Nanofluids have gained considerable attention as potential alternatives to pure fluids in cooling systems, particularly in boiling flow systems operating in two-phase vapor–liquid conditions. While ...nanofluids enhance heat transfer in cooling systems, a significant challenge associated with their implementation is the issue of nanoparticle deposition and sedimentation. Numerical analyses often neglect the deposition layer formed on the walls of pipes and channels. Disregarding this layer in simulations can lead to significant errors in estimating fluid flow and heat transfer parameters. This study investigates the boiling flow of four different nanofluids (nickel–water, gold–water, aluminum–water, and titanium oxide–water) with a volume fraction of 0.03% and pure water in a vertical tube with a diameter of 1.45 mm using a two-dimensional simulation in MATLAB software. In the simulation, five mass transfer mechanisms including evaporation, condensation, deposition, entrainment, and fluid entry into the sedimentary area are considered. To simulate the sedimentary layer, the rules of the porous media have been used. In addition, Brownian motion of particles and Kapitza resistance are also considered in the calculations. The primary objective is to demonstrate the impact of deposition layer simulation on the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) and critical heat flux (CHF) in various nanofluids. The results indicate that the deposition layer causes an average reduction of 31% in the HTC and 16% in the CHF. The findings emphasize the importance of incorporating deposition layer simulation in analyzing boiling nanofluids. Ignoring sediment phenomenon can result in substantial errors in predicting heat transfer and CHF, with significant implications for the design and optimization of nanofluid-based cooling systems.
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an important parasitic disease which is endemic in different parts of Iran; and domestic and wild canines are principal reservoir hosts of the disease. The objective of ...this study was to review the spatial distribution of canine VL (CVL) caused by Leishmania infantum in domestic and wild canines in different geographical areas of Iran. An extensive literature search was conducted in different international and national databases, including Cochrane, MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Iran Medex to find articles with the words "visceral leishmaniasis in Iran" in their titles and "canine visceral leishmaniasis in Iran" or "feline visceral leishmaniasis in Iran" or "accidental reservoir hosts of visceral leishmaniasis in Iran" in their subtitles, irrespective of the type and duration of study. Screening of the irrelevant articles from total 36,342, yielded 61 eligible articles. More than 93% of the studies were carried out on domestic dogs (Canis familiaris, n = 57) and the remaining were on other carnivores such as wild canines including foxes (Vulpes vulpes, n = 4), jackals (C. aureus, n = 6) and wolves (C. lupus, n = 6); while studies on domestic cats (Felis catus, n = 3) as well as desert rodents (n = 2) were rare. The average rate of L. infantum infections reported among domestic dogs using direct agglutination test (DAT) in Iran was 12.5%. The highest prevalence rate (14%) was reported from the northwest regions of the country where VL is endemic. The review indicates that CVL is endemic in various parts of Iran and domestic dogs are the main and potential reservoir hosts of the disease. Other carnivores, such as domestic cats and some species of desert rodents (Cricetulus migratorius, Mesocricetus auratus and Meriones persicus) seem to be playing a role in the maintenance of transmission cycle of L. infantum in the endemic areas of the disease.
This paper is aimed to assess the mechanical properties of a hybrid graphene-carbon nanotube carrier embedded with doxorubicin (DOX). Utilizing molecular dynamics simulation, the results reveal that ...by increasing the temperature from 309 to 313 K, the elastic modulus of the GS/CNT/DOX carrier decreases from 0.8 to 0.74 TPa. Also, it is shown that the presence of chitosan molecules enhances the mechanical characteristics of the proposed nanocarrier. Taking the chirality of the graphene sheet into account, the results indicate that by increasing the size of the graphene sheet, the failure stress is slightly increased for the armchair type. However, this value decreases as the size of the zigzag sample increases. Additionally, the influence of aspect ratio on the elastic modulus, fracture stress, and fracture strain of these systems is systematically examined. It has been shown that the failure stress may change significantly with increasing this parameter, especially for carrier systems having zigzag carbon nanostructures. Moreover considering various voids content in the CNT structure, the weakening effect of defects is systematically explored. Also, the dependence of the mechanical features of the proposed hybrid carrier on the presence of DOX molecules is studied via MD simulations. Finally, we have investigated the role of CNT physical characteristics including its size and chirality on the results.
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Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is the main phytochemical of Curcuma longa Linn, an extract of the rhizome turmeric. For thousands of years, turmeric among other natural products has been used as a ...dietary spice and as a medicinal plant in Asian countries. The present study reports the leishmanicidal activity of curcumin in different concentrations (10 μM, 20 μM, 40 μM). It is also showing the effect of CM11 peptide (8 μM) alone and in combination with curcumin (10 and 20 μM) as a leishmanicidal drug. The experiments were performed with the amastigote form of Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER) in vitro and the leishmanicidal activity was analyzed after 12 and 24 h of incubation by Giemsa and DAPI staining. Further investigation was done by using semi-quantitative PCR with new designed common primer pair derived from an 18S rRNA gene belonging to the L. major and mouse, which amplified the above-mentioned gene segments simultaneously with different PCR product size. Our findings showed that curcumin had leishmanicidal activity in a dose and time-dependent manner and its lowest effective dose was at concentrations of 40 μM afetr12 h and 10 μM after 24 h. The IC50 value of curcumin against amastigote forms of L. major was 21.12 μM and 11.77 μM after 12 and 24 h, respectively. Treatment of amastigote form with CM11 (8 μM) alone and in combination with curcumin (10 μM and 20 μM) showed less leishmanicidal activity. Interestingly, CM11 in combination with curcumin (10 μM and 20 μM) had even less leishmanicidal effect compared to curcumin alone in the same concentrations (10 μM and 20 μM). The semi-quantitative PCR analysis confirmed the data achieved by Giemsa and DAPI staining and showed that curcumin reduced the PCR product derived from amastigote form in concentration and time-dependent manner compared to the genome of the host cells.
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•Curcumin has antileishmanicidal activity against amastigote form of L. major (MRHO/IR75/ER) in dose not toxic for host cells in vitro.•The evaluation of treatment can be easily performed by Giemsa staining.•The evaluation of treatment can be easily performed by PCR using primers amplifying simultaneously genomic DNA from L. major and mouse.
is an intracellular protozoan parasite distributed worldwide. Although the infection is benign in immunocompetent individuals, it is life threatening and complicated in immunocompromised patients and ...fetuses of pregnant women who received their first exposure to
during the pregnancy. Prolactin (PRL) is a hormone that is secreted by the pituitary gland, and it is confirmed that it plays a role in the immune system. The present study was carried out to assess the possible relation between serum PRL levels and
infection frequency in human.
In this cross-sectional study, 343 serum samples (240 from women and 103 from men) were collected from individuals who were referred for PRL checking in laboratories of Karaj, Iran. Blood samples were collected, and sera were separated and analyzed for the detection of anti-
IgG antibody by ELISA method. The levels of PRL were measured by Roche Elecsys 2010 analyzer, electrochemiluminescence technology.
Of 343 sera, 110 samples (32%) consisting of samples from 42 men and 68 women had anti-
IgG antibody. The prevalence of
infection in women with high PRL levels was lower than that in the comparison group with normal levels of PRL and the relationship between these two parameters was statistically significant (
=0.016). In women with hyperprolactinemia, by increasing of PRL levels, the prevalence of
infection was reduced.
The results of the current study confirmed the previous studies based on immunoregulatory role of PRL and indicated that high levels of PRL could be related to
seronegativity in women.
•Lmp27−/− mutant as a vaccine candidate is safe in dogs.•Lmp27−/− mutant induces protective immunity against heterologous challenge in dogs.•Lmp27−/− mutant as vaccine candidate induces protection ...against canine leishmaniasis.
Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is an important parasitic e disease caused by Leishmania infantum and is transmitted by female phlebotomine sand flies primarily between canines and secondarily to humans. Recently, we showed that immunization with Leishmania major p27 gene knockout (Lmp27−/−) as a live attenuated vaccine was safe, induced immunogenicity, and protected against the development cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis in mice. The p27 protein is a component of the COX protein complex which is responsible for ATP production. In this study, we analyzed the Lmp27−/− candidate vaccine potential with this regard to the safety and induction of immunogenicity and protection against CanL. Variables such a clinical manifestation, anti-Leishmania antibodies using direct agglutination test (DAT), lymphocyte proliferation, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), bone marrow aspiration (BMA) and parasite burden using parasitological and molecular examinations were measured. The results demonstrated that the Lmp27−/− vaccinated group showed no clinical signs after inoculation with Lmp27−/− mutant during a 12-month follow-up, and had significantly higher T-cell responses (Lymphocyte proliferation and DTH), lower seroconversion and parasite burdens following a challenge inoculation with L. infantum after 6-mounth. In conclusion, vaccination with Lmp27−/− parasites would be safe and provide significant immunoprotectivity and efficacy against infection with wild type (WT) L. infantum.
Mediterranean visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease caused by
Leishmania infantum
and transmitted by the bites of infected female sand flies. Iran is one of the endemic areas of this disease. ...Dogs and canines are the major reservoir hosts of
Leishmania infantum
in the new and old world, including Iran. If visceral leishmaniasis is left untreated, it may result in a 90% mortality rate. The identification and elimination of infected dogs are efficient ways to control this disease. The diagnostic methods used to identify these animals cannot yield 100% detection. Therefore, in the present study, we used a multiepitope recombinant protein (PQ10) to distinguish between symptomatic and asymptomatic infections caused by
Leishmania infantum
in animal reservoirs (dogs). The coding sequence of PQ10 recombinant protein was sub-cloned in pET28 expression vector and was commercially synthesized by GENERAY Biotechnology, China. In the following process, sequencing was performed with plasmid-specific primers and followed by the expression, optimization of expression. The purified recombinant protein was confirmed using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot. The efficacy of recombinant PQ10 protein was evaluated by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test using 150 dog sera (25 symptomatic positive sera, 25 asymptomatic positive sera, 80 negative sera, and 20 sera of dogs with other infectious diseases). Direct agglutination test (DAT) as the standard method was used to compare and determine specificity and sensitivity. The results indicated that the sensitivity and specificity of ELISA using infected dog sera were 94% and 86%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values for dog sera were reported as 87.03% and 93.47%, respectively. This protein was able to identify 92% of asymptomatic dogs with visceral leishmaniasis. The results showed that the recombinant protein PQ10 is able to identify positive cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis, especially asymptomatic cases.
Cystic echinococcosis is endemic in Iran, particularly in Ardabil Province, where it causes health and economic problems. The genetic pattern of Echinococcus granulosus has been determined in most ...parts of Iran, except in this area. In the present investigation, 55 larval isolates were collected from humans (11), sheep (19), goats (4) and cattle (21). For analysis of the genetic characteristics of E. granulosus isolates, DNA sequencing of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) genes was applied. Fifty isolates were successfully analysed, with 92% (46) and 8% (4) identified as G1 and G3 genotypes, respectively. The sequence analyses of the isolates displayed nine characteristic profiles in cox1 sequences and eight characteristic profiles in nad1 sequences. Based on these results, the sheep strain (G1 genotype) was the most prevalent in humans, sheep, goats and cattle. The buffalo strain (G3 genotype) was not only demonstrated in sheep (1 isolate) and cattle (1 isolate), but also for the first time in two human isolates. These findings will provide information for local control of echinococcosis.
Dermatophytosis is a frequent cutaneous infection affecting the keratinized tissues of humans, pets and livestock. Animals can carry dermatophytic elements asymptomatically and are considered to play ...an important role in the epidemiology of the disease. As exposure to any infected lesion free animals, especially cats, may lead to the development of infection in humans.
This study was done to determine the frequency of fungal agents isolated from skin and hair of cats living in rural areas of Meshkin-shahr, Iran.
A total of 103 asymptomatic cats living in rural areas of the region were studied.
This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed in Medical Mycology Laboratory, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences from February 2015 to July 2016. A total of 103 asymptomatic cats were studied. Mycological analysis including direct examination and culture on SC, SCC and DTM of the collected samples were conducted. For molecular confirmation when needed, panfungal PCR targeting the ITS1 region of the rDNA gene cluster using primers ITS1 and ITS4 were performed. Gender and age were also recorded.
None of the 103 cats examined were positive for fungal elements on direct examination. However, 15 (14.5%) cases showed dermatophytes growth. T. verrucosum was the most common etiologic agents of dermatophytosis. Although the gender of the cats had not significant association with dermatophytosis prevalence, age was a significant influential risk factor (P=0.019). Aspergillus spp., Alternaria spp., Rhizopus spp., Penicillium spp.and paecilomyces spp. in descending frequency were the most predominantly identified saprophytic fungi.
Our findings clearly highlighted the epidemiological role of asymptomatic cats in spreading dermatophytosis to humans and other animals.
The goal of this study was to know the identity of Leishmania species responsible of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Fars Province, southern Iran.
Five counties of Shiraz, Firouz Abad, Ghir-Karzin, ...Farashband and Larestan were prospected. Forty-four patients exhibiting cutaneous lesions were selected. Samples collected on skin lesions were examined both microscopically (after Giemsa staining) and molecularly (after PCR-RFLP).
On the 44 examined patients, 39 exhibit Leishmania sp. by microscopical examination, all confirmed by PCR. For five patients with negative microscopical examination, PCR was positive for three of them. Among these 42 positive samples, 3 (7%) were infected by L. tropica and 39 (93%) by L. major.
Leishmania major is the most prevalent species in prospected area and L. tropica occurs in Shiraz and Ghir-Karzin counties.
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