Evaluation of the neuroprotective effects of electromagnetic fields and coenzyme Q 10 on hippocampal injury in mouse

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are reported to interfere with chemical reactions involving free radical production. Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ10) is a strong antioxidant with some neuroprotective activities. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the neuroprotective effects of EMF and CoQ10 in a mouse model of hippocampal injury. Hippocampal injury was induced in mature female mice (25–30 g), using an intraperitoneal injection of trimethyltin hydroxide (TMT; 2.5 mg/kg). The experimental groups were exposed to EMF at a frequency of 50 Hz and intensity of 5.9 mT for 7 hr daily over 1 week or treated with CoQ10 (10 mg/kg) for 2 weeks following TMT injection. A Morris water maze apparatus was used to assess learning and spatial memory. Nissl staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) tests were also performed for the histopathological analysis of the hippocampus. Antiapoptotic genes were studied, using the Western blot technique. The water maze test showed memory improvement following treatment with CoQ10 and coadministration of CoQ10 + EMF. The Nissl staining and TUNEL tests indicated a decline in necrotic and apoptotic cell count following treatment with CoQ10 and coadministration of CoQ10 + EMF. The Western blot study indicated the upregulation of antiapoptotic genes in treatment with CoQ10, as well as coadministration. Also, treatment with EMF had no significant effects on reducing damage induced by TMT in the hippocampus. According to the results, EMF had no significant neuroprotective effects in comparison with CoQ10 on hippocampal injury in mice. Nevertheless, coadministration of EMF and CoQ10 could improve the neuroprotective effects of CoQ1

Structural Study of Asphaltenes from Iranian Heavy Crude Oil

In the present study, asphaltene precipitation from Iranian heavy crude oil (Persian Gulf off-shore) was performed using n-pentane (n-C5) and n-heptane (n-C7) as light alkane precipitants. Several analytical techniques, each following different principles, were then used to structurally characterize the precipitated asphaltenes. The yield of asphaltene obtained using n-pentane precipitant was higher than asphaltene precipitated with the use of n-heptane. The asphaltene removal affected the n-C5 and n-C7 maltene fractions at temperatures below 204°C, as shown by the data obtained through the simulated distillation technique. Viscosity of heavy oil is influenced by the asphaltene content and behavior. The viscosity dependence of the test heavy oil on the shear rate applied was determined and the flow was low at y. above 25 s-1 . The reconstituted heavy oil samples were prepared by adding different amounts of asphaltenes to the maltenes (deasphalted heavy oil) and asphaltene effects were more pronounced at the low temperature of 25°C as compared with those at the higher temperatures. According to the power law model used in this study the flowability of the test heavy oil exhibited a pseudoplastic character. Structural results obtained from Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy showed the presence of the different functional groups in the precipitated asphaltenes. For instance, the presence of different hydrocarbons (aliphatic, aromatic and alicyclic) based on their characteristics in the FTIR spectra was confirmed. Resins are effective dispersants, and removal of this fraction from the crude oil is disturbing to the colloidal nature of heavy oil; asphaltene flocculation and precipitation eventually occur. Appearance of pores in the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images was used as an indicator of the resin detachment. With the use of 1H and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, two important structural parameters of the asphaltenes were determined. Namely, the aromaticity (fa) and the average number of carbon atoms per alkyl side chain (ncarbon), where fa for n-C5 asphaltenes was lower (0.39) than that obtained with n-C7 solvent (0.49). Additionally, the ncarbon parameter values were 7.7 and 5.7 for n-C5 and n-C7 asphaltenes, respectively. Structural recognition of the oil constituents is the prerequisite of different techniques usable for heavy oil upgrading

Structural Study of Asphaltenes from Iranian Heavy Crude Oil

In the present study, asphaltene precipitation from Iranian heavy crude oil (Persian Gulf off-shore) was performed using n-pentane (n-C5) and n-heptane (n-C7) as light alkane precipitants. Several analytical techniques, each following different principles, were then used to structurally characterize the precipitated asphaltenes. The yield of asphaltene obtained using n-pentane precipitant was higher than asphaltene precipitated with the use of n-heptane. The asphaltene removal affected the n-C5 and n-C7 maltene fractions at temperatures below 204°C, as shown by the data obtained through the simulated distillation technique. Viscosity of heavy oil is influenced by the asphaltene content and behavior. The viscosity dependence of the test heavy oil on the shear rate applied was determined and the flow was low at y. above 25 s-1 . The reconstituted heavy oil samples were prepared by adding different amounts of asphaltenes to the maltenes (deasphalted heavy oil) and asphaltene effects were more pronounced at the low temperature of 25°C as compared with those at the higher temperatures. According to the power law model used in this study the flowability of the test heavy oil exhibited a pseudoplastic character. Structural results obtained from Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy showed the presence of the different functional groups in the precipitated asphaltenes. For instance, the presence of different hydrocarbons (aliphatic, aromatic and alicyclic) based on their characteristics in the FTIR spectra was confirmed. Resins are effective dispersants, and removal of this fraction from the crude oil is disturbing to the colloidal nature of heavy oil; asphaltene flocculation and precipitation eventually occur. Appearance of pores in the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images was used as an indicator of the resin detachment. With the use of 1H and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, two important structural parameters of the asphaltenes were determined. Namely, the aromaticity (fa) and the average number of carbon atoms per alkyl side chain (ncarbon), where fa for n-C5 asphaltenes was lower (0.39) than that obtained with n-C7 solvent (0.49). Additionally, the ncarbon parameter values were 7.7 and 5.7 for n-C5 and n-C7 asphaltenes, respectively. Structural recognition of the oil constituents is the prerequisite of different techniques usable for heavy oil upgrading

Regularity in Breakfast and Snacks Intake and Its Relationship with Weight Status in Elementary School Students: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Childhood weight status is one of the important predictors of health status later in life. Some previous studies have postulated a relationship between the pattern of breakfast intake and weight status, but this relationship has not yet been clearly confirmed. This study aimed to assess the status of regularity in intake of breakfast and snacks and its relationship with weight status in elementary school students. Method: This study was done with a descriptive-analytic design. 362 children (Males: 192, Females: 170 child) were selected from elementary schools of Urmia by the use of stratified cluster sampling. A dietary 24-hour recall form was used for the assessment of intakes. Data about breakfast, snacks, height, weight, and waist circumferences were collected. Children's Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ-C) was used to assess the participants' physical activity level. Data were analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS software. Results: Mean student age, weight and BMI were 10.57 +/- 1.17 years, 37.44 +/- 11.30 kg and 18.4 +/- 3.39, respectively. 53.2 of girls had a regular breakfast and 55 regular snack intake. Among the boys, 46.8 had regular breakfast and 45 regular snack intake. Results showed a significant relationship between BMI and snacks consumption (p = 0.02). There was a significant relationship between the frequency of irregular breakfast intake and weight (P=0.01), but the relationship was not significant for the body mass index (P = 0.11). 58.1 of the students in the irregular breakfast group and 64.4 of those in the irregular snacks group were lean. Conclusions: Regular intake of snacks was correlated with higher weight status and maintaining desirable BMI. Irregular breakfast intake was related to lower weight. Most students with irregular breakfast and snack intake were underweight and thin

The effects of watershed physical properties on bed load morphometric and sedimentologic characteristics along downstream: a case study from Ghalesar watershed in Mazandaran Province

Litnology and sedimentology factors affect on downstream changes in bed load shape and can be useful to detect watershed hydrological processes as they are very important to design hydraulic structures and reservoir management. This research was conducted in Qalesar River in Mazandaran Province with main river length of 24 Kilometers. After recognition of the study area, 11 sections were selected toward downstream for bed load sampling. Laboratory analysis were done using gravel meter and sieving method to measure and calculate some bed load shape characteristics. Also physical properties of each sub-watershed were extracted using Arc/GIS 9.2 software. Finally, in order to determine most effective physical characteristics on bed load shape, data were analyzed using SPSS 16. Results of statistical analysis indicate the best model between D50 and length of 1 order channel in bivariate regression equations and between D50 and distance from upstream in multi-variate regression equations

The effect of roy’s adaptation model-based care plan on the severity of depression, anxiety and stress in hospitalized patients with colorectal cancer

Background & Aim: Diagnosis of cancer can cause emotional problems such as stress, anxiety, depression and incompatibility with the disease in the patient and his/her family, leading to adverse consequences in the improvement process and an increase in the complications of the disease. Considering the importance of this topic, the study was conducted to investigate the effect of Roy’s adaptation modelbased care plan on the severity of depression, anxiety and stress in patients with colorectal cancer hospitalized in the treatment and educational centers of Urmia. Methods & Materials: In this randomized clinical trial study, 36 patients with colorectal cancer (at the third or fourth stage of disease) hospitalized in the treatment and educational centers of Urmia were selected by a convenience sampling and were assigned to the intervention group or control group in 2016. Data collection tools were a form for assessing the Roy’s adaptation model and the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21). The Roy’s adaptation modelbased care plan was administered to the intervention group. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 18 and t test and Chi-square test. Results: The study results showed before the intervention, the mean scores of depression, anxiety and stress were 12.7±4.5, 13.9±4.8, 16.4±4.7 for the control group and were 15.7±4.5, 13.0±4.6, 12.6±4.2 for the intervention group, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). However, after the intervention, the mean scores of the studied variables increased in the control group (13.7±4.8, 13.93±4.9, 17.16±4.4) and decreased in the intervention group (10.46±3.1, 11.00±3.4, 13.8±5.2). There was a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: Due to the severity of depression, anxiety, and stress among cancer patients, more cost-effective and non-pharmacological methods such as the Roy’s adaptation model, can be useful to control these complications and create a less stressful environment for these patients. © 2019, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). All rights reserved