Testicular morphological and biochemical perturbations in experimental animals under antiretroviral therapy and the role of Naringenin, a bioactive flavonoid.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Declining male fertility is one of the neglected concerns of people living with HIV/AIDS in spite of a dual outlook of a social and a health dilemma. This issue of infertility is particularly relevant as majority of affected individuals are in their reproductive years. This thesis examines the impacts of the Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) Tenofovir/ Emtricitabine and Efavirenz (TDF/FTC/EFV) on the male reproductive capacity. It also explores the protective potentials of a bioactive flavonoid, Naringenin in testicular perturbations. The study was motivated by two major research questions namely: (1) what are the impacts of the recently approved first line antiretroviral therapy for adults FDC, TDF/FTC/EFV on the testes? (2) What is the role of Naringenin in alleviating testicular perturbations induced by HAART? Previous studies point to the negative impacts of the older generation of FDC of HAART on the semen quality and histomorphometry of the testes following a long-term use. The study addresses both the long-term and short-term use of antiretroviral drugs as observed in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post exposure prophylaxis (PEP). The research assesses the impacts of the drugs on the reproductive capability as well. Findings from this study support the argument that the negative effects of the drugs were consequent upon both the short-term and long-term use. To illustrate this hypothesis, the study was conducted in two distinct phases. The first phase which lasted a total of 28 days considered the duration of PEP or PrEP. The second phase which lasted a total of ten weeks captured all the stages of spermatogenesis in rats. In this phase male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to fertile females after the treatments. The study thus advances an understanding of the mechanism of HAART-induced testicular injury. A therapeutic dose of TDF/FTC/EFV adjusted for animal weight was aministered on a total of 48 animals randomly divided into 6 equal groups each with a different treatment as follows; Group A: Control (Distilled water); Group B: HAART (TDF/FTC/EFV), Group C: Naringenin, 40 mg/kg; Group D: Naringenin, 80 mg/kg; Group E: HAART + Naringenin, 40 mg/kg; Group F: HAART+ Naringenin, 80 mg/kg. At the end of each phase, harvested testes were subjected to histomorphometry and ultrastructural analysis. The caudal epididymis was assessed for semen parameters and sperm mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragmentation. Biochemical parameters such as serum levels of reproductive hormones (Luteinizing hormone and Testosterone) and intratesticular antioxidant enzyme activities were assayed. Contrary to prior beliefs, this research reveals that the immediate effects following short-term use of HAART are far more deleterious. This finding is consequent upon the significant drop in the sperm count (p˂0.001) and sperms with normal morphology (p˂0.001) compared to (p˂0.01) in the long-term. Histomorphometric analysis also revealed a significantly shrunken seminiferous tubule following a short-term use. These outcomes were associated with an increase in the mtDNA fragmentation in group B when compared to control (p˂0.05). Naringenin reversed abnormalities in groups E and F, displaying better semen parameters in both count and motility. Serum levels of testosterone were altered in both phases. The overall effects of all these changes were observed in the pregnancy rate which reduced in group B when compared to all the other groups. This study established that HAART has deleterious effects on the testicular microanatomy and function. These effects may impact on steroidogenesis and ultimately spermatogenesis. It consequently impairs fertility while Naringenin promises to be a potential complimentary adjuvant especially in the short term therapies. Keywords: HAART, semen parameters, reproductive hormones, testicular ultrastructure, 3 beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase

The development of the sea navigation radar at the beginning of Francoism

En este artículo se estudia el desarrollo de la tecnología radar en España durante los primeros años del franquismo. Se estudian las especificaciones técnicas de los prototipos desarrollados por el equipo del Instituto Nacional de Electrónica (INE) del que formaban parte un grupo de ingenieros alemanes que habían trabajado en el radar alemán durante la II Guerra Mundial. Se muestra en este artículo la problemática y la motivación que llevó al INE a trabajar en estos prototipos y se contextualizan los mismos con respecto al estado de la tecnología de la épocaThis paper shows the development of the radar technology in Spain during the first years of Francoism. It is studied the technical specifications of the prototypes developed by the Electronic National Institute (Instituto Nacional de Electrónica, INE). One of its teams consists of a group of German engineers who had worked in the German radar during World War II. The problematic and motivation which drive the INE to work in these prototypes are shown, and they are contextualized with respect to the state of the technology at that tim

The ambivalence of the gene trade in Octavia E. Butler’s Xenogenesis trilogy

Este artículo estudia la ambivalencia de la manipulación genética en la trilogía "Xenogenesis" de Octavia Butler. Se estudia el paralelismo entre el comportamiento de la especie presentada en el libro, los Oankali, con respecto a la raza humana, mostrando el paralelismo con el comportamiento que la especie humana tiene con respecto a otras especies actualmente. Para ello se analizan tres aspectos presentes en la obra bajo estudio: la posibilidad de cruce entre especies, el uso de la manipulación genética para la cura de enfermedades y, el controvertido tema de la propiedad en lo que se refiere a la información genética.The ambivalence of gene trading in Octavia Butler's "Xenogenesis" trilogy is treated in this paper. Genetic manipulation is one of the main science-related issues addressed in that trilogy. The behavior of the alien race presented in the paper, the Oankali, is analyzed from three points of view and compared with contemporary human behavior. Interbreeding with other species and the creation of new ones, the use of genetic engineering to cure diseases and the acknowledgement of DNA information as property when it is used for research or other objectives are considered

The Reflection of Americanism in Milton Caniff’s Work

This article looks at what many authors have termed “Americanism” in the work of Milton Caniff, which allows us to trace this ideological current’s evolution throughout the twentieth century. Caniff’s work shifts from support for Chinese Communist resistance against the Japanese invasion in the pre-World War II Sino-Japanese War, to the crusade of a character like Steve Canyon against Communism during the Cold War, largely following U.S. American ideology in each of these historical moments. This ideological evolution is the central object of this study

SLOWMO: A Search for Nearby Stars

I report on suspected nearby stars with proper motions 1.0 arcsec \u3e μ ≥ 0.5 arcsec/yr in the southern sky (DEC = −90° to 00°). This sample of slow-motion (SLOWMO) stars complements the work of Jao (2004), who reported on faster moving stars with μ ≥ 1.0 arcsec/yr in the entire sky for his doctoral dissertation, and the work of Finch (2007), who uncovered stars moving slower than 0.5 arcsec/yr between declinations −90° and −47°. Characterizations of SLOWMO systems include trigonometric parallaxes, optical and infrared photometry. For stars without trigonometric parallaxes, colors and apparent magnitudes are used to calculate photometric distance estimates and the statistics of this population of stars are analyzed. The SLOWMO sample is comprised of 1906 total stars − 560 estimated to be less than 25 parsecs away, and 245 stars without parallaxes estimated to be within 25 parsecs

The Burden of Schizophrenia on Caregivers

Caregivers’ burden in schizophrenia is a complex concept often with negative connotations. The concept refers to the impact of having a schizophrenia patient in the family including emotional, psychological, physical, economic distress and feelings of shame, embarrassment, guilt, and self-blame expe-rienced by the caregivers. There are objective and subjective aspects of care-givers’ burden. The objective burden refers to observed and verifiable impact of the diseased person in the family such as the patients disturbing behaviors, economic difficulties, and loss of income, restricted social activities, distressed household atmosphere, and undesirable influences on physical and mental health of the family members. The subjective burden refers to the extent of emotional distress caused by the objective burden. The data in the pertinent literature suggest an association between caregivers’ burden and sex, ethnicity, culture, caregivers’ health and quality of life, social support, and the symptomatology as presented by the patient. In order to promote mental health of schizophrenia patients along with their caregivers, the mental health workers should strive to find the means of supporting, informing, and cooperating with the family members. Psychosocial interventions designed for families and psychosocial rehabilitations programs designed for schizophrenia patients are effective means of easing caregivers’ burden

Sensitivity study of an opaque ventilated façade in the winter season in different climate zones in Spain

Energy efficient buildings need to take advantage of any renewable energy available. An opaque ventilated façade (OVF) is a kind of façade that absorbs solar energy and transfers it to the ventilation system. This way, the sensible ventilation load of the heating system can be reduced in the winter season. The energy saving of this system depends strongly on the weather variables, mainly solar radiation on the façade, ambient temperature and wind speed. In order to find the most convenient locations where the best OVF efficiency can be obtained, its performance has to be studied along a complete season. For this purpose in this study a sensitivity analysis with the most important weather variables was carried out and the energy saving values in 12 locations in Spain in the winter were evaluated using a numerical model previously validated with experimental data. The results showed that although the most influential weather variable was solar radiation, a combination of high temperatures and low wind speeds can also lead to important energy saving values. It was found that the most convenient locations for installing an OVF were those with low and medium winter severity climates, namely, in the southern and coastal regions of Spain (zones A3, B3, B4, C3 and C4)

“Kontekstualisasi Hadis Metode Tanya Jawab Tentang Amal Yang Paling Utama”

Skripsi ini berjudul “Kontekstualisasi Hadis Metode Tanya Jawab Tentang Amal Yang Paling Utama”, Fenomena individu atau kelompok masyarakat dalam praktiknya, mempunyai kecendrungan perbedaan keadaan dan kondisi satu sama lainnya. Dalam beberapa hadis, Nabi SAW pernah ditanya oleh para sahabatnya dengan pertanyaan yang sama atau hampir mirip dan Nabi SAW menjawabnya tidak seragam. Adapun penulisan skripsi ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana kontekstualisasi hadis metode tanya jawab tentang amalan yang paling utama serta bagaimana status dan pemahaman hadis tersebut. Rumusan masalah yang dipaparkan dalam skripsi ini adalah bagaimana status dan pemahaman hadis dan bagaimana kontekstualisasi metode tanya jawab dengan jawaban yang berbeda. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode tematik dengan jenis penelitian library research, yaitu penelitian yang menitikberatkan pada literatur-literatur yang terkait dengan objek penelitian, baik dari data primer maupun data sekunder. Adapun hasil temuan dari penelitian ini adalah Nabi sering memberikan jawaban yang berbeda-beda kepada orang yang bertanya. Para ulama mengatakan bahwa hal itu disebabkan perbedaan kondisi para penanya. Maka Nabi menjawab sesuai dengan apa yang mereka butuhkan atau apa yang mereka senangi, atau apa yang sesuai dengan keadaan mereka. Atau juga perbedaan itu karena perbedaan waktu, di mana perbuatan tertentu pada suatu saat lebih utama daripada perbuatan yang lain. Kata Kunci: Kontekstualisasi, Hadis, Metode tanya jawab

Problem solving, loneliness, depression levels and associated factors in high school adolescents

Objectives: To determine problem solving, loneliness, depression levels and associated factors in high school adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a city west of Turkey (Bursa) in a public high school and the population was 774 and the sampling was 394 students. Students to be included in the study were selected using the multiple sampling method. A personal Information Form with 23 questions, Problem Solving Inventory (PSI), Loneliness Scale (UCLA), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used as data collection tools in the study. Basic statistical analyses, t-test, Kruskall Wallis-H, One Way Anova and Pearson Correlation test were used to evaluate the data. Necessary permissions were obtained from the relevant institution, students, parents and the ethical committee. Results: The study found significant differences between "problem solving level" and family type, health assessment, life quality and mothers', fathers' siblings' closeness level; between "loneliness level" and gender, family income, health assessment, life quality and mothers', fathers', siblings' closeness level; between "depression level" and life quality, family income, fathers' closeness level. Conclusion: Unfavorable socio-economic and cultural conditions can have an effect on the problem solving, loneliness and depression levels of adolescents. Providing structured education to adolescents at risk under school mental health nursing practices is recommended.Adnan Menderes Üniversites