Association of interleukin-4 polymorphisms with multiple sclerosis in southeastern Iranian patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Immune system related factors are important in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Interleukin 4 (IL-4) as a helper T cell (2TH) cytokine is involved in the regulation of immune responses. Hence, this study was designed to explore the association between MS and polymorphisms in the -590 region of IL-4. DESIGN AND SETTING: A descriptive study at Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsnajan from September 2009 to August 2010. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 100 MS patients and 150 healthy controls on EDTA precoated tubes. DNA was extracted and analyzed for IL-4 polymorphisms using restricted fragment length polymorphism in patients and controls. Demographic data were also collected by a questionnaire that was designed specifically for this study. RESULTS: We observed a significant difference in the C/C, T/C, and T/T genotypes of the -590 region of IL-4 between patients with MS and healthy controls (P <.001). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that functional polymorphisms of IL-4 possibly play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of MS

Opium Induces Apoptosis in Jurkat Cells

Background: The direct effect of some opioids on immune cells has been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to assess the apoptotic effect of opium on Jurkat T lymphocyte cells. Methods: Different concentrations of opium (2.86 × 10-3 to 2.86 × 10-11 g/ml) were added to 24-well plates containing 5 × 105 Jurkat cells. Apoptotic events were assessed after 6, 24, and 72 hours by flow-cytometric detection of surface phosphatidylserine. Findings: Significant differences in apoptosis of Jurkat cells were seen at 24 and 72 hours in different concentrations of opium (P < 0.05). After 72 hours, significant increase in necrosis of Jurkat cells was seen in opium concentration of 2.85 × 10-3 g/ml compared to cells without opium (control) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: These results showed that opium directly increases apoptosis and necrosis of T lymphocytes. This effect may play a role in immune dysfunction in opium addicts.Keywords: Opium, Apoptosis, Necrosis, Jurkat cell

The effect of royal jelly and silver nanoparticles on liver and kidney inflammation

Objective: Royal jelly (RJ) is a honey bee product for which, anti-inflammatory properties were shown in vitro. Nanoparticles, including nano-silver (NS), are plausible inflammation inducers that act by activation of immune cells and consequent production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This project aimed to explore immunomodulatory effects of royal jelly and nano-silver on the kidney and liver. Materials and Methods: In this project, 40 male rats were grouped as follows: 10 rats as controls, 10 rats treated with RJ; 10 rats treated with both NS and RJ and 10 rats treated with NS. Liver and kidney interleukin (IL)-1β, -2, -6, and -33 levels were determined using commercial ELISA kits. Results: RJ reduced kidney IL-6 levels in comparison to control and NS--RJ groups. RJ and NS reduced kidney and liver IL-1β levels. Kidney IL-33 levels were decreased in the RJ and nano-silver groups in comparison to the NS--RJ group. Conclusion: Based on this study, it may be concluded that RJ together with NS can play anti-inflammatory roles and may affect the function of immune cells

TRPV1 receptor-mediated expression of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 following permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats

Objective(s): Stroke is known as a main cause of mortality and prolonged disability in adults. Both transient receptor potential V1 (TRPV1) channels and toll-like receptors (TLRs) are involved in mediating the inflammatory responses. In the present study, the effects of TRPV1 receptor activation and blockade on stroke outcome and gene expression of TLR2 and TLR4 were assessed following permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats Materials and Methods: Eighty male Wistar rats were divided into four groups as follows: sham, vehicle, AMG9810 (TRPV1 antagonist) -treated and capsaicin (TRPV1 agonist) -treated. For Stroke induction, the middle cerebral artery was permanently occluded and then behavioral functions were evaluated 1, 3 and 7 days after stroke. Results: TRPV1 antagonism significantly reduced the infarct volume compared to the stroke group. Also, neurological deficits were decreased by AMG9810 seven days after cerebral ischemia. In the ledged beam-walking test, the slip ratio was enhanced following ischemia. AMG9810 decreased this index in stroke animals. However, capsaicin improved the ratio 3 and 7 days after cerebral ischemia. Compared to the sham group, the mRNA expression of TLR2 and TLR4 was significantly increased in the stroke rats. AMG9810 Administration significantly reduced the mRNA expression of TLR2 and TLR4. However, capsaicin did not significantly affect the gene expression of TLR2 and TLR4. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that TRPV1 antagonism by AMG9810 attenuates behavioral function and mRNA expression of TLR2 and TLR4. Thus, it might be useful to shed light on future therapeutic strategies for the treatment of ischemic stroke

Energy Use in the EU Building Stock - Case Study: UK

Previous studies in building energy assessmnet have made it clear that the largest potential energy efficiency improvements are conected to the retrofitting of existing buildings. But, lack of information about the building stock and associated modelling tools is one of the barriers to assessment of energy efficiency strategies in the building stocks. Therefore, a methodology has been developed to describe any building stock by the means of archetype buildings.  The aim has been to assess the effects of energy saving measures. The model which is used for the building energy simulation is called:  Energy, Carbon and Cost Assessment for Buildings Stocks (ECCABS). This model calculated the net energy demand aggregated in heating, cooling, lighting, hotwater and appliances.   This model has already been validated using the Swedish residential stock as a test case. The present work continues the development of the methodology by focusing on the UK building stock by discribing the UK building stock trough archetype buildings and their physical properties which are used as inputs to the ECCABS. In addition, this work seekes to check the adequacy of applying the ECCABS model to the UK building stock. The outputs which are the final energy use of the entire building stock are compared to data available in national and international sources.   The UK building stoch is described by a total of 252 archetype buildings. It is determined by considering nine building typologies, four climate zones, six periods of construction and two types of heating systems. The total final energy demand calculated by ECCABS for the residential sector is 578.83 TWh for the year 2010, which is 2.6 % higher than the statistics provided by the Department of Energy and Climate Change(DECC). In the non-residential sector the total final energy demand is 77.28 TWh for the year 2009, which is about 3.2% lower than the energy demand given by DECC. Potential reasons which could have affected the acuracy of the final resualts are discussed in this master thesis.

Theoretical Considerations about Energy Transition in Luxembourg

The energy transition is a certain phenomenon in the future which as of yet has no agreed definition. It involves a shift in the dominant &lsquo;rules of the game&rsquo;&mdash;a transformation of established technologies and societal practices and movement from one dynamic equilibrium to another, typically stretching over several generations. The study aims to explore some salient features of this transition that Luxembourg will face using a theoretical approach. The study was limited to the transportation sector, residential sector, and public dimension. it has been shown how the availability of different contextual factors in Luxembourg will raise the need for new pathways to move towards this transition. The alternative pathways have been argued, too

Characterizing the theory of energy transition in Luxembourg— Part three— In the residential sector

Increasing consciousness to address future concerns is a challenging subject, noticed considerably by policymakers and investors. Investigation of energy use in residential buildings in terms of quantity and sources of energy was the main focus of this study. Indeed, the paper was aimed to study the role of contextual factors on two points: the energy demand and the spreading of renewable technologies in the residential sector. It was theory- driven research to highlight some future concerns. The first theory was to reveal how the growth of single- family houses versus multi- family houses could affect the growth of energy consumption and the application of renewable technologies. The second theory was built to highlight that spreading energy measures to increase efficiency or introducing a new energy carrier should be embedded in the context of new construction activities or in a template of renovation projects. The third theory was to emphasize the priority of thinking about managing the changes in residential buildings because of the lasting impact of the decision about the type of building. Finally, the purpose of the ongoing transition was argued to highlight that the growth of renewable technologies has not been necessarily aligned with getting away from fossil fuels

Characterizing the Theory of Energy Transition in Luxembourg, Part Two—On Energy Enthusiasts’ Viewpoints

The energy transition is a certain phenomenon in the future of the world. However, exploring the existing literature suggests that public considerations have not been analyzed in Luxembourg yet. A widespread move from the conventional energy system based on fossil fuels into a new energy system with renewable energy could not occur successfully without the strong support of the public. Characterizing a theory of transition was intended to fill in the gap of knowledge of the field. To ground the built theory, it is necessary to collect as much empirical data as possible. The applied methodology to collect data was to run a survey. Public groups in a variety of job statuses were invited to take part in the survey. The employed method to analyze the data was a combination of qualitative analysis with the pragmatic theory of truth. Overall, the number of collected responses reached 96. Notably, people did not imagine the future differently. They showed a lack of optimism in the future. The findings confirm that the necessity of energy transition is fairly far from people’s considerations. It is a big concern that the authors would like to highlight