Effect of dietary virgin olive oil on infarct volume and brain ceramide, cerebroside and phosphatidylcholine levels in rat stroke model

زمینه و هدف: سکته مغزی سومین عامل مرگ و میر در کشورهای صنعتی بعد از بیماری های قلبی- عروقی و سرطان است. این مطالعه با هدف بررسی ارتباط بین اثر روغن زیتون بکر بر سطح لیپیدهای مغزی و کاهش حجم سکته مغزی در مدل سکته مغزی موش صحرایی انجام گرفت. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی از 5 گروه 12 تایی موش صحرایی نر استفاده شد. این گروه ها شامل کنترل، شم و سه گروه آزمایشی بودند که دوزهای 25/0، 5/0 و 75/0 میلی لیتر بر کیلوگرم وزن بدن روغن زیتون بکر را به صورت خوراکی از طریق گاواژ به مدت 30 روز دریافت نمودند. دو گروه کنترل و شم آب مقطر دریافت کردند. دو ساعت بعد از آخرین دوز گاواژ شده هر گروه 12 تایی به دو زیر گروه تقسیم شدند. زیر گروه (middle cerebral artery occlusion)MCAO، به منظور اندازه گیری حجم سکته مغزی و زیر گروه دیگر برای آنالیز لیپیدهای مغزی استفاده شد. داده ها با استفاده از آزمون های ANOVA و تست تعقیبی LSDو آزمون ضریب همبستگی پیرسون تجزیه و تحلیل شدند. یافته ها: پیش تیمار با روغن زیتون بکر خوراکی با دوز 5/0 و 75/0 میلی لیتر بر کیلوگرم در روز باعث افزایش سطح فسفاتیدیل کولین بافت مغز گردید (05/0

Prevalence of human papillomavirus genotypes in women with normal and abnormal cervical cytology in Iran

Introduction: HPV infection has a prime etiologic role in development and progression of cervical cancer, one of the most frequent forms of cancer among women in developing countries. This study was designed to determine the most prevalent HPV genotypes in women with normal and abnormal cervical cytology in Iran. Materials and Methods: Samples from134 patients, including 127 who attended gynecology clinics and 7 with solid cervical tumors were used. All 127 patients underwent routine Pap tests for cytological evaluation and at the same visit a sample of cervical epithelial cells was obtained by scraping the cervix osteum. In each case HPV infection was primarily evaluated by PCR using GP 5/6 primers and then subtyping was performed in proved infected samples with specific primers for HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 11 and 6. After cytological evaluation, 50 patients with abnormal Pap tests were categorized as the abnormal group and the remaining 77 patients as the normal group. Results: In the normal group, HPV infection was established in 10 cases (13% infection rate), while 30 HPV positive cases were discovered in the abnormal group (60% infected). The most prevalent genotypes among the infected samples were HPV 16 (76%), HPV18 (12.7%) and HPV11/6 (8.5%). Moreover, all 7 tumor samples were positive for HPV general primers of which, 5 samples were infected with HPV 16, two were co-infected with HPV16,18 and HPV16,31 genotypes and one was infected with HPV 18. Conclusions: Infection with HPV 16 was found to be significantly higher in abnormal group in comparison with normal group (42% vs. 11.6%, P value <0.005), likewise HPV18 genotypes were proved to be more prevalent in abnormal group (8% vs. 0%, P value <0.05). No significant relation between other HPV genotypes and pathologic cervical changes was obtained. According to our study high rates of infection with HPV genotypes in sexually active Iranian women makes molecular investigation for HPV16 and 18 very essential in clinical approaches to patients with proven dysplasia in their screening tests and also for those patients with borderline (i.e. ASCUS) or incongruous pathology reports. Larger studies are required to determine the most appropriate vaccine with highest protection in Iranian women

Relationship between dietary virgin olive oil on brain cholesterol, cholesteryl ester and triglyceride levels and blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability in a rat stroke model

Introduction: Recent studies suggest that dietary virgin olive oil (VOO) reduces hypoxia-re oxygenation injury in rat brain. We have attempted to determine the effect of dietary virgin olive oil on brain lipidomics and its relationship with brain edema in a rat stroke model. Methods: Five groups, each consisting of 6 male Wistar rats, were studied. The first and second groups (control and sham) received distilled water, while three treatment groups received oral VOO for 30 days (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 ml/kg/day, respectively). Two hours after the last dose, each main group was subdivided into middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-operated and intact subgroups for assessment of neuropathology (blood brain barrier permeability) and brain lipid analysis. Results: VOO increased the brain cholesteryl ester and cholesterol levels in doses of 0.5 and 0.75 ml/kg/day. VOO in all three doses increased the brain triglyceride levels (p<0.05). Oral administration of VOO reduces infarct volume, brain edema, blood brain barrier permeability, after transient MCAO in rats. Conclusion: Although further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms of ischemic tolerance, VOO is partly associated with increased levels of brain cholesteryl ester, cholesterol and triglyceride in rats

Combining mammaglobin and carcinoembryonic mRNA markers for early detection of micrometastases from breast cancers - a molecular study of 59 patients

Introduction: As many as 30% of node-negative breast cancer patients relapse within five years, suggesting that current histological detection methods are inadequate for identifying metastatic disease. Detecting small number of cancer cells in the breast tissue or lymph node by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays using a combination of tissue and cancer specific markers might be very useful in the early detection or monitoring of the treatment. Mammaglobin is a member of the uteroglobin gene family and appears to be expressed only in breast tissue. Carcinoembryonic antigen has been the preferred molecular marker for detection of micro metastases in lymph nodes in almost all carcinomas. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from randomly chosen breast cancer patients undergoing modified mastectomy or breast conserving surgery between September 2003 and July 2004. RT-PCR was applied to study the expression of MMG and CEA markers. Breast cancer micrometastases in axillary lymph nodes were also assessed. Results: The MMG marker was positive in 9/10 normal breast tissues, 3/ 3 breast fibroadenomas and 37/39 of breast carcinoma tissues, giving an overall sensitivity of 94%. The sensitivity was 80% for metastatic lymph node samples. On the other hand CEA showed 95% sensitivity for malignant breast tumors and 100% sensitivity for metastatic lymph nodes. Conclusions: RT-PCR using a combination of MMG and CEA markers is a powerful tool to complement current routine histopathology techniques for detection of breast cancer metastasis in axillary nodes

The incidence of prostate cancer in Iran: Results of a population-based cancer registry

Background: Little is known about the epidemiology of prostate cancer in Iranian men. We carried out an active prostate cancer surveillance program in five provinces of Iran. Methods: Data used in this study were obtained from population-based cancer registries between 1996 and 2000. Results: The age-standardized incidence rate of prostate carcinoma in the five provinces was 5.1 per 100,000 person-years. No significant difference was seen in the age-standardized incidence rate of prostate cancer within the provinces studied. The mean±SD age of patients with prostate cancer was 67±13.5 years. Conclusion: The incidence of prostate cancer in Iran is very low as compared to the Western countries. This can partly be explained by lack of nationwide screening program, younger age structure and quality of cancer registration system in Iran

Model-based tool support for Tactical Data Links: an experience report from the defence domain

The Tactical Data Link (TDL) allows the exchange of information between cooperating platforms as part of an integrated command and control (C2) system. Information exchange is facilitated by adherence to a complex, message-based protocol defined by document-centric standards. In this paper, we report on a recent body of work investigating migration from a document-centric to a model-centric approach within the context of the TDL domain, motivated by a desire to achieve a positive return on investment. The model-centric approach makes use of the Epsilon technology stack and provides a significant improvement to both the level of abstraction and rigour of the network design. It is checkable by a machine and, by virtue of an MDA-like approach to the separation of domains and model transformation between domains, is open to integration with other models to support more complex workflows, such as by providing the results of interoperability analyses in human-readable domain-specific reports conforming to an accepted standard

Direct analysis of air filter samples for alpha emitting isotopes

The traditional method for determination of alpha emitting isotopes on air filters has been to process the samples by radiochemical methods. However, this method is too slow for cases of incidents involving radioactive materials where the determination of personnel received dose is urgent. A method is developed to directly analyze the air filters taken from personal and area air monitors. The site knowledge is used in combination with alpha spectral information to identify isotopes. A mathematical function is developed to estimate the activity for each isotope. The strengths and weaknesses of the method are discussed

Systematic review of available guidelines on fertility preservation of young patients with breast cancer

Background: Since the survival rate of breast cancer patients has improved, harmful effects of new treatment modalities on fertility of the young breast cancer patients has become a focus of attention. This study aimed to systematically review and critically appraise all available guidelines for fertility preservation in young breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Major citation databases were searched for treatment guidelines. Experts from relevant disciplines appraised the available guidelines. The AGREE II Instrument that includes 23 criteria in seven domains (scope and purpose of the guidelines, stakeholder involvement, rigor of development, clarity, applicability, editorial independence, and overall quality) was used to apprise and score the guidelines. Results: The search strategy retrieved 2,606 citations; 72 were considered for full-text screening and seven guidelines were included in the study. There was variability in the scores assigned to different domains among the guidelines. ASCO (2013), with an overall score of 68.0, had the highest score, and St Gallen, with an overall score of 24.7, had the lowest scores among the guidelines. Conclusions: With the promising survival rate among breast cancer patients, more attention should be given to include specific fertility preservation recommendations for young breast cancer patients

The nomogram of penile length and circumference in Iranian term and preterm neonates

Background and objectives: The normal length of penis in preterm and term neonates is different among different nations, and is affected by various factors. The present study aimed to determine stretched penile length (SPL) values and cutoff level of micropenis in term and preterm Iranian neonates, for the first time. Materials and methods: All male neonates born in two general hospitals of Tehran (Akbarabadi, and Rasoul hospitals), center of Iran, with gestational age of 28-42 weeks were included and their SPL and penile circumference (PC) were examined on the first 3 days after birth by the same physician. Birth weight (BW), and height, gestational age, type of delivery, mother's age, twin/multiple pregnancy, drug, and medical history of mother during pregnancy were recorded and cutoff levels of two variables were calculated based on the collected variables for different gestational ages. Results: Among a total of 587 neonates, 203 neonates were born term and 384 preterm. Mean ± SD of neonates' BW were 2,682.51 ± 739.30 (850-4800) gr. Mean ± SD of their SPL was 22.48 ± 3.34 mm; 25.92 ± 1.54 mm in term and 20.66 ± 2.50 mm in preterm infants (P = 0.001). Mean ± SD of PC was 6.71 ± 1.31 mm; 8.14 ± 0.48 in term and 5.96 ± 0.92 in preterm infants (P = 0.001). SPL and PC were significantly correlated with type of delivery, number of parity, gestational age, BW, and crown-heel length, head circumference (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study suggested that SPL in male neonates was 22.48 mm and PC was 6.71 mm, both correlated with gestational age and BW. Due to the ethnical variety of this cutoff points and lack of an appropriate study in Iran, these cutoff points can be used by all physicians as a reference for Iranian newborns (term and preterm), in order to prevent misdiagnosis of micropenis and genital disorders. © 2018 Soheilipour, Rohani, Dehkordi, Isa Tafreshi, Mohagheghi, Zaheriani, Jesmi and Salehiniya

The nomogram of penile length and circumference in Iranian term and preterm neonates

Background and objectives: The normal length of penis in preterm and term neonates is different among different nations, and is affected by various factors. The present study aimed to determine stretched penile length (SPL) values and cutoff level of micropenis in term and preterm Iranian neonates, for the first time. Materials and methods: All male neonates born in two general hospitals of Tehran (Akbarabadi, and Rasoul hospitals), center of Iran, with gestational age of 28-42 weeks were included and their SPL and penile circumference (PC) were examined on the first 3 days after birth by the same physician. Birth weight (BW), and height, gestational age, type of delivery, mother's age, twin/multiple pregnancy, drug, and medical history of mother during pregnancy were recorded and cutoff levels of two variables were calculated based on the collected variables for different gestational ages. Results: Among a total of 587 neonates, 203 neonates were born term and 384 preterm. Mean ± SD of neonates' BW were 2,682.51 ± 739.30 (850-4800) gr. Mean ± SD of their SPL was 22.48 ± 3.34 mm; 25.92 ± 1.54 mm in term and 20.66 ± 2.50 mm in preterm infants (P = 0.001). Mean ± SD of PC was 6.71 ± 1.31 mm; 8.14 ± 0.48 in term and 5.96 ± 0.92 in preterm infants (P = 0.001). SPL and PC were significantly correlated with type of delivery, number of parity, gestational age, BW, and crown-heel length, head circumference (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study suggested that SPL in male neonates was 22.48 mm and PC was 6.71 mm, both correlated with gestational age and BW. Due to the ethnical variety of this cutoff points and lack of an appropriate study in Iran, these cutoff points can be used by all physicians as a reference for Iranian newborns (term and preterm), in order to prevent misdiagnosis of micropenis and genital disorders. © 2018 Soheilipour, Rohani, Dehkordi, Isa Tafreshi, Mohagheghi, Zaheriani, Jesmi and Salehiniya