Fusion of retrieval models at CLEF 2008 Ad Hoc Persian Track

Metasearch engines submit the user query to several under- lying search engines and then merge their retrieved results to generate a single list that is more e®ective to the users information needs. According to the idea behind metasearch engines, it seems that merging the results retrieved from di®erent retrieval models will improve the search coverage and precision. In this study, we have investigated the e®ect of fusion of di®erent retrieval techniques on the performance of Persian retrieval. We use an extension of Ordered Weighted Average (OWA) operator called IOWA and a weighting schema, NOWA for merging the results. Our ex- perimental results show that merging by OWA operators produces better MAP

The protective effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Ephedra pachyclada leaves on ovarian damage induced by cyclophosphamide in rat: An experimental study

Background: Cyclophosphamide (CP) is an anticancer drug that acts as an alkylation agent after metabolism in the liver. CP has toxic effects on the body’s cells, especially the reproductive system’s function, and causes infertility. Moreover, medicinal plants have few side effects and are psychologically acceptable to patients. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of Ephedra pachyclada hydroalcoholic extract (EPHE) on ovarian tissue and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in rats treated with CP. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 48 adult female Wistar rats (180-200 gr, 9-10 wk) were randomly assigned to 6 experimental groups (n = 8/each): (a) control; (b) sham; (c) CP; (d) CP+250 mg/kg EPHE; (e) CP+500 mg/kg EPHE; (f) CP+1000 mg/kg EPHE. On the 29th day of the experiment, serum was collected; serum concentration of the luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estrogen, progesterone, and antioxidant activity were measured. The number of ovarian follicles were also counted. Results: In the CP groups, serum concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone significantly increased, and estrogen and progesterone significantly decreased (p ≤ 0.05). EPHE significantly compensated for the complications caused by CP and 1000 mg/kg had the greatest effect. Antioxidant reduction by CP was significantly enhanced by EPHE, especially at higher doses (p ≤ 0.05). The number of primordial, primary, secondary, and Graafian follicles showed a significant decrease in CP groups and EPHE groups showed a significant increase compared to the CP. EPHE showed that the concentration of 1000 mg/kg was more effective than other doses (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: In addition to proving the effect of EPHE on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, our investigation showed antioxidant properties, which can be an effective factor in CP-treated rats. Key words: Ephedra, Cyclophosphamide, Ovary, Follicles, Hydroalcoholic extract

Comparison of Sleep Quality in Kidney Transplant Recipients vs. Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objective: Determining sleep quality in hemodialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients can provide valuable clinical information for planning treatment and care in this group of patients. Thus, we compared sleep quality between hemodialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 60 transplant patients and 60 hemodialysis patients were select-ed using convenience sampling method. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) with 89% validity and 86% reliabil-ity was used to assess patients' sleep quality. Results: The mean PSQI score was higher in the hemodialysis group (7.78) than the kidney transplantation group (6.15). This indicates that the sleep quality in hemodialysis patients is worse than in patients after kidney transplantation (P = 0.028). The frequency of poor sleep quality in hemodialysis patients was higher than in kidney transplant patients [50(83.3%) vs. 37(61.7%)]. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that kidney transplant recipients have better sleep quality than hemodial-ysis patients

Fusion of Retrieval Models at CLEF 2008 Ad Hoc Persian Track

Metasearch engines submit the user query to several under- lying search engines and then merge their retrieved results to generate a single list that is more e®ective to the users information needs. According to the idea behind metasearch engines, it seems that merging the results retrieved from di®erent retrieval models will improve the search coverage and precision. In this study, we have investigated the e®ect of fusion of di®erent retrieval techniques on the performance of Persian retrieval. We use an extension of Ordered Weighted Average (OWA) operator called IOWA and a weighting schema, NOWA for merging the results. Our ex- perimental results show that merging by OWA operators produces better MAP

Salinity stress and PGPR effects on essential oil changes in Rosmarinus officinalis L.

Abstract Background Medicinal plant species have been used by the ancestors around the world since ancient times. Rosmarinus officinalis is one of the most used medicinal plants, which belongs to the family Lamiaceae. To investigate the effects of different levels of salinity stress along with the induction of bacterial growth stimulation on the amount of essential oil composition in R. officinalis, an experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with 12 treatments and five replications. Salinity treatments included 0 (control), 2.5 (T1), 5 (T2), 7.5 (T3), 10 (T4) and 12.5 (T5) NaCl g/L, and the bacterium was pseudomonas fluorescence. Results The percentage of essential oils showed a significant relationship with increasing salinity either alone or in composition with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) inoculation treatments and it increased with increasing salinity levels to treatment 4 (T4, 10 g/L NaCl) but decreased with further increases in salinity levels in treatments without using PGPR and it was constant in treatment with using PGPR. Phellandrene, one of the main compounds of essential oils, showed a trend like the whole amount of essential oils in both group of treatments. Conclusion Abiotic and biotic factors may influence the different mechanisms and limit the interactions between plant and beneficial bacteria, resulting in less-than-acceptable performance in plant growth promotion and management of diseases. In this context, the results revealed that the application of PGPRs can help improve the essential oil yield in R. officinalis even in salinity conditions

Effect of Vitamin D Supplement Consumption on Muscle Strength, Muscle Function and Body Composition in Vitamin D-deficient Middle-aged Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background and Objectives: Sarcopenia is explained as the loss of muscle strength and muscle mass with aging&sbquo; and is one of the major risk factors for metabolic diseases. Cross-sectional studies demonstrate that vitamin D is associated with sarcopenia in both men and women. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin D supplement consumption on muscle strength, muscle function and body composition in middle-aged women. Materials and Methods: In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 71 women aged 40-55 years old, with the serum 25(OH)-D <25 ng/ml, were divided in two groups randomly, and received a 1000 IU vitamin D tablet (n=37) or a placebo (n=34), daily for 12 weeks. At the beginning and at the end of the study, dietary intake, anthropometric indices, muscle strength and function, serum 25(OH)-D, physical activity level and sun exposure were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 20. Results: A significant difference in serum 25(OH)-D was found between the intervention and placebo groups at the end of the study (P<0.001). In the vitamin D group, handgrip strength was improved, while hand grip strength (P=0.233) and knee extension strength (P=0.337) between the two groups did not differ significantly after 12 weeks. The mean of timed get up and go test, decreased significantly in the vitamin D group compared to the controls (P<0.001). Within the intervention group, body fat content decreased significantly after 12 weeks (P<0.001), but did not result a significant difference between the two groups (P=0.051). Conclusions: It seems in this vitamin D-deficient middle-aged women group, 1000 IU vitamin D consumption daily for 12 weeks resulted in improvement of muscle function and body composition, but had no significant effect on muscle strength. Keywords: Vitamin D, Muscle strength, Muscle function, Middle-aged wome

Interleukin‐22 and intestinal homeostasis: Protective or destructive?

Interleukin (IL)-22 is a member of IL-10 family cytokines with various immunologic functions. As its name implies, IL-22 is known to be secreted mainly by Th22 cells, a recently discovered lineage of CD4+ T cells. Also, Th17, Th1, natural killer cells, gamma delta T cells, and innate immune cells along with some nonlymphoid cells have been confirmed as secondary cellular sources of IL-22. Different cell types such as bronchial and intestinal epithelial cells, keratinocytes, hepatocytes, dermal fibroblasts, and tubular epithelial cells are affected by IL-22. Both pathologic and protective roles have been attributed to IL-22 in maintaining gut homeostasis and inflammation. According to the latest fast-growing investigations, IL-22 is significantly involved in various pathologies including allergic diseases, infection, autoimmunity, and cancer development. Regulating gut immune responses, barrier integrity, and inflammation is dependent on a diverse complex of cytokines and mediators which are secreted by mucosal immune cells. Several investigations have been designed to recognize the role of IL-22 in gastrointestinal immunity. This article tries to discuss the latest knowledge on this issue and clarify the potential of IL-22 to be used in the future therapeutic approaches of intestinal disorders including inflammatory bowel diseases and colon cancer. Keywords:colon cancer; IL-22; inflammatory bowel diseases; intestinal homeostasi