Effects of Several Starter Cultures on the Anti-mold Activity and Sensory Attributes of a Traditional Flat Bread (Sangak) from Iran

Mohammad Ali Najafi,Karamatollah Rezaei,Mohammad Safari,Seyyed Hadi Razavi 한국식품과학회 2012 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.21 No.1

Effects of 8 different sourdoughs and their replacement levels at 10, 20, and 30%(w/w) on the volume (of dough), crust hardness, organoleptic, and anti-mold properties of Iranian sangak bread were investigated. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum,Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides were selected for the preparation of sourdough samples. The highest dough volume was achieved when sourdough (those having S. cerevisiae) was used at 30%. The highest taste scores were found with the bread sample using the above-mentioned starters at 30% sourdough replacement level. Considering the chewing, appearance, and overall quality of the new products, most of the samples maintained the favorite sensory aspects of sangak bread. Use of lactic acid bacteria and yeast strains as part of the sourdough formulation (followed by the use of sourdough in the dough formulation) resulted in improved crust properties and greater anti-mold activities.

Use of Sourdough to Reduce Phytic Acid and Improve Zinc Bioavailability of a Traditional Flat Bread (Sangak) from Iran

Mohammad Ali Najafi,Karamatollah Rezaei,Mohammad Safari,Seyyed Hadi Razavi 한국식품과학회 2012 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.21 No.1

In this study, effects of 8 different sourdough starters prepared with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum, L. acidophilus, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides were investigated on the phytic acid level and mole ratio of phytic acid to zinc in a traditional Iranian bread (sangak). Different sourdough preparations were made and incubated at 30oC for 16 h and added to the dough at 10, 20, and 30% replacement levels. Use of sourdough resulted in a decrease in phytic acid level (also in a decrease in the phytic acid to zinc mole ratio) and corresponding increase in zinc bioavailability index when compared to the commercial sangak bread. The lowest phytic acid concentration and highest zinc bioavailability index were achieved when S. cerevisiae, L. plantarum, and Leu. mesenteroides were used at 30.0% dough replacement with sourdough. This study provides awareness about the negative impacts of higher phytic acid level in the breads,which is particularly the case for sangak bread, and also provides a solution for such issue.

False-Positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis Detection: Ways to Prevent Cross- Contamination

( Mohammad Asgharzadeh ),( Mahdi Asghari Ozma ),( Jalil Rashedi ),( Behroz Mahdavi Poor ),( Vahid Agharzadeh ),( Ali Vegari ),( Behrooz Shokouhi ),( Khudaverdi Ganbarov ),( Nima Najafi Ghalehlou ),( H 대한결핵 및 호흡기학회 2020 Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases Vol.83 No.3

The gold standard method for diagnosis of tuberculosis is the isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis through culture, but there is a probability of cross-contamination in simultaneous cultures of samples causing false-positives. This can result in delayed treatment of the underlying disease and drug side effects. In this paper, we reviewed studies on falsepositive cultures of M. tuberculosis . Rate of occurrence, effective factors, and extent of false-positives were analyzed. Ways to identify and reduce the false-positives and management of them are critical for all laboratories. In most cases, falsepositive is occurring in cases with only one positive culture but negative direct smear. The three most crucial factors in this regard are inappropriate technician function, contamination of reagents, and aerosol production. Thus, to reduce false-positives, good laboratory practice, as well as use of whole-genome sequencing or genotyping of all positive culture samples with a robust, extra pure method and rapid response, are essential for minimizing the rate of false-positives. Indeed, molecular approaches and epidemiological surveillance can provide a valuable tool besides culture to identify possible false positives.

Internal Combustion Engine Control Based on CFM Strategy

Ali Reza Zarei,Mohammad Sadegh Dahideh,Mohammad Najafi,Mehran Afshar,Yaser Barmayeh 보안공학연구지원센터 2015 International Journal of Hybrid Information Techno Vol.8 No.2

Internal combustion (IC) engines are optimized to meet exhaust emission requirements with the best fuel economy. The mean-value engine model can be used to validate control strategies for different types of controllers that are model-based. The equations that are used to calculate the outputs of the model are approximated over an engine cycle. A significant advantage of the mean-value engine model is its low computational throughput which makes it possible for real-time simulation. In order to reduce engine emissions and improving engine fuel economy, closed loop combustion control, which requires cycleto-cycle combustion measurement such as cylinder pressure, is a necessity. The addition of a cylinder pressure signal to a mean value engine model will allow for developing closed loop combustion control strategies (or other strategies that involve cylinder pressure) to be validated. This is because the cylinder pressure model can produce a cylinder pressure signal for a complete engine operational map and a mean value engine model can produce real world engine parameters and conditions. The performance of the baseline computed fuel controller is compared with that of a baseline proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) controller.

Serum Resistant and Enhanced Transfection of Plasmid DNA by PEG-Stabilized Polyplex Nanoparticles of L-Histidine Substituted Polyethyleneimine

Haniye Najafi,Ali Mohammad Tamaddon,Samira Sadat Abolmaali,Bahareh Owrangi,Younes Ghasemi 한국고분자학회 2015 Macromolecular Research Vol.23 No.7

To improve transfection of plasmid DNA as well as serum protein stability of polyionic complex nanoparticles of branched polyethyleneimine (bPEI), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-stabilized nanoparticles were made from L-histidine substituted bPEI (PEI-Histidine) synthesized by Fmoc chemistry. The polymer was characterized by TNBS assay, 1H NMR, GFC, potentiometric titration and elemental analysis of carbon and nitrogen, DNA condensation, and the stability against extracellular matrix (heparin sulfate) was investigated by dye exclusion and agarose gel retardation assays. The nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering-zeta potential analyzer. Cytotoxicity and expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) were determined in hepatocellular carcinoma by MTT assay and fluorescent techniques. PEI-Histidine showed a reduced pKa without any significant loss of total primary amines. Plasmid DNA was condensed almost thoroughly with PEGylated polymers, either bPEI or PEI-Histidine, at lower critical N/P ratios. PEGylated PEI-Histidine showed the better resistance to heparin induced displacement and the lower cytotoxicity when it was compared to bPEI. Interestingly unlike bPEI, smaller and less positively charged nanoparticles were obtained from PEGylated PEI-Histidine at N/P ratio=2 that resulted in about 4 folds higher EGFP expression than bPEI without any significant cytotoxicity. These properties are consistent with the higher serum protein resistance and buffer capacity of PEGylated PEI-Histidine at endosomal acidic pH.

PEG-Poly(fumaric-sebacic acids)-PEG 삼중 블록 공중합체로 수용액에서 만들어진 폴리머솜의 분석과 방출특성

Pounehs. Pourhosseini,Ali A Saboury,Farhood Najafi,Adeleh Divsalar,Mohammad N Sarbolouki 한국고분자학회 2013 폴리머 Vol.37 No.3

Polymersomes made of biodegradable triblock copolymers based on poly(fumaric acid-co-sebacoyl chloride)/ PEG (PEG-co-P(FA/SC)-co-PEG) were prepared and studied in aqueous solutions. TEM confirmed the formation of vesicles in aqueous media. Aggregation behavior of the copolymers was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy of 8-anilino- 1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, and the critical aggregation concentration (c.a.c.) of the copolymer was found to be ~26.2 μM indicating desirable stability of the vesicles. Dynamic light scattering revealed that the size of the vesicles was distributed within the range of 170-270 nm. Turbidity measurements confirmed the relative short-term stability of the polymersomes. Carboxyfluorescein, a hydrophilic compound, was simply encapsulated in the vesicles during polymersome preparation. The release of encapsulant from the polymersomes at 25 and 37 oC lasted about 3 weeks, and the rate of release followed a first-order kinetics. The release is speculated to be primarily carried out through diffusion. These results confirm that these polymersomes are promising as controlled-release carriers of various drugs.

Estimation of the rate and number of underreported deliberate self-poisoning attempts in western Iran in 2015

Mehdi Moradinazar,Farid Najafi,Mohammad Reza Baneshi,Ali Akbar Haghdoost 한국역학회 2017 Epidemiology and Health Vol.39 No.-

OBJECTIVES: Rates of attempted deliberate self-poisoning (DSP) are subject to undercounting, underreporting, and denial of the suicide attempt. In this study, we estimated the rate of underreported DSP, which is the most common method of attempted suicide in Iran. METHODS: We estimated the rate and number of unaccounted individuals who attempted DSP in western Iran in 2015 using a truncated count model. In this method, the number of people who attempted DSP but were not referred to any health care centers, n0, was calculated through integrating hospital and forensic data. The crude and age-adjusted rates of attempted DSP were estimated directly using the average population size of the city of Kermanshah and the World Health Organization (WHO) world standard population with and without accounting for underreporting. The Monte Carlo method was used to determine the confidence level. RESULTS: The recorded number of people who attempted DSP was estimated by different methods to be in the range of 46.6 to 53.2% of the actual number of individuals who attempted DSP. The rate of underreported cases was higher among women than men and decreased as age increased. The rate of underreported cases decreased as the potency and intensity of toxic factors increased. The highest underreporting rates of 69.9, 51.2, and 21.5% were observed when oil and detergents (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision [ICD-10] code: X66), medications (ICD-10 code: X60-X64), and agricultural toxins (ICD-10 codes: X68, X69) were used for poisoning, respectively. Crude rates, with and without accounting for underreporting, were estimated by the mixture method as 167.5 per 100,000 persons and 331.7 per 100,000 persons, respectively, which decreased to 129.8 per 100,000 persons and 253.1 per 100,000 persons after adjusting for age on the basis of the WHO world standard population. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of individuals who attempted DSP were not referred to a hospital for treatment or denied the suicide attempt for political or sociocultural reasons. Individuals with no access to counseling services are at a higher risk for repeated suicide attempts and fatal suicides.

Air Pollution Reduction Based on Intelligent Nonlinear Control Methodology

Yaser Barmayeh,Mehran Afshar,Mohammad Sadegh Dahideh,Mohammad Najafi,Ali Reza Zarei 보안공학연구지원센터 2015 International Journal of Hybrid Information Techno Vol.8 No.1

This paper expands a Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) fuzzy baseline control (FBC) which controller coefficient is off-line tuned by gradient descent algorithm. The main goal is to adjust the optimal value for fuel ratio (FR) in motor engine. The fuzzy inference system in proposed methodology is works based on Mamdani-Lyapunov fuzzy inference system (FIS). To reduce dependence on the gain updating factor coefficients of the fuzzy methodology, PID baseline method is introduced. This new method provides an optimal setting for other factors which created by PID baseline method. The gradient descent methodology is off-line tune all coefficients of baseline fuzzy based on mathematical optimization methodology. Simulation results signify good performance of fuel ratio in presence of different torque load and external disturbance.