زینب رئوفی

Vibrio cholerae is an aquatic pathogenic bacterium whose various strains cause diseases such as cholera, acute diarrhea, meningitis and sepsis. Due to the resistance of the strains to different antibiotics, the production of low-risk vaccines that affect all pathogenic strains can be the best method of control. Therefore, in this study, the vaccine potential of VceC outer membrane protein against V. cholerae was evaluated using bioinformatics methods. In addition to determining antigenicity, virulence, and physicochemical properties, B and T cell epitope mapping was performed to design the best peptide subunit vaccine. The results showed that the protein has optimal properties such as presence in all the studied strains, stability and long half-life, good temperature resistance, and solubility during overexpression. Numerous antigenic regions and linear and spatial epitopes were also observed along the protein sequence and structure. According to the location and antigenic properties, two linear and conformational subunit vaccines were designed that can be tested and used against the pathogenicity of different strains of V. cholerae.

Today, the use of natural materials in wound dressing has attracted more attention that can overcome the serious environmental problems caused by conventional synthetic materials. In this study, first gelatin was extracted from Caspian kilka fish waste and then used to make composite films in pure form (G), in combination with xanthan (GX) and Anghouzeh oil (GXA). Mechanical properties, swelling index and surface morphology of the films were investigated. The antibacterial and anti-biofilm effects of G, GX and GXA films were also evaluated. The highest tensile strength was recorded for GX film (37.30±0.59MPa) and the lowest value was recorded for pure gelatin film (11.74±0.2MPa). For elongation at break, the highest value was measured in GXA film (54.87±0.21%) and the lowest was in G film (15.61±0.68%). The highest swelling index was recorded for GX film at 300±15.3%. GXA film presented the highest antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities. The results of these study showed that the film made of gelatin in combination with xanthan and Anghouzeh oil has ideal mechanical and antibacterial properties to use in wound dressing structure.

Evaluation of conservation interventions performed on historical monuments is the basis for exchanging experiences, modifying approaches in choosing intervention methods and preventing irreparable errors in their conservation. Due to the complexity of the evaluation process and the failure to provide strategies that can make the result reliable by enhancing the validity of this evaluation; in Iran, interventions are either not evaluated or often evaluated tastefully without a specific strategy.

This study aims to extract the factors affecting the reliability of the evaluations, which are carried out with the approach of determining the scientific validity of the interventions. moreover, it aims to achieving an approach to increase the validity of the evaluation process and the accuracy of the results and applying it to a case study for the proposed strategy test.

In this applied research, first, the factors affecting the reliability of evaluation using documentary studies and descriptive analysis have been extracted from conservation texts and Charters. Then, through qualitative analysis, logical and strategic reasoning methods were developed for evaluation. In order to evaluate the effect of the case study and to test the approach, The values of the object and the conservationist’s priorities and objectives at the time of the intervention were provided to local conservationists by a semi-structured in-depth interview. Finally, the results of the survey which was conducted using a questionnaire were qualitatively analyzed and presented.

The findings show that for qualitative evaluation of conservation interventions, an approach based on the principle of participatory understanding of the work, reference to the five principles of protection and promotion of evaluator’s awareness of the five principles and values of the object can be used. Also, the application of the resulting strategy on Khajeh Atabak tomb showed that the degree of validity and scientific reliability of the intervention in the conservation of stucco decoration is prior to the vault hooping.

One of the most common inappropriate postures is forward head posture (FHP), which the head is placed in front of the trunk in sagittal plane. Due to head and neck joints and muscles’ impairments, it seems this postural disorder might affect neck proprioception. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate cervical proprioception in FHP subjects with and without neck pain and healthy subjects.

31 subjects with FHP, 31 subjects with FHP and 31 healthy subjects were participated in this study. Craniovertebral (CV) angle was determined by photography. Cervical range of motion (CROM) device was used to measure active range of motion (AROM), joint reposition error of target angle (50 percent of the total AROM) and neutral angle in neck flexion, extension, left and right rotation and lateral flexion.

The results of ANOVA test showed there was a significant difference between AROM of extension, right rotation, and left lateral flexion between groups (p<0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant difference between target and neutral angle reposition error in all directions in FHP groups and healthy group (p<0.05). Also, the result of Pearson correlation test showed a significant and inverse correlation between CV angle and repositioning error (p<0.05).

The results of our study showed that FHP, regardless of pain, increases the amount of joint reposition error. As a result, mechanical stability and normal kinematics are reduced.