Evaluation of Subacute Toxicity Induced by Methoxychlor: The protective Effect of Ascorbic acid

The present study was designed to detect the effects of sublethal concentration of Methoxychlor (MXC) on hematological constituents, thrombocytic indices, liver and kidney damage biomarker and erythrocytic oxidative status. As well as the possible protective effect of ascorbic acid (vit-C) were tested in rats at subacute period under laboratory conditions. MXC was administered orally at a dose of 200mg/kg, twice weekly, to male rats, for one month. Co – administration of ascorbic acid at a dose of 1g\L drinking water was achieved. MXC caused a significant reduction in hematological constituents and thrombocytic indices. MXC induced a significant increase in the serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyle transferase (γ-GT), uric acid and creatinine, whereas decrease in total protein and albumin levels. With regards, to the results of oxidative status revealed that decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activities while increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO) components malondialdehyde (MDA). MXC plus vit-C treated group was significantly differed in most previous parameters than the MXC -treated group. These data, along with the determined changes suggest that MXC produce substantial systemic organ toxicity in rats during the period of a 30-days subacute exposure. The co- treatment with vit- C could ameliorate these toxic changes

Histological Sequences of Long Bone Development in the New Zealand White Rabbits

Long bone development occurred through endochondral ossification. The current study investigated the main histological changes associated with the development of humerus from the New Zealand white rabbits. The upper limb or humerus during embryonic (12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 21, 24 and 27 days) and neonatal (3 and 7 days) development was processed for light microscopy. Three stages preceded endochondral ossification; limb bud (mesenchymal cells), cartilage primordia (mesenchymal condensation and differentiation into chondrocytes) and cartilage template (organization of chondrocytes into proliferative and hypertrophic zones) by 12, 14 and 15 days, respectively. At day 16, cartilage template elongated forming a cartilaginous diaphysis of the prospective humerus. At day 18, cartilaginous epiphyses were formed. Medullary cavity was established by day 21 with no signs of calcification in the bone collar. Primary ossification center appeared within the diaphysis at day 24 of embryonic development. Secondary ossification centers were seen within the epiphyses by day 3 of neonatal development. Two types of cartilage canals were investigated; short epiphyseal canals appeared from day 21 and long transphyseal canals appeared from day 27. At day 7 of neonatal development, the cartilage of the humerus was limited in two places; articular epiphyseal growth cartilage between articular surface and secondary ossification center, epiphyseal physeal growth cartilage between the secondary and primary ossification centers. The current study summarized the main histological stages of development of rabbit humerus. These results should be considered in molecular studies of endochondral bone formation

Effects of gamma irradiation on salted and frozen mullet fish during storage period

The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of gamma irradiation on decontamination of microbial loud of salted and frozen mullet fish. Mullet fish samples were divided into two groups: The first group was frozen at – 20C° and the second group was dry salted with ordinary commercial refined salt at ratio 1 kg fish / 0.8 kg. Each group was subjected to 0, 2.5 and 5 kGy of gamma irradiation doses before storage period. The results showed that, gamma irradiation hadn’t any significant (P?0.05) effects on the chemical composition and minerals content of mullet fish samples under investigation. Gamma irradiation doses (2.5 and 5.0 kGy) had not significant remarkable effect at P?0.05 on sensory properties (appearance, odor, texture and color) of dry and frozen mullet fish samples neither at zero time nor during storage periods. Microbial aspects (total bacterial counts, coliform bacteria, salmonella, sporeforming bacteria and total molds and yeasts) were detected. Also it could be concluded that, gamma irradiation had a significant (P?0.05) decrease effects on microbial loud and improve the microbiological safety of salted and frozen mullet fishes without any adverse effects on their chemical contents and quality. Keywords: key words, Gamma irradiation, Salting, freezing, Mullet fish, Minerals, Microbial loud

Induciranje pluripotentnih matičnih stanica upotrebom mRNA: učinak valproične kiseline, 5-azacitidina i askorbinske kiseline

In the bourgeoning fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology with gene therapy are promising candidates for alternative stem cell source and cell transplantation. In this study, small molecules as anti-oxidant; ascorbic acid (ASA), histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi); Valproic acid (VPA), and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi); 5-Azacytidine (5-AzaC) were examined during the generation of murine iPSCs using mRNA of Yamanaka factors from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). These modulators were selected based on their well-known effect on the epigenetic status and chromatin modification during early reprogramming. iPSC generation was performed by using synthesized mRNAs of Yamanaka factors Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4 (OSCK) as a standard reprogramming strategy. Both morphological changes and the expression level of the pluripotency markers were examined. 5-AzaC with 1 μM concentration has a slightly toxic effect on the cells, affecting its proliferation and growing efficiency. In contrast, the use of VPA or ASA led to a two-fold increase in the number of iPSC colonies. The iPSCs cultured with the addition of VPA or ASA showed a high expression of the tested pluripotency markers, with a significant increase, more than that of the cells cultured with the addition of 5-AzaC. These findings shed light on the role of ASA, VPA, and 5-AzaC during murine iPSCs generation using a mRNA reprogramming strategy.Ubrzani razvoj u područjima tkivnog inženjerstva i regenerativne medicine, potaknuo je tehnologiju pluripotentnih matičnih stanica (iPSCs) koja zajedno s genskom terapijom predstavlja obečavajući izvor matičnih odnosno transplantacijskih stanica. U ovom su radu, za vrijeme stvaranja mišjih iPSC-a upotrebom mRNA Yamanaka faktora od mišjih embrionalnih fibroblasta (MEF), istraženi učinci različitih modulatora: malih molekula kao antioksidansa, askorbinske kiseline (ASA), inhibitora histonske deacetilaze (HDACi), valproične kiseline (VPA), inhibitora DNA metiltransferaze (DNMTi) i 5-azacitidina (5-AzaC). Ovi su modulatori odabrani zbog njihova dobro poznatog učinka na epigenetski status i modifikaciju kromatina za vrijeme ranog reprogramiranja. Stvaranje iPSC-a postignuto je upotrebom sintetiziranih mRNA Yamanaka faktora Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc i Klf4 (OSCK). Istražene su i morfološke promjene i razina ekspresije markera pluripotencije. 5-AzaC s koncentracijom od 1 μM imao je mali toksičan učinak na stanice, utječući na proliferaciju i njihov rast. Nasuprot tome, upotreba VPA-a ili ASA-e dovela je do dvostrukog povećanja broja iPSC kolonija. iPSC kultura s dodatkom VPA-a ili ASA-e pokazala je visoku ekspresiju testiranih markera pluripotencije, sa znakovitim višom razinom u odnosu na stanice kojima je dodan 5-AzaC. Ovi rezultati rasvjetljuju ulogu ASA-e, VPA-a i 5-AzaC-a za vrijeme stvaranja mišjih iPSC-a primjenom strategije reprogramiranja mRNA

Stem cells and metformin synergistically promote healing in experimentally induced cutaneous wound injury in diabetic rats

Introduction. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious, chronic metabolic disorder commonly complicated by diabetic foot ulcers with delayed healing. Metformin was found to have a wound healing effect through several mechanisms. The current study investigated the effect of both bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) and metformin, considered alone or combined, on the healing of an experimentally induced cutaneous wound injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.Material and methods. Forty adult male albino rats were used. Diabetes was induced by single intravenous (IV) injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Next, two circular full thickness skin wounds were created on the back of the animals, then randomly assigned into 4 groups, ten rats each. BM-MSCs were isolated from albino rats, 8 weeks of age and labeled by PKH26 before intradermal injection into rats of Group III and IV. Groups I (diabetic positive control), II (metformin-treated, 250 mg/kg/d), III (treated with 2×106 BM-MSCs), and IV (wounded rats treated both with metformin and BM-MSCs cells). Healing was assessed 3, 7, 14, and 21 days post wound induction through frequent measuring of wound diameters. Skin biopsies were obtained at the end of the experiment.Results. Gross evaluation of the physical healing of the wounds was done. Skin biopsies from the wound areas were processed for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson’s trichrome staining and immunohistochemical staining for CD31. The results showed better wound healing in the combined therapy group (IV) as compared to monotherapy groups.Conclusions. Although both metformin and BM-MSCs were effective in the healing of experimentally induced skin wounds in diabetic rats, the combination of both agents appears to be a better synergistic option for the treatment of diabetic wound injuries

Arbitrage Pricing Model; Determining the Number of Factors and Their Consistency Across Markets

Purpose - The discovery of a true financial equilibrium model that could explain the prices of stocks has long been a sought after challenge and a vital area of research in modern financial theory. The concept is based on the fact that the price of the stock is affected by the present value of the future cash flows from the stock, and anything that will affect the discount rate of these future cash flows. Many brokerage firms, financial institutions and financial consulting firms use multi-index models to aid in the investment process Thus the APT model is becoming increasingly popular and has been a subject of several empirical studies. These models have been tested on both developed and developing markets. The purpose of this research is to analyze the Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT) introduced by Ross (1976), which is a more simplified, multifactor model, with fewer relative assumptions to other models, across different representative markets, giving particular attention to the number of factors. Design/methodology/approach – The research is quantitative in nature and principal component analysis will be used to determine the ideal number of factors that should be included in the model, as well as the identity of these factors. Findings - Results indicate that the ideal number of factors vary from four to five factors across markets, with their identity differing across markets. Findings provide valuable insights for professionals in the market as well as academics who want to gain further knowledge on the number of factors. Research limitations/implications –The application of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is based only on a sample of stocks and not on the whole population in the stock market, and thus there remains a question of how accurate these approximations actually are. Practical implications –The APT is a popular multi-index model that should be used by financial analysts to allow risk to be more tightly controlled and allow investors to protect against specific type of risk to which he or she is particularly sensitive or to make specific bets on certain types of risks. Originality/value – No research has yet been carried out across different markets for the same time period as will be carried out in this research, and thus the empirical study in this research aims to add knowledge on whether the number of factors will be consistent across borders or will change from market to market. Keywords Arbitrage Pricing Theory, Number of factors, Emerging markets Paper type Research Pape

The new distribution (Topp Leone Marshall Olkin-Weibull) properties with an application

The few standard probability distributions available are insufficient for modelling naturally occurring events. Most especially, normal distribution is not ideal for modelling asymmetrical data. Generalizing a new distribution is an important area in probability theory. It is known that we can improve the performance of the distributions by adding a new parameters. So, in this paper, we introduce Topp Leone Marshall Olkin-Weibull distribution as new method with four parameters based on recently proposed family (Topp Leone Marshall-Olkin of distributions). Accordingly, mathematical properties such as quantile function, moments generating functions, entropy, and order statistics have been investigated. The estimation of four parameters by maximum likelihood method was implemented. Application for real data based on the proposed method can be employed to show the best fitting as compared with the other models

Effect of progressive prone plank exercise program on diastasis of rectus abdominis muscle in postpartum women: A randomized controlled trial

Diastasis of Rectus Abdominis (DRA) muscle is a concerning health issue that commonly affects female within pregnancy and postpartum time, persistent lower back pain and pelvic instability are common consequences to DRA. Thus, this study was conducted to examine the effect of progressive prone plank exercises on narrowing the inter-Rectus distance (IRD) in postpartum women diagnosed with (DRA). A prospective, randomized, single-blind, controlled trial was conducted at the Faculty of Physical Therapy Clinic of Beni-Suef University. Fifty postpartum women presented with (DRA) of at least 2 finger widths assigned into 2 equal groups (A&B). A Toshiba Xario100, 8–12 MHz ultrasonography was used to accurately measure IRD before and after 8 weeks of the exercise program. Group (A), received progressive prone plank exercise program and advice relevant to DRA as well as wore abdominal binder, while group (B) continued their ordinary lifestyle after receiving advice and wearing abdominal binder as group (A).The study results revealed a statistical significant decrease within each group and between groups in IRD (p < .05) above and below the umbilicus both at rest and during Rectus Abdominis (RA) contraction, with a significantly narrower IRD in favoured of participants of group (A) (p < .05). To sum it up, progressive prone plank exercise program is very effective in decreasing IRD in postpartum women presented with DRA

Some Comparative Anatomical and Histological Studies on the Laryngeal Cartilages of Buffaloes, Camels and Donkeys

Comparative studies concerned the upper air ways of domestic animals are few. So this study was carried out to compare between the larynx of buffaloes, camels and donkeys. The present investigation was carried out on 39 larynxes, 13 larynxes (7 males, 6 females) of each species. Ten heads from each species were used for gross anatomical study; the remained three heads were used for the histological study. Results revealed that, the laryngeal cartilages of the three species were consisted of three single cartilages; the thyroid, the cricoid and the epiglottis, and two paired cartilages; the arytenoid and the corniculate. The cuneiform cartilages were paired cartilages present only in the larynx of the donkey. Thyroid, arytenoid and cricoid cartilages were of hyaline type, while the epiglottis, cuniform and corniculate cartilages and the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage were of elastic type. The laryngeal epithelium of aditus laryngis, greater part of epiglottis and vocal folds was lined by non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. The remained parts of laryngeal epithelium from base of epiglottis and entire parts caudal to vocal folds were lined by pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium with goblet cells. The laryngeal glands of lamina propria were of mixed types in buffaloes and donkeys but in camels it was pure mucous glands. This study will fill a gap in the field of comparative anatomy and help other clinical investigation applied on these animals

Some Comparative Anatomical Studies on the Laryngeal Muscles and Cavity of Buffaloes, Camels and Donkeys

The aim of this study was to compare between the laryngeal muscles and cavity in buffaloes, camels and donkeys. A total of 30 larynxes (10 larynxes from each species) were subjected to study. In the three species, the laryngeal muscles were similar to those of other domestic animals, but the hyoepiglotticus muscle of camel was remarkably longer. Although the thyroarytenoideus muscle was undivided in the buffalo and camel, the slightly deeper lateral ventricle in camel, allowed the muscle anterior part to be covered with mucous membrane forming the vestibular fold. The laryngeal cavity of donkey was characterized by the presence of lateral laryngeal saccule that located between the two separate parts of thyroarytenoideus muscle, the vestibular and vocal muscles; the presence of two small pouches on both sides of median laryngeal recess, and the cuneiform tubercle, which was a mucosal elevation that covered the cuneiform process. This study will fill a gap in the field of comparative anatomy and help other clinical investigation applied on these animals