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Background: Polymerase chain reaction is the most common technique in the field of molecular biology that use for amplification of a specific nucleic acid sequence. Degenerate primers have ability to amplify related but distinct sequences. The aim of current study was to use, two sets of degenerate primers in combination with Hemi Nested PCR for detection V3-Loop sequence of envelope gene from wide spectrum of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) subtypes. Material and Methods: In this experimental study we designed and optimized, a degenerate primer pair in combination with Hemi Nested PCR, to detect HIV-1 V3 loop from Envelop gene that has wide variations among genotypes. The developed assay was used to check, 40 HIV infected, 10 negative controls as well as 5 samples from each HCV, HBV, HGV, and TTV were analyzed using developed method. Results: after optimization, 35 out of 40 positive controls were positive using our test. None of the negative human and viral control samples showed specific band. Also, in positive samples, non-specific bands were not detected. Conclusion: In this study moreover than standard PCR, we used two degenerate primers that could detect specific region of genome. In fact, first round of PCR product act as a template for second round inner primers and can produce smaller sequence with high sensitivity due to degeneracy. Based on the current investigation, the developed assay had advantages including product confirmation and hence more sensitivity.

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        Background: Dendrimers are a subset of branched structures that have certain structural order. The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of Polypropylenimine-G2 (PPI-G2) dendrimers in removal of Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus from aqueous solution .

        Materials and Methods: In this experimental study , initially dilution of 10³ CFU/ml was prepared from each strain of bacteria . Then , different concentrations of dendrimers (0.5, 5, 50 and 500 µg/ml) was added to water . In order to determine the efficiency of dendrimers in removal of bacteria, samples were taken at different times (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min) and were cultured on nutrient agar medium . Samples were incubated for 24 hours at 37 ° C and then the number of colonies was counted .

       Results: By the increasment of dendrimer concentration and contact time , the number of bacteria in aqueous solution decreased. In times of 40 , 50 and 60 minutes, and the concentrations of 50 and 500 µg/ml, all kinds of bacteria in aqueous solution were removed . 0.5 µg/ml of dendrimer concentration had not effect in reducing the number of Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis . The effect of dendrimer on gram-negative bacteria was weaker than gram-positive bacteria.

       Conclusion: Results of this study indicated that PP I -G2 dendrimer is able to remove Escherichia coli , Proteus mirabilis , Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis in aqueous solution. However, using dendrimers can be considered as a new approach for drinking water disinfection but it requires further wide range studies.

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Introduction: Coronaviruses are mainly the cause of respiratory disease in humans, and among the known species, the coronaviruses that cause SARS, MERS, and Covid 19 cause severe respiratory disease. So far, no specific treatment has been found for these diseases. Considering the beneficial effects of medicinal plants as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, the use of herbal compounds can be effective in mild infection of coronaviruses.
Methods: PubMed database was used to search for articles containing the terms coronavirus, SARS, MERS, as well as human and herbal medicine. The inclusion criteria were all full articles with the mentioned keywords and the exclusion criteria were summary articles and articles presented in conferences. A total of 36 articles on human coronaviruses were found. Most of the studies were about SARS (SARS-CoV) with 26 articles (72.22%). Two articles (5.55%) were found about Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) and only one article (2.77%) about MERS (MERS-CoV). It should be noted that one study included SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV and six studies (16.66%) also investigated SARS, MERS and Covid-19 at the same time. Ethical principles have been respected in writing the article, according to the instructions of the National Ethics Committee and COPE regulations.
Results: Some medicinal plants have been identified with effective antiviral activity against SARS, MERS, and Covid-19 coronaviruses, including green tea, cinnamon, licorice, cure, sage, chives, rhubarb, nettle, and blackberry. Considering that these medicinal plants have already been used with different therapeutic effects in the human medicinal pharmacopoeia, it is recommended to conduct clinical trials on humans in order to achieve an effective dose against common human coronaviruses.
Conclusions: Although some medicinal plants have been recommended for use in the treatment of coronavirus respiratory syndrome in humans, the effects of these plants on other biological factors have not been studied, until now. It is necessary to evaluate their side effects simoultaneous with clinical trials and confirming the effectiveness of these compounds.

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Backgrand: Inflammation can cause damage to the central nervous system, leading to neuropathological diseases such as stroke, pain, schizophrenia, and Alzheimers. AIM2 is a member of the PYHIN hematopoietic nuclear protein family that binds to cytosolic DNA and activates caspase-1, one of the inflammatory-mediated caspases that activates pro-inflammatory cytokines. The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of a swimming training course on the expression of caspase-1 and AIM2 proteins in the hippocampus of male Wistar rats.
Method: The statistical population of this study included 16 male Wistar rats (6 weeks) divided into two groups: a group without training and an endurance training group. Eight rats were placed in each group. The group without training did not engage in any sports activities, while the training group participated in a swimming training session. After a 4-day familiarization period, the rats swam for 30 minutes from the fifth day. Independent T-test was used to evaluate the interventions, and all statistical calculations were done using SPSS statistical software.
Results: The results of this research showed that exercise caused a significant decrease in the level of caspase-1 and AIM2 proteins in the hippocampus of male Wistar rats.
Discussion: Overall, this study suggests that endurance swimming training can effectively reduce caspase-1 and AIM2 proteins. Therefore, it is possible that exercise, by reducing inflammatory factors, can be a potential treatment for diseases caused by inflammation, such as sclerosis, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimers.