Are Perceptions of Organizational Justice Universal? An Exploration of Measurement Invariance Across Thirteen Cultures

WOS: 000298109500001Previous research examined whether justice effects are comparable, focusing on quantitative differences in justice effects. This study examines whether justice perceptions are structured similarly or whether they are qualitatively different across working populations from 13 nations. Confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group analysis show that Colquitt's (J Appl Psychol 86:386-400, 2001) four-dimensional model of justice works well across these samples. However, factor intercorrelations and reliabilities are found to systematically vary between cultural samples. Perceptions of justice are more highly intercorrelated in power distant and collectivistic samples, in line with extensions of the relational model of authority. Score reliabilities were lower in collectivistic settings

Nitric oxide induction as a novel immunoepidemiological target in malaria-infected patients from endemic areas of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Objective. Malaria has been prevalent for a long time in Iran and continues to be a health problem despite substantial control programs. In addition to numerous cytokines, nitric oxide (NO) is thought to be a key molecule and a novel target of malaria immunopathology. Material and methods. The objective of this research was to measure reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) as stable metabolites of NO induction in plasma of malaria-infected patients in Iran. In this study, 235 blood samples from malaria patients and 80 blood samples from healthy controls were randomly collected from different malarial endemic provinces of Iran, located in southeastern (Sistan & Balouchestan, Hormozgan, Kerman) and northwestern (Ardabil) areas. The involvement of NO in malaria patients has been investigated by statistical analysis of RNI values. Griess micro assay (GMA) was used during Plasmodium vivax, P. falciparum and mixed infections, in order to evaluate whether RNI changes are related to the provincial areas, parasite strains, clinical symptoms and age and gender parameters. Results. The results showed a significant increase of RNI level in malaria patients compared with the control groups of Ardabil (pv0.01), Sistan & Balouchestan, Hormozgan and Kerman (pv0.001) provinces. The level of RNI was higher in mixed plasmodial infection than in single infection. Conclusions. The high level of RNI was dependent on the type of infection, the plasmodia strain, the clinical symptoms, the age groups and the endemic provinces. Although, this study did not clarify the pathogenic and/or protective role of NO in malaria, our findings provide a novel immunoepidemiological aspect of basal NO production in patients with malaria in endemic areas in Iran

Nuclear Elongation Factor-1 Gene A Molecular Marker for Iranian Sandfly Identification

Background: Elongation factor-1, a conserved nuclear protein coding gene was used to identify Iranian sandfly species. The phlebotomine sandfies are the vectors of the parasitic protozoan Leishmania, the causative agents of leishmaniasis, in Iran. Methods: Seven sets of primers were tried. PCR amplification of elongation factor-1 was successfully achieved for all 14 species of Iranian sandflies that we caught, but different primers had to be used. Results: The aligned DNA sequences of 454 bp (without primers) of the gene had the most similarity to a coding region of the elongation factor-1 genes of D. melanogaster, as identified by a BLAST search of GenBank. Each Iranian species, except Phlebotomus caucasicus and P. mongolensis, had a unique combination of nucleotides, i.e. each had a diagnostic sequence. There were no diagnostic sequences for different geographical populations of the species in Iran. We found only a single copy of Ef-1 gene in most individual sandflies. However EF-1 gene was successfully amplified by PCR but, unfortunately, phylogenetic analysis showed that it might be multicopy in sandflies and so the markers could not be trusted. Conclusion: More highly polymorphic nuclear loci, like microsatellites, might be needed to distinguish morphologically indistinguishable females of the subgenus Paraphlebotomus, e.g. P. caucasiscus from P. mongolensis, in order to resolve their roles as vectors of Leishmania species in gerbils

Recombinant flagellin protein can efficiently protect mice against salmonella typhi

Introduction: Globally, Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi is responsible for more than 10 million enteric fever cases, annually. Because of the emergence of multidrug resistance strains of many bacteria, including Salmonella Typhi, vaccination may be a preferred strategy to combat infectious diseases. In the present study, the efficiency of flagellin protein as a recombinant vaccine candidate was evaluated in BALB/c mice. Materials and Methods: For this aim, flagellin protein was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). Mice were grouped into two groups: test and control. Test group were immunized by the intraperitoneal administration of recombinant protein in combination with Freund�s adjuvant. Following the completion of the immunization period, the mice were challenged by IP injection of 10 LD50 of live Salmonella Typhi and subsequent culture of their spleens and livers. Results: Flagellin protein expression was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. ELISA showed the proper stimulation of the humoral immunity of the immunized mice. The bacterial count decreased significantly in the spleens and livers of the immunized animals in comparison to the control ones. Conclusions: Findings of this study show the efficiency of flagellin recombinant protein in protecting mice against Salmonella Typhi. © 2021 The Author(s)

"Development of a New ElLSA Kit for the Diagnosis of Hydatidosis in Humans"

Cystic hydatid disease (Hydatidosis) is the most serious tape-worm infection prevalent in the cattle and sheep raising area of the world. Hydatidosis in man (as an accidental host) caused by infection with the ova containing larval stage of Echinococcus spp. In the last decade different techniques have been employed for the serological diagnosis of hydatid disease, such as IHA, IFA, ELISA, CCLE (Counter Current Immuno Electrophoresis). The immunologic techniques used in this study were ELISA and CCIE. Since whole hydatid cyst fluid has been used as a source of antigen for serodiagnosis of hydatidosis. The result of examination of 30 patients that were surgically and pathologically proven to have hydatidosis was presented here. By appointing 1:100 serum liter ascut-off titer and using the crude antigen (concentration: 6 mµg/ml), sensitivity and specificity of the Elisa test were reported to be 93.3% and 96.6%,respectively. The Elisa was compared with CCLE in this study; it was found to have sensivity and specificity 90% and 100%,respectively. Finally, the result of our study showed that the ELISA kit designed in our study is easy to perform, not expensive, safe, and simple with good sensivity and specifity

Characterization of Specific IgE Antibody Related to Antigen 5 of Echinococcus granulosus

Background: Anaphylactic reactions, such as urticaria, edema, respiratory symptoms, and anaphylactic shock often complicate the course of Cystic Echinococcosis (CE). Methods: To investigate the role of the IgE immunoreactive antigen 5 (Ag 5) in the sero-positive patients with CE, we determined N-terminal of 57 kDa subunit of Ag5 responsible for IgE and C-terminal of this active antigen related to induction of IgG specifically. Results: Immunoblotting analysis showed that specific IgE to 57-kDa subunit related to inter-chain disulphide band of two 22 kDa and 38-kDa component of Ag5 and conformational epitope on this subunits. In addition, since the 57 kDa component arise from the removal of the C-terminal portion of 22 kDa subunit of Ag5, thus IgE specifically recognized N-terminal of 22 kDa subunit which remain bounds to the other component, whereas IgG reacted with C-terminal of 38 kDa component of Ag5. Conclusion: Recognition of the specific binding site on the 57 kDa subunit of Ag5 could leads to understanding the mechanism regulating IgE/IgG production in some immune circumstances that IgE tends to some dominate, whereas in other IgG predominates