Effect of Vitamin E on Oocytes Apoptosis in nicotine-treated Mice

Objective(s): Cigarette and nicotine enhances embryogenesis, fertility, pregnancy loss and ultrastructure alterations of oocyte. This study was performed to determine the effect of daily supplementation of vitamin E on oocytes apoptosis in nicotine-treated mice. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 24 NMARI adult female mice were randomly allocated into four experimental groups. For 30 days, animals in control group (C) were received saline through subcutaneous injection, group I received vitamin E (60 mg/kg/day orally), group II received nicotine (5 mg/kg/day, subcutaneous) and animals of group III received nicotine with vitamin E (60 mg/kg/day orally). After 30 days, the animals were superovulated with PSMG (10 Units) and HCG (10 Units). Next day animals were sacrificed and oocytes were flushed. Collected oocytes were examined through TUNEL assay for the determination of apoptosis through the use of fluorescent microscope. Results: The number of retrieved oocytes was 139, 148, 97 and 127 in control, experimental group I, II and III, respectively. Nicotine treatment increased apoptosis in oocytes up to 13.4% whereas oocytes apoptosis was 3.6% in controls. Supplementation with vitamin E in nicotine-treated mice reduced the oocytes apoptosis to 5.5%. Conclusion: This study showed that nicotine exposure (5 mg/kg/day for 30 days) can increase apoptosis in oocytes, and supplementation with vitamin E (60 mg/kg/day orally) can reduce the oocytes apoptosis in nicotine-treated mice

Study of embryotoxicity of mentha piperita l. during organogenesis in balb/c mice

Mentha piperita (Labiatae), commonly known as peppermint is a native Iranian herb which is used in folk medicine for various purposes. This study was carried out to reveal the teratogenic effect of Mentha piperita on mice fetuses. In this experimental study, pregnant Balb/c mice divided to four groups. Case group received 600 (treatment I) and 1200 (treatment II) mg/kg/day the hydroalcoholic extract of Mentha piperita during 6-15 of gestational days and one control group received normal saline during GD6-GD15 by gavages and other control group did not receive any matter during 6-15 of gestational days. Mice sacrificed at GD18 and embryos were collected. Macroscopic observation was done by stereomicroscope. 20 fetuses of each group were stained by Alizarin red-S and Alcian blue staining method. The Mean weight of fetuses decreased in treatment groups rather than control (P<0.05) but CRL there was no significant difference between treatments and controls groups. In the treatment I (600 mg/kg/day) and treatment II (1200 mg/kg/day), normal saline and control group, no gross congenital malformations were observed in fetuses. Treated fetuses also had no delayed bone ossification as determined by Alizarin red-S and Alcian blue staining method. This study showed that the hydroalcoholic extract of Mentha piperita (600 and 1200 mg/ kg/day) has no teratogenic effect in mice fetuses if used continuously during embryonic period

O impacto dos distúrbios monetários na inflação e nos ciclos de negócios na economia iraniana

In this paper, we have investigated the effect of monetary disorders on inflation and business cycles in Iran’s economy during the period 1973 to 2012. Monetary disorders are defined by two indexes of monetary policy uncertainty and shock to liquidity growth. In the first step, the causal relationship of monetary policy uncertainty on real GDP fluctuations, employment fluctuations and inflation are estimated using Granger causality test. To this purpose, to follow Haghighat and Mohammad Gholipour Tapeh (2014), the conditional variance of liquidity growth extracted from models of GARCH family was applied as a substitute for monetary policy uncertainty. In the second stage, the reaction of economic growth, employment growth and inflation to the shock to liquidity growth are estimated using impulse response function technique derived from VAR model. The results indicate the existence of one-way Granger causality relation of monetary policy uncertainty in all three variables of real GDP fluctuations, employment fluctuations and inflation. Also, based on the results, impulse response function reduces the shock to liquidity growth as much as a standard deviation, real GDP growth and employment after a period and increases inflation. Accordingly, the hypothesis of the effect of monetary disorders on business cycles in Iran’s economy in the period of this research cannot be rejected.JEL classification: E23, E31, E32, E52En este documento, hemos investigado el efecto de los trastornos monetarios en la inflación y los ciclos económicos en la economía de Irán durante el período de 1973 a 2012. Los trastornos monetarios se definen por dos índices de incertidumbre de la política monetaria y el impacto del crecimiento de la liquidez. En el primer paso, la relación causal de la incertidumbre de la política monetaria sobre las fluctuaciones del PIB real, las fluctuaciones del empleo y la inflación se estiman mediante la prueba de causalidad de Granger. Para este propósito, siguiendo a Haghighat y Mohammad Gholipour Tapeh (2014), se aplicó la varianza condicional del crecimiento de la liquidez extraída de los modelos de la familia GARCH como sustituto de la incertidumbre de la política monetaria. En la segunda etapa, la reacción del crecimiento económico, el crecimiento del empleo y la inflación al impacto del crecimiento de la liquidez se estiman utilizando la técnica de función de respuesta al impulso derivada del modelo VAR. Los resultados indican la existencia de una relación de causalidad de Granger unidireccional de la incertidumbre de la política monetaria en las tres variables de fluctuaciones del PIB real, fluctuaciones del empleo e inflación. Además, en función de los resultados, la función de respuesta al impulso reduce el impacto del crecimiento de la liquidez tanto como una desviación estándar, el crecimiento del PIB real y el empleo después de un período y aumenta la inflación. En consecuencia, la hipótesis del efecto&nbsp;de los trastornos monetarios en los ciclos económicos de la economía de Irán en el período de esta investigación no puede ser rechazada.Clasificación JEL: E23, E31, E32, E52Neste artigo, investigamos o efeito dos distúrbios monetários sobre a inflação e os ciclos econômicos na economia do Irã durante o período de 1973 a 2012. Os distúrbios monetários são definidos por dois índices de incerteza da política monetária e por choque no crescimento da liquidez. No primeiro passo, a relação causal entre a incerteza da política monetária sobre as flutuações do PIB real, as flutuações do emprego e a inflação é estimada usando o teste de causalidade de Granger. Para este propósito, para seguir Haghighat e Mohammad Gholipour Tapeh (2014), a variância condicional do crescimento de liquidez extraída de modelos da família GARCH foi aplicada como um substituto para a incerteza da política monetária. No segundo estágio, a reação do crescimento econômico, crescimento do emprego e inflação ao choque para o crescimento da liquidez são estimados usando a técnica de função de resposta impulsiva derivada do modelo VAR. Os resultados indicam a existência de uma relação de causalidade de Granger unidirecional da incerteza da política monetária em todas as três variáveis de flutuações reais do PIB, flutuações do emprego e inflação. Além disso, com base nos resultados, a função de resposta ao impulso reduz o choque para o crescimento da liquidez, tanto quanto um desvio padrão, crescimento do PIB real e emprego após um período e aumenta a inflação. Consequentemente, a hipótese do efeito dos distúrbios monetários nos ciclos de negócios na economia do Irã no período desta pesquisa não pode ser rejeitada.Classificação JEL: E23, E31, E32, E5

Measurement of Disability and Its Predictors Among Trauma Patients: A Follow-up Study

Background: Globally more than a billion people, 15% of the population, lives with disability and most of disabilities are caused by injuries. Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of disability and its predictors at 1 and 3 months post-injury in Kashan City during 2014 - 2015. Patients and Methods: In this longitudinal follow-up study, 400 injured patients 15 - 65 years referred to Shahid Beheshti hospital in Kashan and hospitalized more than 24 hours were assessed for disability status with the WHODAS II 12-item instrument at 1 and 3-months post-injury. Patients based on their disability scores were divided into 5 groups: none, mild, moderate, severe and very severe. Work status was assessed at the 3-month follow-up with one question “Are you back at work following your injury”. Also, demographic characteristics and information about injury were gathered by a checklist. Data were analyzed using chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis, Pearson correlation coefficient and logistic regression by SPSS software. The significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results: The mean disability scores at 1 and 3 months post-injury was 30.3 (9.2) and 18.8 (8.3), respectively and there was a statistical significant difference between disability status at 1 and 3 months after trauma (P < 0.0001). The rates of return to work in 262 employed patients at 1 and 3 months after injury were 29% and 55.4%, respectively. The disability score showed a statistically significant correlation with Injury Severity Score (ISS) (P < 0.0001), work return (P = 0.033), intensive care unit transfer (P < 0.0001), trauma type (P = 0.001) and age (P = 0.004). Also, age, ISS, duration of hospital stay and injury to extremities were predictors of disability. Conclusions: More than half of the patients were disabled after 3 months of trauma. Elderly patients, patient with severe trauma, and long hospitalization and patients with extremity injuries were high risk for disability

Return to work after trauma: A survival analysis

Purpose To evaluate the return to work (RTW) rate, time and predictors among trauma patients using survival analysis. Methods This cohort study was conducted with a three-month follow-up on 300 trauma patients hospitalized in Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran in 2014. The data were collected through conducting interviews and referring to patients' medical records during their hospital stay and follow-up information at one & three months after discharge from hospital. Final analysis was conducted on the data retrieved from 273 patients. Data were analyzed by chi-square test, Mann–Whitney U test and survival analysis method. Results The rate of RTW at the end of the first and the third follow-up months was respectively 21.6% and 61.2%. Survival analysis showed that the RTW time (Time between admission to first return to work) was significantly longer among patients with illiteracy, drug abuse, hospitalization history in the intensive care unit, low socioeconomic status, non-insurance coverage, longer hospital stay, multiple and severe injuries as well as severe disability. Conclusion Our findings indicated that trauma has profound effects on the rate and time of RTW. Besides disability, many personal and clinical factors can affect the outcome of RTW

The molecular genetic analysis of the expanding pachyonychia congenita case collection

BACKGROUND: Pachyonychia congenita (PC) is a rare autosomal dominant keratinizing disorder characterized by severe, painful, palmoplantar keratoderma and nail dystrophy, often accompanied by oral leucokeratosis, cysts and follicular keratosis. It is caused by mutations in one of five keratin genes: KRT6A, KRT6B, KRT6C, KRT16 or KRT17. OBJECTIVES: To identify mutations in 84 new families with a clinical diagnosis of PC, recruited by the International Pachyonychia Congenita Research Registry during the last few years. METHODS: Genomic DNA isolated from saliva or peripheral blood leucocytes was amplified using primers specific for the PC-associated keratin genes and polymerase chain reaction products were directly sequenced. RESULTS: Mutations were identified in 84 families in the PC-associated keratin genes, comprising 46 distinct keratin mutations. Fourteen were previously unreported mutations, bringing the total number of different keratin mutations associated with PC to 105. CONCLUSIONS: By identifying mutations in KRT6A, KRT6B, KRT6C, KRT16 or KRT17, this study has confirmed, at the molecular level, the clinical diagnosis of PC in these families

Frequency and Voltage Control Techniques through Inverter-Interfaced Distributed Energy Resources in Microgrids: A Review

Microgrids (MG) are small-scale electric grids with local voltage control and power management systems to facilitate the high penetration and grid integration of renewable energy resources (RES). The distributed generation units (DGs), including RESs, are connected to (micro) grids through power electronics-based inverters. Therefore, new paradigms are required for voltage and frequency regulation by inverter-interfaced DGs (IIDGs). Notably, employing effective voltage and frequency regulation methods for establishing power-sharing among parallel inverters in MGs is the most critical issue. This paper provides a comprehensive study, comparison, and classification of control methods including communication-based, decentralized, and construction and compensation control techniques. The development of inverter-dominated MGs has caused limitations in employing classical control techniques due to their defective performance in handling non-linear models of IIDGs. To this end, this article reviews and illustrates advanced controllers that can deal with the challenges that are created due to the uncertain and arbitrary impedance characteristics of IIDGs in dynamics/transients

Carbon Nanotubes-Chitosan-Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Nano-Carriers Synthesis for Nanomedicine Application

Carbon nanotube-natural biopolymer nanovectors have important potential applications in delivery system for drugs and biomolecules. In this work, the use of multi-wall CNTs as nanoreserviors for drug loading and controlled release is demonstrated .We synthesized CNT-based Drug delivery systems; MWCNT-CS nanoparticles based on an ionotropic gelation method as a sustained-release systems for the delivery of Tenofovir (hydrophilic anti-retroviral drug). Molecularly imprinted polymer used as shell for encapsulating the synthesized polymer to reduce the toxicity of CNT and improved theit application in Drug Delivery System. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. TGA was applied to study the thermal stabilities, and SEM to investi-gate the morphology. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/3521

BogieBot: A Climbing Robot in Cluttered Confined Space of Bogies with Ferrous Metal Surfaces

Proactive inspection is essential for prediction and prevention of rolling stock component failures. The conventional process for inspecting bogies under trains presents significant challenges for inspectors who need to visually check the tight and cluttered environment. We propose a miniature multi-link climbing robot, called BogieBot, that can be deployed inside the undercarriage areas of trains and other large vehicles for inspection and maintenance purposes. BogieBot can carry a visual sensor or manipulator on its main body. The novel compact design utilises six identical couple joints and two mechanically switchable magnetic grippers that together, empower multi-modal climbing and manipulation. The proposed mechanism is kinematically redundant, allowing the robot to perform self-motions in a tight space and manoeuvre around obstacles. The mechanism design and various analyses on the forward and inverse kinematic, work-space, and self-motions of BogieBot are presented. The robot is demonstrated to perform challenging navigation tasks in different scenarios involving simulated complex environments