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Aims: Reports show that vaccination against influenza could elicit nonspecific immune reactions against coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). The present research aimed to evaluate the prevalence of COVID-19 disease among the staff of Shahid Beheshti hospital in Kashan despite vaccination against influenza.
Materials & Methods: This study was performed on 1400 employees of Shahid Beheshti hospital in Kashan from February to August 2020. Personnel whose disease was confirmed by PCR test or CT scan were considered to have COVID-19. In the present research, the relationship between influenza vaccination and the incidence of COVID-19 infection was evaluated. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software Version 26.
Findings: Out of a total of 1400 hospital personnel participating in this study, 272 people were diagnosed as COVID-19. Among 272 patients, 23 (8.45%) cases were vaccinated. The average age of vaccinated patients was 33.48 ± 12.72 years, of whom 14 (60.87%) patients were female. Vaccination was significantly associated with prevention of COVID-19 infection (p< .05). The study of odds ratio (OR) to evaluate the effect of vaccination showed that the OR was 0.61 (95% CI: 0.39- 0.97). There was a significant difference in SpO₂, type of treatment, and lung involvement based on CT between the two groups of vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID-19 patients (p< .05).
Conclusion: In vaccinated group, COVID-19 was lower than of the no influenza vaccinated group. According to the results, the use of influenza vaccine as an effective vaccine against the new coronavirus strains could be helpful in controlling the disease.

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Iran is one of the most important fig producer countries around the world. Intermediate moisture fig is a processed product. One problem about intermediate moisture fig is that the color will be changed and transmute to brown during storage after processing. The purpose of this research was to study soaking temperature and time effects and to evaluate the effects of calcium chloride, cysteine, sodium metabisulphite and citric acid in various concentrations on prevention of semi-moisture fig browning at room temperature. Chemical compounds (protein, total sugar, fat, fiber and moisture) of fig samples were determined. In order to prepare product five different periods of time(3, 6, 9, 12, 15 min) and five different degrees of temperature (20, 40, 60, 80, 100°C) based on central composite rotational design were used. Samples were kept in room temperature for 2 weeks to evaluate the effects of soaking parameters on color and texture of product. After that moisture, color and texture of samples were determined. First different solution of calcium chloride (0.6, 1, 1.5, 2% w/w), citric acid (0.5, 1, 2, 3%w/w), cysteine (0.05, 0.07, 0.2, 0.5%w/w) and sodium metabisulphite (500, 800, 1000 and 1200 ppm ) were prepared. Dried figs were dipped in prepared solutions and water was used to evaluate control samples to optimize the time and temperature, then color of the samples were measured in specific period of time during four months. Results showed that temperature of 60°C and 3min interval provided 20% moisture in the product which assessed as the best moisture content for preserving color and texture. The most desirable L value was obtained using citric acid (1, 2, 3%w/w) and Calcium chloride (1.5%w/w). However sodium metabisulphite and cysteine in concentration of 0.07%, 0.05%, 0.2% showed significant difference with control, the results were not satisfactory. Results showed that using suitable temperature in rehydration of fig to inactivate poly phenol oxidase and chemical treatments to postpone and reduce the browning reaction rate were effective.    

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Wheat starch is the most common type of starch in Iran as well as many other parts of the world with enormous applications in food and non-food products. To improve its physicochemical properties or create new functionalities, starch can be modified by changing its molecular structure. Amongst different methods for starch modification, physical methods have received more attention recently. Pre-gelatinization of starch is a physical method to modify the properties of native starch. The main aim of this research was to study the physicochemical properties of pre-gelatinized wheat starch produced using a small scale industrial twin drum drier. The results indicated that drum drying destroyed native starch granules, degraded molecular structure and reduced the degree of crystallinity of starch. Pre-gelatinized starch (PGS) showed cold water viscosity at 25 ºC, while native wheat starch was not able to increase the viscosity under this condition. It also increased water absorption and swelling of the starch compared to its native counterpart. Pre-gelatinized wheat starch can be used as a thickening agent in instant food products to eliminate heating stage in their production or in manufacturing of the products sensitive to high temperature.

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Production of part-baked bread is a successful method to postpone bread staling that has been applied widely for production of loaves. In this research, production and some physical characteristics of part-baked flat bread (Barbari) including hardness, volume, color, weight loss, and microstructure were studied during the storage of the samples at ambient (25ºC) and freezing (-18ºC) temperatures. The part-baked bread had higher moisture content than the control and full-baked breads. However, it had a shelf-life of 72 hours, which was shorter than the control at ambient temperature. Full-baking could level out the effects of staling and, hence, the quality of the full-baked bread was similar to that of the fresh bread. For the frozen samples, the optimum storage time was two months. The undesirable effects of frozen storage were more significant for the part-baked bread. Moreover, full-baking could compensate some of the adverse effects of freezing and the resultant bread had superior quality compared with the control.

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  Rheological study of date syrup, date concentrate and date liquid sugar can improve their industrial applications specially for sugar (sucrose) substitution. In this research the rheological behavor of date syrup, date concentrate, date liquid sugar and sucrose solutions was investigated using a Brookfield Viscometer at 50, 55, 60 and 65 °Brix, 25 °C and shear rate of 80-480 s^-1 .The variables were product type and concentration. Moreover, for textural evaluation a texture analyser was used to examine date syrup, date concentrate and date liquid sugar at 50, 60 and 70 °Brix. The results showed that the Power law model was suitable to the rheological behavior of all samples and all concentrations. In date syrup by increasing concentration from 50 to 65 °Brix, consistency coefficient (K) increased, flow behavior index (n) decreased and the sample became more shear thinning. However, all other samples were Newtonian. Therefore a similar flow type behavior for these three samples is expected in food processings. Among all tested concentrations, the date syrup sample with a Brix of 65 had the highest consistency coefficients.  This indcates using date syroup in food formulations, usage level of hydrocolloids can be reduced. These findings were confirmed by texture data.

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In recent years, many advances have been made in improving the biocatalytic activities of enzymes. Interaction of enzymes and macromolecules have important role in stabilization of enzyme’s structure and function. Lysozyme lyses the bacterial cell wall by splitting ß (1–4) linkages between N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetylglucosamine of the peptidoglycan in bacterial cell walls. Tragacanth is a polysaccharide obtained from exudates of the species of Astragalus. It is a very complex heterogeneous anionic polysaccharide of high molecular weight. Tragacanth consists of two main fractions: a water-insoluble component called bassorin, and a water-soluble component called tragacanthin. The aim of this investigation was to attach tragacanthin (water-soluble component of tragacanth) to lysozyme by Maillard reaction. The covalent attachment of this hydrocolloid with lysozyme was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and ion exchange chromatography. The conjugates exhibited improved solubility, foaming and emulsion properties. In addition, thermal stability of lysozyme in this conjugate was increased significantly. According to these results, attachment of lysozyme to tragacanthin can increase the application of this hydrocolloid as a functional component and lysozyme as a natural antimicrobial component in food and pharmaceutical industry.

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Snacks are amongst popular foods, therefore improving the quality of the snacks is of great importance. Half-products are a kind of cereal based snacks that are sold in the form of dried pellets and then deep-fried for a few minutes by the consumer to form puffed crispy edible snacks. The main aim of this study was to determine the sufficient pellet moisture content in order to reach an appropriate snack quality.  Pellets were produced using a single screw extruder by mixing wheat flour and starch to reach moisture content of 7.5%. The moisture content of the pellets was then adjusted on 5, 10, 12, 14 and 16%. Pellets were deep-fried at 185 °C to reach their maximum volume and then their physical and sensory characteristics were studied. Increasing the moisture content from 5 to 16% reduced the density, increased lightness, reduced redness and yellowness of the snacks. The fracture force to break of snacks reduced with increasing the moisture up to 10% but it reduced with further increase in pellet moisture content. Increasing pellet moisture up to 14% improved the sensory characteristics of the snacks while further increase in the moisture content reduced these properties. Adjustment of the pellet moisture content is a practical solution in the industry to improve the quality of the snacks. The most appropriate moisture content of the pellet was in the range of 10-12%. At higher or lower moisture levels, the sensory characteristics of product were affected, negatively.

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The main purpose of this study was to use wheat germ in production of milk dessert. Therefore, wheat germ was first heated at 150 °C for 15 min, then milled to obtain particle sizes of 125, 210 and 354 micrometers. Samples were made with 10% sugar, 2% gelatin and 88% low-fat milk (1.5% fat) and different levels of wheat germ (2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10%, w/w). Different characteristics of the fresh product and after storage for 15 days at 4 °C were determined. The results showed that with increasing the amount of wheat germ, dry materials of the samples increased while the pH decreased. Changes in the particle size of the samples had no effect on the dry materials. Textural evaluations showed that with increasing the germ level, particle size and storage time, hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness and gumminess, increased while elasticity decreased. Studying the internal structure of the desserts using scanning electron microscopy showed that the uniformity of the samples increased with increasing the germ content in dessert formulation. Moreover, with increasing the percentage and particle size of the germ, the darkness, redness and yellowness of the desserts increased. The results showed that the syneresis of desserts reduced with increasing the level of the germ, however, changes in particle size of the germ had no effect on this parameter. Sensory evaluation results concluded that the samples were prepared with maximum amount of 7.5% germ with particle size of 125 micrometer were the most acceptable samples.

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In biscuit production, sucrose is one of the major ingredients. Addition of sucrose is not only for the sweet taste it provides, but also for its positive effects on physical properties of the product. Since sucrose consumption is growing worldwide, finding an alternative sugar source other than sugar beet and sugar cane as the main sources of sucrose is necessary. In this research, sucrose was replaced with 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% (weight basis) of date syrup and date liquid sugar and the effects on rheological properties of biscuit dough were studied. The results from farinograph showed that the dough consistency and elasticity reduced with increasing the sucrose replacement level. However, no significant difference between the samples made with date liquid sugar and date syrup was not observed. The results of Texture Analyser showed that with reducing the sucrose content dough consistency, energy required for compression, springiness and cohesiveness reduced while adhesiveness increased. The values obtained for energy, consistency and adhesiveness of the samples containing date liquid sugar were higher than those of date syrup, while springiness was lower.  Based on the results the maximum percentage of the sucrose replacement with date liquid sugar was 60% and with date syrup was 40%. At higher percentages the quality of the dough reduced considerably.   

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Wheat germ, a highly nutritive part of wheat kernels, is separated during milling as a by-product. In this study, wheat germ was used to supplement cakes. Different levels of the germ (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20%) at different particles sizes (280, 585, 890 and 1,195 µm) were added to a cake recipe. The results showed that with increasing the germ level and particle size, batter consistency and density of the cakes increased significantly, while the height of the cakes decreased. With increasing the germ level and its particle size, the crumb became slightly yellow while the crust color and the textural parameters (TPA test) remained unaffected. Determination of the sensory attributes of the samples showed that the particle size was negatively correlated with the crumb color and texture of the cakes, while other sensory parameters remained unaffected. In general, 15% of germ was the highest level and 280 µm was the most suitable particle size (as recognized by the panelists) for the production of an appropriate germ cake.

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 Increasing the nutritional value of bread is important since the enriched product can be used for special target groups such as developing countries or special diets. Wheat germ, a highly nutritive part of wheat kernel, is a by-product of milling factories and has the potential to be used for food supplementation. The main aim of this research was to supplement flat bread (Barbari) with wheat germ and to study the quality and staling of the resultant bread. Therefore, processed (heated at 150°C for 45 minutes) and raw wheat germs were added at the rates of 0, 5, 10 and 15% (w/w) in bread recipe, as separate treatments. Using a Farinograph, it was found that the dough made with raw germ had less water absorption, lower consistency, and shorter stability time. Modeling of the data showed that increasing the germ level had negative correlation with bread volume and softness. Such effects were enhanced when raw germ was used. It was found that addition of germ could not delay bread staling; however, it had positive effects on its taste and general acceptability, particularly when 15% processed germ was used.

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Soft tissue abnormalities are often correlated with a change in the mechanical properties of the soft tissue. New developing non-invasive techniques with the ability of early detection of cancerous tissue with high accuracy is a challenging state of art. In this paper, a new method is proposed to investigate the liver tissue cancers. Hyperelastic behavior of a porcine liver tissue has been extracted from the in vitro stress-strain experimental tests of the tissue. Hyperelastic coefficients have been used as the input of the Abaqus FEM software and the palpation of a physician has been simulated. The soft tissue contains a tumor with specified mechanical and geometrical properties. Artificial tactile sensing capability in tumor detection and localization has been investigated thoroughly. In mass localization we have focused on deeply located tumor which is a challenging area in the medical diagnosis. Moreover, tumor type differentiation which is commonly achieved through pathological investigations is studied by changing the stiffness ratio of the tumor and the tissue. Results show that the new proposed method has a high ability in mass detection, localization and type differentiation.

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Due to the positive effects of fiber on human health, production and distribution of high fiber containing foods is on the increase. Amongst different foods, bread is a suitable option to convey fiber in human diets. Flat breads which are very common in Asian countries, are mainly produced from white flour and hence are low in fiber. The main objectives followed in this study were to produce high fiber Barbari bread (a popular flat bread) using wheat bran, while minimizing the adverse effects of inclusion of bran in the bread recipe. To achieve this, wheat bran of different levels (0-20%, w/w flour basis) and particle sizes (170, 280, 425 and 750 mm) were added to Barbari bread recipe. Using Brabender Farinograph, it was found that with increase in bran level and its particle size, the water absorption of the dough increased. Color determination results showed that the bread crust color became darker as the level of the bran and its particle size increased. The results of determination of the bread texture using Texture Profile Analyser, showed that the bread became harder and less cohesive with increase of the fiber in the dough and for each bran particle size. According to the panelists, barbari breads constituted the most appropriate breads with up to 15% bran with particle sizes of shorter than 280 mm. In total, it was concluded that by a control of the level and particle size of the bran, it is possible to increase the fiber content of the bread without any significant adverse effects on the quality.

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Plasma assisted machining (PAM) is a method to improve machinability of hard turning. The process of plasma assisted machining for turning applications utilizes a high-temperature plasma arc to provide a controlled source of localized heat, which softens only that small portion of the work material removed by the cutting tool. The goal of this study is to present a methodology for determination cutting force during plasma enhanced turning of hardened steel AISI 4140. In this regard, a finite differential model was made to estimate the uncut chip temperature under different plasma currents, cutting speeds and feeds during PAM. A mechanistic model developed to estimate cutting force under different PAM conditions by considering shear stresses in the primary, secondary shear zones and force on the tool edge. The proposed model was calibrated with experimental hard turning data, and further validated over practical PAM conditions. Mean errors of predicted values and experimental data is lower than 10 percent. It is shown that PAM can decrease main cutting force in comparison to convectional to 40 percent in turning of hardened steel at high levels of uncut chip temperature due to softening the material.

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In this study, the effects of moisture content and corn variety on the physicochemical properties of popcorn were investigated and modeled using response surface methodology. Each of the two corn varieties (Hybrid corn KSC 600 PC and American) was prepared with a range of moisture (six moisture levels ranging from 10 to 20%) and popped by a hot air popper. Variety and moisture content affected the density, air bubble diameter as determined from electron micrographs, textural hardness and color parameters. The lowest densities for American and hybrid corns were obtained at moisture contents of 14 and 18%, respectively. As water content deviated from the optimum levels the popcorn density significantly decreased. For both corn varieties, with increasing water content, the lightness of the samples increased while b (yellowness-blueness) values decreased. For American popcorn no significant impact of the moisture content on the hardness was observed, however in hybrid corn, hardness of popcorns significantly decreased with increasing water content, and the lowest density and hardness were observed at moisture content of 18%. Experimental models are presented for the prediction of density, color parameters, air bubble diameter and hardness of popcorns at different moisture contents for American and hybrid corns.

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Rice bran is a major by-product of the rice milling process that contains high amounts of fiber, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals as well as antioxidants and hence can be utilized in enriching food products. The main aim followed in this study was to determine the effects of rice bran of variable particle sizes (53, 125 and 210 µm) and its quantity (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20%) on the quality of batter and on sponge cake. Increasing bran quantity and particle size increased batter density and consistency. Using a higher quantity of bran with larger particle sizes increased cake density and weight of the cakes (after being baked) while decreasing the cake volume. Textural properties of the samples as determined instrumentally showed that maximum compressive force and the firmness increased, while cohesiveness and springiness decreased with increase in the contents of bran and increase in its particle size. Cake crust color became darker, more reddish and less yellowish with inclusion of rice bran. Increasing the levels of rice bran, negatively affected taste, crust and crumb color as confirmed by the sensory panel. Overall, it was found that addition of 10% rice bran with particle size of 125 µm resulted in the most desirable cake quality.

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In this research, seeds of Iranian carob trees grown wild in Kazeroon city (Fars Province) were used to extract Iranian locust bean gum as a seed galactomannan. Chemical composition, solubility, and rheological properties of crude and purified gums were investigated and compared with a commercial (Sigma) locust bean gum (LBG) sample. Chemical composition of the purified Iranian LBG was similar to the commercial LBG, however, the protein content of Iranian crude LBG was higher. Solubility data showed that the Iranian crude LBG was partially cold-water soluble (~ 55% at 25°C) and needed heating to reach a higher solubility value (~ 71% at 80 °C). Rheological properties of the solutions of the three LBG samples were investigated as a function of concentration and temperature (5-60 °C) at shear rate range of 0.5-200 s^-1. All three samples showed shear thinning behavior and Power law model was used to fit the experimental data. The Iranian LBG (crude and pure) was able to thicken aqueous solutions; however, its viscosity level was lower than that of the commercial LBG. Study of rheological properties of the three LBG samples at different pH levels (2.5-10) showed that they were significantly affected by pH. The intrinsic viscosities of the Iranian crude and purified LBG and commercial LBG were 3.95, 9.05, and 9.48 dL g^-1, respectively.

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There is some evidence on the effects of organic acids on the functional properties of native starches. However, there is little information on such effects on modified starches. The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of L-ascorbic acid (150 mg kg^-1, as the permitted level in bakery products) on functional properties of cross-linked wheat starch. Once the starch was treated with L-ascorbic acid, some spots and cracks appeared on the surface of the starch granules, as observed under a scanning electron microscope. Besides, the water solubility increased while water absorption decreased, but intrinsic viscosity of the samples, as determined by a U-tube viscometer, remained unchanged. Also, gelatinization temperature and enthalpy of gelatinization, measured by differential scanning calorimetery, as well as the hardness and elasticity of the starch gels decreased, while adhesiveness and cohesiveness of the gels remained unaffected. In general, it was concluded that the ascorbic acid had some degradation effect on cross-linked wheat starch molecules that could further affect its functional properties.