Microring resonator made by ion-exchange technique for detecting the CO2, H2O, and NaCl as cladding layer

A system of Microring Resonator (MRR) based the comb-like sensor devices has been simulated. We present a Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) ring resonator based on refractive index sensor. The novelty of the architecture lies in the capability to sense the shifts of multiple peaks simultaneously with an MRR waveguide. The behavior of optical MRRs, especially when functioning as refractive index sensors, is studied. Resonant wavelength, i.e. the wavelength at which the transmission spectrum exhibits a dip (peak) depends on the geometrical characteristics of the circular waveguide and the effective refractive index of the propagating mode. The previous studies have shown that the depth and vertical symmetry of buried waveguides are noticeably affected by the field perturbation. One of cost effective and low loss methods can be the technology known as ion-exchange which uses the glass substrates and the AgNO3/NaNO3 salt-melt at different temperatures and duration can be deposited on the glass substrates. Afterward, an MRR was designed on the glass substrates, where the effect of the carbon dioxide (CO2), Dihydrogen oxide (H2O), and sodium chloride (NaCl) as the cladding on the ion-exchange waveguide studied. Within the compare of the resonance in drop port and throughput port, it can understand that they roughly have the same distance of wavelength in the resonance. H2O is one of the materials showing higher Qfactor and FSR while it was in drop port also in throughput CO2 was the highest in these parameters. Keywords: Microring Resonator (MRR), Sensor, Ion-exchang

Epitope Mapping of Tetanus Toxin by Monoclonal Antibodies: Implication for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Design

Tetanus as a life-threatening disease is characterized by muscle spasm. The disease is caused by the neurotoxin of Clostridium tetani. Active form of tetanus neurotoxin is composed of the light chain (fragment A) and the heavy chain. Fragment A is a zinc metalloprotease, which cleaves the neuronal soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive attachment receptor (SNARE) protein, leading to the blockade of inhibitory neurotransmitter release and subsequent generalized muscular spasm. Two functional domains of the heavy chain are fragment C, which is required for neuronal cell binding of the toxin and subsequent endocytosis into the vesicles, and fragment B, which is important for fragment A translocation across the vesicular membrane into the neuronal cytosol. Currently, polyclonal immunoglobulins against tetanus neurotoxin obtained from human plasma of hyper-immunized donors are utilized for passive immunotherapy of tetanus; however, these preparations have many disadvantages including high lot-to-lot heterogeneity, possibility of transmitting microbial agents, and the adverse reactions to the other proteins in the plasma. Neutralizing anti-tetanus neurotoxin monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) lack these drawbacks and could be considered as a suitable alternative for passive immunotherapy of tetanus. In this review, we provide an overview of the literature discussing epitope mapping of the published neutralizing MAbs against tetanus toxin. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Enhanced differentiation of wharton�s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells in insulin-producing cells by the extract of nigella sativa seeds

Background: With regards to the high potential of medicinal plants in the production of biopharmaceuticals, one can rely on the promising prospect of insulin production via plant resources. Objectives: This study was conducted with the aim of using plant extract for insulin-producing cells. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study using critical case sampling. Six samples were gathered from the umbilical cord (Wharton�s jelly) in a governmental university affiliated hospital, Sari, Iran in 2017 after successful isolation of mesenchymal stem cells. Initially, Nigella sativa seeds extraction was performed to prepare the extract for cellular differentiation. Next, dithizone (DTZ) staining was used to evaluate insulin production, and insulin level was examined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data were analyzed was analyzed with the SPSS version 16 software using independent sample t-test. Results: The mean of the amount of insulin secretion was 92.33±5.13 ng/ml for the intervention and 0.33±0.15 ng/ml for the control group. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the average insulin in the culture obtained from Nigella sativa seeds between control and intervention groups (P = 0.001). In addition, via the ELISA kit and specific dithizone staining, insulin-producing cells were proven. Conclusions: In this regard, it could be concluded that the extract of Nigella sativa seeds was capable of including differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells derived from Wharton�s jelly to Insulin-Producing Cells. © 2017, Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal

Vertical Ge photodetector base on InP taper waveguide

In this work, simulation is conducted to investigate Ge photodetectors monolithically integrated on Si chip. The performance of vertical Germanium photodetector with FDTD Solutions (optical simulation) and electrical simulation has been studied. Selective heteroepitaxy of Ge is functioned in the monolithic integration of Ge photodetectors. The potential of CMOS-compatible monolithic integration of Ge as photodetector is investigated and the performance optimization is presented. Additionally, the investigation is extended to electrical part, particularly in the conversion efficiency as well as operation under low supplied voltage condition. Keywords: Germanium photodetector, InP taper waveguide, Silicon photonic

Differentiation of wharton's jelly derived mesenchymal stem cells into insulin producing cells

Background: Diabetes caused by insulin production disturbance is considered as the most common metabolic disorder all over the world. Diabetes may outbreak because of low insulin secretion by Islets of Langerhans β-cells, insulin resistance or both of them. In this way, using stem cells, which have the capability to differentiate into Pancreatic β-cells, is one of novel methods in this field. MSCs are the most important candidates for cellular therapy. Materials and Methods: Insulin level was examined using ELIZA method. In order to examine the morphology of differentiated cells, they were stained by Dithizone. Insulin-producer cells are cells which turn into red as a result of staining. Specific gene involving insulin-producing cells was evaluated by Real Time-PCR method. Results: The ELISA results showed that the treated cells secreted more insulin than the control group. Moreover, we found differentiation of MSCs toward insulin-secreting cells. In order to evaluate insulin production in clusters on day 21 of differentiation, we used dithizone (DTZ) staining. PDX-1 gene was confirmed by RT-PCR analysis. Conclusion: In this study, we differentiated MSCs into insulin-producing cells in vitro. It is concluded that MSCs may be considered as an excellent candidate in β-cell therapy in diabetes patients. © 2018, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). All rights reserved

Wharton's jelly derived-mesenchymal stem cells: Isolation and characterization

Wharton`s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs), have a high proliferation valency and they do not produce teratogen or carcinogen after subsequent transplantation. They are known as regenerative medicine. Thus more research is needed on the isolation and characterization of mesenchymal stem cells. In this experimental study, we obtained Wharton's jelly tissues from mothers during normal vaginal delivery, after obtaining their informed consent. Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from cultured Wharton`s jelly, cultured, and were then examined for their proliferation, immunophenotypes, and differentiation capacities. The immunophenotypes of WJ-MSCs were analyzed by flow cytometry. Differentiation was performed resulting in osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic cells. WJ-MSCs formed a homogenous monolayer of adherent spindle-shaped cells. Our results showed the high capacity of the proliferation of WJ-MSCs. Immunophenotyping further confirmed the purity of the isolated cells; their surface antigen expression showed the phenotypical properties like those of WJ-MSCs. The expanded cells were positive for CD 90, CD105, and CD44; they were negative for CD34 and HLA-DR surface markers. The cells had the adipocytic, osteocytic and chondrogenic differentiation capacity. The isolation and characterization of WJ-MSCs with high purity had been conducted, and the results were obtained in a short span. The present study has revealed the feasibility of the culture medium with high glucose and 15 FBS in isolation and proliferation of WJ-MSCs. When Wharton`s jelly pieces were put in the dry bottom of the flask, very effective separation of the MSCs was achieved. © 2018 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Wharton's jelly derived-mesenchymal stem cells: Isolation and characterization

Wharton`s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs), have a high proliferation valency and they do not produce teratogen or carcinogen after subsequent transplantation. They are known as regenerative medicine. Thus more research is needed on the isolation and characterization of mesenchymal stem cells. In this experimental study, we obtained Wharton's jelly tissues from mothers during normal vaginal delivery, after obtaining their informed consent. Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from cultured Wharton`s jelly, cultured, and were then examined for their proliferation, immunophenotypes, and differentiation capacities. The immunophenotypes of WJ-MSCs were analyzed by flow cytometry. Differentiation was performed resulting in osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic cells. WJ-MSCs formed a homogenous monolayer of adherent spindle-shaped cells. Our results showed the high capacity of the proliferation of WJ-MSCs. Immunophenotyping further confirmed the purity of the isolated cells; their surface antigen expression showed the phenotypical properties like those of WJ-MSCs. The expanded cells were positive for CD 90, CD105, and CD44; they were negative for CD34 and HLA-DR surface markers. The cells had the adipocytic, osteocytic and chondrogenic differentiation capacity. The isolation and characterization of WJ-MSCs with high purity had been conducted, and the results were obtained in a short span. The present study has revealed the feasibility of the culture medium with high glucose and 15 FBS in isolation and proliferation of WJ-MSCs. When Wharton`s jelly pieces were put in the dry bottom of the flask, very effective separation of the MSCs was achieved. © 2018 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Epistatic interaction between adiponectin and survivin gene polymorphisms in endometrial carcinoma

Adiponectin appears to play an important role in the development and progression of several obesity-related malignancies. Also, overexpression of survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis protein, is associated with increased risk of cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between two polymorphisms in the adiponectin gene and endometrial cancer (EC) risk. We also investigated whether epistasis between surviving and adiponectin gene polymorphisms are associated with EC risk in an Iranian population.The samples comprised formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections obtained from the archive of the pathology department, Imam-Khomeini Hospital and Firouzgar hospital. After DNA extraction the genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP technique.Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in adiponectin (rs1063539, rs2241766) and survivin (rs9904341) gene were evaluated in the study. The increased frequency of ADIPOQ rs1063539C allele (CC. +. CG genotype) was associated with decreased EC risk OR: 0.39(0.17-0.90). Survivin rs9904341C allele (CC. +. CG genotype) was associated with increased EC risk crude OR: 2.75(1.27-5.95), adjusted OR: 2.93(1.27-6.76). We observed an epistatic interaction between survivin rs9904341 CC. +. CG genotype and ADIPOQ rs1063539 GG genotype increasing the risk of EC compared to those with other genotypes OR: 4.86(1.88-12.54), P=0.001.Our findings indicate that adiponectin might have a modulatory effect on survivin role and function in EC, which requires further investigation. © 2014 Elsevier GmbH

Inhibitory Effect of Polyclonal Antibodies Against HER3 Extracellular Subdomains on Breast Cancer Cell Lines

OBJECTIVE: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) is a unique member of the tyrosine kinase receptors with an inactive kinase domain and is the preferable dimerization partner for HER2 which lead to potent tumorigenic signaling. METHODS: In this study, the expression plasmids coding for the human HER3 subdomains were transfected into CHO-K1 cells. Produced proteins were characterized by ELISA and SDS-PAGE. Rabbits were immunized and produced polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) that were characterized by ELISA, Immunoblotting and flowcytometry and their inhibitory effects were assessed by XTT on BT-474 and JIMT-1 breast cancer cell lines. RESULT: The recombinant subdomains were highly immunogenic in rabbits. The pAbs reacted with the recombinant subdomains as well as commercial HER3 and the native receptor on tumor cell membranes and could significantly inhibit growth of Trastuzumab sensitive (BT-474) and resistant (JIMT-1) breast cancer cell lines in vitro. CONCLUSION: It seems that HER3 extra cellular domains (ECD) induce a strong anti-tumor antibody response and may prove to be potentially useful for immunotherapeutic applications.

Determination of suitable age and size for releasing of Salmo trutta caspius by evaluation of osmotic

This study was carried out to determine the appropriate size of Caspian trout (Salmo trutta caspius Kessler, 1877) juveniles for releasing to South Caspian Sea or possibility of cage culture in Caspian Sea water. 1611 specimens were exposed in 4 weight groups of 5, 10, 15 and 20 g, in 3 salinity trials: Caspian Water (11- 11.5), inshore water (7) and fresh water (control). Each trial was done in 3 replicates. The blood samples and tissue fixations carried out from juveniles of control group (in fresh water) and 3, 6, 12, 24, 72, 168, 240 hours after exposure of fish in different treatments. Plasma osmolal ity, Na^+ and Cl^- concentrations, were measured by osmometer, flame photometer, RA1000 respectively. Plasma cortisol level was determined by using RIA (radio immunochemical assay). Na^+, K^+-ATPase activity in homogenates of gills was estimated by phosphate released from ATP. Histological indicators including chloride cell diameter and nephron morphometric parameters were assessed using classic preparation and optic microscope with digital camera. Results of osmolality and ions measuring concurrently show that all weight groups can live in salinity of 7 and they maintain the osmolality and ion concentrations. In the Caspian water, weight groups excluding 5 g juveniles show same result. Mean plasma osmolality of 20, 15, 10 and 5 gr juveniles in control group (time of 0) were calculated 331.3±8.7, 307.7±6, 334.7±14.6 and 301±8.7 mosml/l. This parameter in the above weight groups after 240 hours exposure in the Caspian Sea water were measured 329±0.53, 321±9, 325.3±6.7 and 346.5±13.6 respectively. The observation of kidney glomeruli in histological sections shows that the diameter of glomeruli in 5, 10, 15 g weight groups in 7 and all groups in Caspian water decreased after 72 h adaptation period (p0.05) for 5g juveniles, whereas within weight groups of 10, 15 and 20 g in Caspian Sea water and groups of 15, 20 g in water of 7 salinity, the increase (p0.05), although in other groups, a significant increase of this parameter was detected during experiments. Na^+ ,K^+ -ATPase activity in juveniles of 5g weight group in 7 salinity and Caspian water was low (3.2 6.1 mol Pi /mg protein/ h). The enzyme activities in all weight groups were higher under the exposure in Caspian Sea water than that in water of 7 salinity. In group of 10 g juveniles at start time (control in freshwater) the activity of Na^+, K^+ -ATPase was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that in 20g group. It is may be related to some metabolic changes and transforming to parr-smolt