the vlPFC value signal. The value signal was maintained for many objects (>90) many weeks after reward learning and was resistant to extinction in both regions and to repetition suppression in vlPFC. Both regions showed comparable granularity in encoding expected value and value... 

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... 

Irregular hemodynamics affects the progression of various vascular diseases, such atherosclerosis or aneurysms. Despite the extensive hemodynamics studies on animal models, the inter-species differences between humans and animals hamper the translation of such findings. Recent advances in vascular tissue engineering and the suitability ofin vitromodels for interim analysis have increased the use ofin vitrohuman vascular tissue models. Although the effect of flow on endothelial cell (EC) pathophysiology and EC-flow interactions have been vastly studied in two-dimensional systems, they cannot be used to understand the effect of other micro- and macro-environmental parameters associated with... 

Biomass, originates from plant- or animal-based materials with a huge potential to be reused. Here we report a simple, rapid and inexpensive method for preparation of modified biochars derived from the banana peel followed by their applications in pipette-tip micro solid-phase extraction (PT-µSPE). Due to the contribution of various effective parameters on modification of banana peel biochars (BPBs), Taguchi design was used to optimize activation temperature, activation repetition, treatment material and impregnation ratio. Efficiency of the prepared BPBs were studied by extraction of twelve various pesticides, as model analytes with an extended range of log P values (1.4–5.7), followed by...