Studies Investigating the Influence of Macronutrient Intake on Sleep

Several studies have documented the direct effect of macronutrient intake on sleep. A general picture that has emerged indicates that a low carbohydrate diet with a total energy between 13-47% and high fat content with a total energy between 47-77% shows increases in slow wave sleep and may decrease rapid-eye movement sleep. However, previous studies investigating the association between carbohydrate meals and sleep have not explored the effects of the glycemic index (GI) of carbohydrate on sleep. This thesis investigated the affect of GI on the sleep pattern. In a cross-over, repeated measures design, we explored both the effect of GI and the timing of these meals on sleep in good sleepers. The effects of high and low GI carbohydrate-based meals given 4 h before the subjects’ usual bedtime on their sleep quality were examined in Chapter 3. Also evaluated was the effect of high GI meal timing (4 h vs. 1 h) on sleep. Twelve healthy men (18-35y, BMI 18.5-25 kgm-2) were administered a standard, isocaloric meal of low GI = 50 or high GI=109 in a cross-over and counter balanced manner, 4 h before their usual bedtime. On another occasion, the high GI meal was given 1 h before bedtime. Following the high or the low GI meal, participants underwent a familiarization sleep night followed by three polysomnographic test nights. The subjects’ blood and urine were collected for glucose and 6-sulfatoxymelatonin analysis respectively. Significant differences were found between the area under the curve (AUC) for blood glucose responses following the high GI meal compared to the responses for the low GI meal. It was shown that a carbohydrate-based high GI meal resulted in a significant shortening of sleep onset latency (SOL) in normal sleepers compared to a low GI meal (P = 0.009), and was most effective when consumed 4 h before bedtime (P = 0.01). There were no significant changes in other sleep indices. The Atkins’ Diet is a popular dietary therapy that promotes weight loss. This restricted carbohydrate diet with high fat and high protein content has not been evaluated for its effects on sleep, or systematically documented for its effects on mood, fatigue or sleepiness. The short term effect of the Atkins’ diet over 48 h on the sleep quality of healthy, non-obese males to a Control mixed diet was compared in Chapter 4. This study employed a repeated measure design where fourteen healthy, non-obese, good sleepers were given isocaloric diets and matching evening test meals (4 h before usual bedtime), which were either mixed (15% protein, 25% fat, 60% carbohydrate) or Atkins’ (38% protein, 61% fat, <1% carbohydrate). After a familiarization night with polysomnography, further polysomnographic testing was then performed on the Control night, 4 h after the first Atkins’ test meal (Atkins Acute) and 48 h (Atkins Ketosis) following commencement of the Atkins’ diet. Objective sleep was recorded using Compumedics S-series Sleep system; Compumedics Ltd, Melbourne, Australia. Urine ketone level was monitored before the evening test meals and at bedtime on the Control night, during the Atkins Acute and Ketosis phase. Blood glucose level was measured before the evening test meal until 120 min following the meal. Significant differences were found for the AUC for the blood glucose between the Control night and the Atkins Acute and Atkins Ketosis phase (P < 0.001). Participants developed mild hypoglycemia and ketosis 48 h following the Atkins’ diet. A significant reduction in the proportion of rapid eye movement (%REM) sleep to total sleep time (TST) was observed following the Atkins’ Acute and Atkins’ Ketosis phase compared to the Control (P = 0.006 and 0.05 respectively). The percentage of slow wave sleep (%SWS) to TST significantly increased for both the Atkins’ Acute and Ketosis phase compared to the Control meal (P = 0.02 for both phases). The sleep changes may be linked to the energy metabolism of fat of the Atkins’ diet. The effects of the Atkins’ diet compared to a Control mixed diet on sleepiness, mood, fatigue and dream recall were also investigated (Chapter 5). Participants’ overall daytime mood, fatigue intensity, sleepiness and other symptoms were assessed using a visual analogue scale before the evening test meals. The number of subjects with dream recalls was recorded on awakening after each polysomnographic night. The daytime symptoms of fatigue, sleepiness and depressed mood were significantly increased following the Atkins’ diet compared to the Control diet. A greater proportion of subjects reported dreams 48 h after the Atkins’ diet compared to either the Atkins’ Acute phase or the Control condition. Our findings suggest that mild hypoglycemia resulting from the diet may mediate the subjective responses of daytime sleepiness, depressed mood and intense fatigue. The increased proportion of subjects with dream recall may be related to an increased transient arousals from sleep during which dreams are usually consolidated into memory. The finding that “high-glycemic-index carbohydrate meals shorten sleep onset” may be relevant to persons with sleep disturbance. These meals may facilitate sleep transition for those with sleep initiation problems. The effect of the Atkins’ diet in SWS promotion and increasing feelings of fatigue and suppressing mood in the short-term may be relevant for patients with sleep apnoea (obesity), who experience low proportion of SWS and significant somnolence. Further studies to explore these effects on a longer term in this group would be worthwhile

Effects of Exposure to Sub-Lethal Concentrations of Copper on Hematological and Histopathological Alterations in Common Carp, Cyprinus Carpio

Introduction: The present study investigated the toxic effects of copper sulfate on hematological factors, bioaccumulation levels of copper, and histopathology of gill and kidney tissues of Common carp.Materials and Methods: For this purpose, 90 fish were exposed to different sub-lethal levels of copper sulfate (0.16 and 0.53 mg/L) for 21 days. After 21 days, blood samples were taken. Hematological factors such as hematocrit (Hct), hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cells (RBC), and white blood cells (WBC) were measured in blood samples. Bioaccumulation levels of copper in gill and kidney tissues were determined by wet chemical digestion and atomic absorption apparatus. The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Duncan test, and compared in significant levels of P&lt;0.05. Gill and kidney samples were collected from each group and lesions were analyzed by light microscopy.Results: The results showed a dose-dependent decrease in hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cells and white blood cell count. Copper accumulation in gill and kidney tissues of fishes exposed to sub-lethal copper increased significantly compared with the control group (P&lt;0.05). Histopathologic studies showed a series of changes in gill tissue, including primary lamellar edema, hyperplasia, severe secondary lamellar fusion, and clubbing. Cellular swelling in the tubules and glomeruli, tubular necrosis and formation of hyaline cysts were the main kidney histopathological changesConclusion: These results suggest that hematological parameters and gill and kidney changes following metal accumulation in these tissues can be used as sensitive biomarkers to determine the toxicity of sub- lethal concentrations of heavy metals.

The Role of some miRNA Contribution in Alzheimer’s Disease: Possible Role of miRNA_132, miRNA_124, miRNA_125 in Learning and Memory

Context: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an advanced and devastating neurodegenerative illness. It is an important reason for dementia in the world’s quickly aging population. The spread of AD cases positions serious problems on relations, society, and the family. MicroRNAs are endogenous ∼22 nucleotides non-coding RNAs that could control gene expression nearby a length of RNA or DNA that has been transcribed respectively from a DNA or RNA template or translation suppression. AD is a multifactorial disorder and a progressive disease beginning with mild memory loss that micoRNAs show a serious character in the pathogenesis of AD. In this review, we will focus on the outcome of microRNAs in diverse pathological manners during AD development. Evidence Acquisition: miRNAs are small noncoding endogenous RNA sequences active in the regulation of protein expression; change of miRNA expression can cause abnormal adjustment in key genes and pathways that contribute to disease development. The role of exosomal miRNAs has been proven in various neurodegenerative diseases, and this opens the possibility that dysregulated exosomal miRNA profiles may influence AD disease. However, most abnormally expressed miRNAs recognized in AD are not triggered by synaptic activity. Some findings showed that synaptic-related miRNA mediates synaptic/memory deficits in AD via the protein signaling pathway, illuminating a potential therapeutic strategy for AD. Data were obtained by inhibiting miRNA and blocking the phosphorylation on mediated protein. Results: The pieces of evidence show that microRNAs play a critical role in the pathogenesis of AD, but they do not have the same role in the disease. For example, miRNA-134 and miRNA-146 show downregulation in the brain of AD mice while miRNA-138 can regulate the evolution of synapse and size of the spine. Conclusion: The data on miRNAs in in vitro and in vivo AD animal models must be established by educations in the human brain. This feature is critical for forming the real the role of micRNA in AD miRNAs in AD

Fully automated operational modal analysis using multi-stage clustering

The interest for robust automatic modal parameter extraction techniques has increased significantly over the last years, together with the rising demand for continuous health monitoring of critical infrastructure like bridges, buildings and wind turbine blades. In this study a novel, multi-stage clustering approach for Automated Operational Modal Analysis (AOMA) is introduced. In contrast to existing approaches, the procedure works without any user-provided thresholds, is applicable within large system order ranges, can be used with very small sensor numbers and does not place any limitations on the damping ratio or the complexity of the system under investigation. The approach works with any parametric system identification algorithm that uses the system order n as sole parameter. Here a data-driven Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI) method is used. Measurements from a wind tunnel investigation with a composite cantilever equipped with Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors (FBGSs) and piezoelectric sensors are used to assess the performance of the algorithm with a highly damped structure and low signal to noise ratio conditions. The proposed method was able to identify all physical system modes in the investigated frequency range from over 1000 individual datasets using FBGSs under challenging signal to noise ratio conditions and under better signal conditions but from only two sensors

Inhibition of Pro-inflammatory Cytokines by Ethyl Acetate Extract of Scrophularia striata

Purpose: To investigate the effect of ethyl acetate extract of S. striata on pro-inflammatory production by macrophages.Methods: Mouse peritoneal macrophages were cultured in solvent either alone or with 2 ìg/ml lipopolysaccaride (LPS) with/without different doses of ethyl acetate extract of S. striata. Production of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin 1â (IL-1â), tumor necrosis factor - á (TNF-á) andprostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were examined using ELISA.Results: Ethyl acetate fraction of S. striata in doses of 10, 50, 100 and 200 ìg/ml significantly (p &lt; 0.05) inhibited pro-inflammatory mediators (IL-1â, TNF-á, and PGE2) production by LPS stimulated peritoneal macrophages.Conclusion: The anti-inflammatory effect of the extract on pro-inflammatory cytokines may ameliorate inflammatory diseases, possibly via an immunomodulatory mechanism.Keywords: Pro-inflammatory, Cytokines, Ethyl acetate extract, Scrophularia striat

Operational Modal Analysis of a wing excited by transonic flow

Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) is a promising candidate for flutter testing and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of aircraft wings that are passively excited by wind loads. However, no studies have been published where OMA is tested in transonic flows, which is the dominant condition for large civil aircraft and is characterized by complex and unique aerodynamic phenomena. We use data from the HIRENASD large-scale wind tunnel experiment to automatically extract modal parameters from an ambiently excited wing operated in the transonic regime using two OMA methods: Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI) and Frequency Domain Decomposition (FDD). The system response is evaluated based on accelerometer measurements. The excitation is investigated from surface pressure measurements. The forcing function is shown to be non-white, non-stationary and contaminated by narrow-banded transonic disturbances. All these properties violate fundamental OMA assumptions about the forcing function. Despite this, all physical modes in the investigated frequency range were successfully identified, and in addition transonic pressure waves were identified as physical modes as well. The SSI method showed superior identification capabilities for the investigated case. The investigation shows that complex transonic flows can interfere with OMA. This can make existing approaches for modal tracking unsuitable for their application to aircraft wings operated in the transonic flight regime. Approaches to separate the true physical modes from the transonic disturbances are discussed

A hybrid embedded cohesive element method for predicting matrix cracking in composites

The complex architecture of many fibre-reinforced composites makes the generation of finite element meshes a labour-intensive process. The embedded element method, which allows the matrix and fibre reinforcement to be meshed separately, offers a computationally efficient approach to reduce the time and cost of meshing. In this paper we present a new approach of introducing cohesive elements into the matrix domain to enable the prediction of matrix cracking using the embedded element method. To validate this approach, experiments were carried out using a modified Double Cantilever Beam with ply drops, with the results being compared with model predictions. Crack deflection was observed at the ply drop region, due to the differences in stiffness, strength and toughness at the bi-material interface. The new modelling technique yields accurate predictions of the failure process in composites, including fracture loads and crack deflection path

Viral Outbreaks of SARS-CoV1, SARS-CoV2, MERS-CoV, Influenza H1N1, and Ebola in 21st Century; A Comparative Review of the Pathogenesis and Clinical Characteristics

 Throughout the past twenty years, humankind had its fair share of challenges with viral epidemics. In late December 2019, a zoonotic member of the coronaviruses was responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak of viral pneumonia in Wuhan, China. As a worldwide crisis, meanwhile, conclusive prevention or therapy has yet to be discovered, the death toll of COVID-19 has exceeded 278000 by May 11th, 2020. Alike other members of Coronavirus family such as MERS and SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2 provokes influenza-like syndrome which might further progress to the severe state of acute respiratory disease in some patients. Comparably, in 2009 the H1N1 influenza outbreak affected countless people by manifestations of respiratory system involvement. Additionally, Ebolavirus, as a member of the Filoviridae family, had also made a global catastrophe by causing hemorrhagic diseases in the past twenty years.  The unknown intrinsic nature of SARS-CoV-2, as a great missing piece of this pandemic puzzle, has had physicians to empirically test the possibly efficacious agents of the former viral epidemics on the COVID-19 cases. Here, the current knowledge in SARS-CoV-2 clinical features, transmissibility, and pathogenicity are all summed up as against the other emerging viruses in the last two decades, and the data crucially required for a better management of the illness has been spotlighted

BCG scar formation and test results in two generations

Introduction: Considering that BCG injection in newborns is part of TB control program in Iran many years ago, we aimed to compare prevalence of childhood BCG vaccination scar with previous study and asses influence of household crowding on TST result. Aims: Considering that over time there is likely to reduce the immune response, two groups of subjects were selected among young and middle aged. Methods and Material: This cross sectional study was conducted in Zia Abad of Qazvin (a province of Iran) during year 2008. 261 participants randomly were selected (139 asymptomatic children (12-16 y) and 122 adults (40-50 y)). A questionnaire was used to obtain prior histories of BCG vaccination, known exposure to tuberculosis, prior acquired of TB, symptoms of TB disease and household crowding. BCG vaccine scar was ascertained and all participants were tested with 5TU-PPD. Reactions of 10 mm or more were considered positive. Statistical analysis used: Using student t test, chi square and Fisher's exact test, the collected data was analyzed. Results: BCG scar was observed in 78.4 of participant (91.4 children vs. 78.6 adults) which the difference was significant. Twenty three (16.5) of children and 24 (19.7) of adults had tuberculin reactivity of �10 mm. In children and parent groups, positivity of TST had significant direct association with presence of BCG scar and crowding. Conclusions: Most vaccinated children had a scar. Our results demonstrate that a TST applied after BCG vaccination usually produces a reaction of <10 mm. In addition, there is a significant relationship between the tuberculin reactivity and both presence of BCG scar and crowding among children and adult groups. © 2011, Shiraz E Medical Journal. All right reserved

The Effect of Nutritional Supplement Program on the Malnutrition and Biochemical Indicators of Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

Background: Protein-energy malnutrition is an important problem for hemodialysis patients due to decreased quality of life, increased hospitalization, and mortality. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of nutritional supplement programs on the malnutrition and biochemical indicators of patients undergoing hemodialysis.Methods: In this Randomized Controlled Trial study, 66 patients undergoing hemodialysis were allocated to three groups according to the random allocation methods. Groups A and B received nutritional supplements IsoWhey protein powder (one cup or 24 grams’ powder) and BCAA Muscle Guard Tablet (6 tablets per day: 2 tablets every 8 hours), respectively, along with a schedule of nutrition counseling, nephrology visits, and telephone follow-up for two months. The control group (group C) received a routine diet without supplementation. Biochemical indicators (Hemoglobin, BUN before and after dialysis, creatinine, cholesterol, triglyceride, TIBC, total protein, albumin, ferritin) were measured for all three groups before, one and two months after the intervention, and nutritional status based on SGA was assessed before and after the intervention.Results: Before the intervention, three groups were homogeneous in demographic variables, biochemical indicators, and nutritional status (P>0.05). But, after the intervention, there was a statistically significant difference between groups in means of TIBC, total protein, and albumin (P<0.05). Also, nutritional status significantly differed in groups after intervention (P=0.02). The two intervention groups achieved a better nutritional status after two months of taking the dietary supplement (P=0.008). But in the control group, there was no significant difference in nutritional status before and after the study (P<0.05).Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it could be suggested that the use of nutritional supplements under the supervision of a nutritionist, along with patient education and consistent nutritional assessment, is suggested to improve the nutritional status of patients undergoing hemodialysis