Effects of different levels of dietary taurine amino acid on Rosy Barb (Pethia conchonius) pigmentation

Taurine (2 amino ethane sulfonic acid), is a semi-essential amino acid and an end product of the sulfur amino acid metabolism. The aim of this study was improving Rosy barb (Pethia conchonius) pigmentation. The fish (average weight 32 ± 7 mg and length 12.83 ± 1.82 mm) were divided into five different groups including control (basic diet without taurine and astaxanthin) and four different levels of taurine (0, 100, 250 & 500 mg/kg diet) with constant amount of astaxanthin (100 mg/kg diet) and fed for 60 days. The pigmentation analysis was done using digital camera photography and whole body biochemical carotenoid analysis and showed that the fish fed on 100 + 250 mg/kg of astaxanthin & taurine respectively had the highest levels of pigmentation. Adding taurine up to 250 (mg/kg diet) caused increasing total carcasses lipid, plasma triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL & HDL levels in compression to the fish fed on control diet (p<0.05). It could be concluded that dietary taurine supplementation could affect fish lipid metabolism and improve astaxanthin absorption, which lead to better pigmentation in Rosy barb

Larval rearing and ontogeny of digestive enzyme activities in yellowfin seabream (Acanthopagrus latus, Houttuyn 1782)

The present research was conducted to provide insight into digestive larval capacity in Acanthopagrus latus larvae from hatching up to 30 days after hatching (DAH). Newly hatched larvae were stocked into six 300-L cylindrical polyethylene tanks at a density of larvae 50 larvae/L and reared by means of the green water system using Nannochloropsis oculata (0.5 × 106/mL). After mouth opening, larvae were fed with rotifers (5–16 individual/mL) from 2 to 20 DAH; then, Artemia nauplii (0.5–3.0 individuals/mL) were offered to larvae from 18 to 30 DAH, meanwhile a commercial microdiet was offered to larvae from 25 to 30 DAH. Larval performance in terms of growth and survival, and the assessment of the activity of selected digestive enzymes ontogeny of digestive enzymes activities was evaluated in larvae sampled at 0 (hatching), 7, 15, 22 and 30 DAH. Larvae showed an exponential growth characterized by two different growth stanzas, a first one characterized by slow growth rates comprised between hatching to 15 DAH (4.7 ± 0.2 mm), followed by a period of faster growth rates between 16 and 30 DAH (7.5 ± 0.6 mm). The activities of the brush border (alkaline phosphatase, ALP) and cytosolic (leucine-alanine peptidase, LAP) enzymes, as well as those of the pancreatic ones like total alkaline proteases, bile salt-activated lipase and α-amylase were detected from the mouth opening stage. Total activities of pancreatic and gastric enzymes increased with larval growth showing an enhancement of digestive capacities with larval age and size. The intestinal maturation in A. latus as assessed by the ratio of AP to LAP did not occur as expected by end of the first month of life suggesting the complete establishment of digestive luminal processes may take place at older ages. This study related to the growth patterns and ontogenic changes in activity of pancreatic, gastric and intestinal enzymes in A. latus and their nutritional regulation may be considered as the first step for improving the larviculture, as well as assessing and refining the nutritional requirements during the larval and early juvenile stages of this sparid species.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Effectiveness of Theory-Based Intervention on Knowledge Level, Psychological Constructs, Metabolic Index and Physical Activity Status in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Application of the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) Model

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the educational intervention based on the health action process approach (HAPA) model on the level of knowledge, metabolic indicators, psychological constructs and physical activity status in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients in 2022–2023. Material and methods: The present study was a randomized controlled trial and 100 T2D patients were equally assigned to experimental and control groups using multistage random sampling. The educational program included six online sessions, targeted pamphlets, educational audio files and reminder messages. Data were collected before and 3 months after intervention with demographic items, awareness scale, constructs of HAPA model, IPAQ-s, HbA1c and fasting blood glucose (FBG). Data were entered to SPSS 25.0 and analyzed with chi-square, ANOVA and ANCOVA. Results: After controlling the effect of the pre-test variable, the mean of the HAPA model constructs and mean of physical activity improved significantly in posttest. In addition, educational intervention explained 30.2%, 57.8%, 33.2%, 64.4%, 76.3%, 25.3%, 24.6%, 36.1% and 36.9% of the variance of health awareness, risk perception, outcome expectancy, action self-efficacy, maintenance self-efficacy, action plan, coping plan, behavioral intention and physical activity, respectively. In addition, the mean of FBG and HbA1c in the experimental group improved significantly after the intervention by controlling the pre-test effect (p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: Providing theory-based educational interventions through the web and mobile can increasingly promote the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral interventions and facilitate the process of behavior change in T2D

Effect of citalopram and sertraline on the expression of miRNA- 124, 132, and 16 and their protein targets in patients with depression

Objective(s): This study aimed to evaluate the effect of SSRIs on the expression of miRNAs and their protein targets.Materials and Methods: In a 100 day open-label study of citalopram (n=25) and sertraline (n=25), levels of miRNA 16, 132, and 124 and glucocorticoid receptor (GR), Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and serotonin transporter (SERT) protein expression were measured by QRT-PCR and western blot in healthy control (n=20), patients with depression at the baseline, and same patients after 100 days of treatment.Results: Expression levels of GR and BDNF proteins were lower in the depressed group before treatment as compared with the healthy group (P<0.0001). The SERT level was higher among the depressed group before treatment in comparison with the healthy group (P<0.0001). The level of GR and BDNF significantly increased, and SERT expression decreased after receiving sertraline (P<0.05). When the depressed group received citalopram, only SERT and GR were altered (P<0.05). Among the microRNAs’ expression investigated, mir-124 and mir-132 were higher, and mir-16 was lower among the depressed compared with the healthy group (P<0.0001). Individuals receiving citalopram only showed an increase in the expression of mir-16 while administration of sertraline led to a significant increase in the expression of mir-16 and a decrease in mir-124 and mir-132 (P<0.05).Conclusion: This elucidated the relationship between antidepressant treatment and the expression of different microRNA that control gene expression in various pathways involved in depressed patients.  Receiving SSRI can affect the level of these proteins and their relevant microRNAs

Fusion protein consisting of hemagglutinin small subunit and truncated nucleoprotein as a universal influenza vaccine candidate: Starting in-silico evaluation toward In Vitro expression

Background: Influenza virus is a respiratory pathogen, which causes high degree of mortality and morbidity during seasonal epidemics and sporadic pandemics. By selecting conserved antigenic proteins, for example, hemagglutinin small subunit (HA2) and nucleoprotein (NP), we aimed to develop a vaccine based on a fusion protein leading to both cellular and humoral responses that are the most challenging aspects in designing a universal vaccine. Materials and Methods: The bioinformatics analysis was performed for HA2-NP structure and function prediction. Primers for the antigenic part of NP were designed using bioinformatics tools. The desired product was amplified via polymerase chain reaction using the designed primers, which was then penetrated into T vector, followed by insertion into pET28a vector in order to construct pET28a/NP. The pET28a/HA2, previously generated in our lab, was digested with the same restriction enzymes as pET28a/NP (HindIII/Xhol). Then, NP was inserted to the downstream region of HA2 to construct pET28a/HA2. Results: The generated pET28a/HA2-NP was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The expression was induced by isopropyl β-d-l-thiogalactopyranoside. The results showed that the antigenic segment of NP was successfully cloned into pET28a/ HA2. The protein band of HA2-NP was observed on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, confirmed by Western blotting and purified with Ni-NTA purification system (QIAGEN, Germany). Conclusion: As currently available vaccines can cause some allergic reactions, using a chimer protein based on the bioinformatics analysis is continual, safe, and affordable, thus stimulating both cellular and humoral immunity systems. Our construct could potentially provide a basis for a universal vaccine candidate

Pharmacogenetics and Personalized Medicine in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a progressive, fatal disease with a high degree of malignancy. More than 40000 peoplediefrom this cancer annually in the United States. As a multifactorial condition, PC has a complex nature, and there are several genes and signalingpathwaysimplicated in PC pathogenesis and progression. There are diffèrent mutations in master genesincludingtumorsuppressors and oncogenesthat lead to Pancreaticintraepithelialneoplasia (PanIN) whichis the mostcommon non-invasive precursorlesion of pancreatic cancer. These mutations influence directly or indirectly the cycle of Pharmacodynamics profile. Interactions between genetics and drug metabolism could be considered as one of the most important insights in the personalized medicine and targeted therapy based on the genetic profile of each affected person. In this literature, we will discuss pathogenesis and susceptibility to PC, pharmacogenetics and personalized medicine in pancreatic cancer and scrutinized the most important genes, variations and signaling pathways that influence individualized therapy of PC

Effects of M-health Intervention on Physical Activity Status in Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Using Health Action Process Approach Model

Introduction and purpose: Providing mobile-based cognitive-behavioral interventions reduces physical complications and enhances the quality of life in diabetic patients by improving physical activities. The present study aimed to determine the effect of a model-based intervention based on the health action process approach model (HAPA) on physical activity in the elderly with type 2 diabetes in Qazvin. Methods: The current study was a randomized controlled trial, and using a simple random sampling method, 120 elderly people with type 2 diabetes participated in experimental and control groups. The educational intervention consisted of six virtual training sessions with the aim of promoting the psychological constructs affecting physical activity through short lectures, group discussions, and individual counseling associated with educational pamphlets, audio files, and educational SMS. The scales related to the HAPA model and international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQs) were completed by two groups before and three months after the educational intervention. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 25.0), and a significance level of less than 0.05 was considered. Results: The mean age of the participants was 60.7 ± 9.23 years, and 64.17% of cases were female. The results of covariance analysis demonstrated that by controlling the effect of the pre-test, the mean of HAPA constructs as perceived risk, outcome expectancy, social support, action self-efficacy, maintenance self-efficacy, recovery self-efficacy, action planning, coping planning, behavioral intention, and the level of physical activity improved in the experimental group (P<0.001). Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, the provision of mobile-based cognitive-behavioral interventions led to an increase in the level of physical activity in diabetic patients by improving the psychological variables related to the HAPA model

A Review on the Life Cycle Assessment of Cellulose: From Properties to the Potential of Making It a Low Carbon Material

The huge plastic production and plastic pollution are considered important global issues due to environmental aspects. One practical and efficient way to address them is to replace fossil-based plastics with natural-based materials, such as cellulose. The applications of different cellulose products have recently received increasing attention because of their desirable properties, such as biodegradability and sustainability. In this regard, the current study initially reviews cellulose products’ properties in three categories, including biopolymers based on the cellulose-derived monomer, cellulose fibers and their derivatives, and nanocellulose. The available life cycle assessments (LCA) for cellulose were comprehensively reviewed and classified at all the stages, including extraction of cellulose in various forms, manufacturing, usage, and disposal. Finally, due to the development of low-carbon materials in recent years and the importance of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, the proposed solutions to make cellulose a low carbon material were made. The optimization of the cellulose production process, such as the recovery of excessive solvents and using by-products as inputs for other processes, seem to be the most important step toward making it a low carbon material

Effects of selenium nanoparticles on larval development, ontogeny of antioxidant enzymes and fatty acid profile in Arabian yellowfin seabream (Acanthopagrus arabicus)

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element that has vital effects on growth, antioxidant capacity and early development in marine fish larvae. However, traditional livefoods such as rotifer and artemia lack of Se. In this regard, a 50-day feeding experiment was conducted in order to examine the effects of Rotifer and Artemia enrichment with selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) on growth, antioxidant capacity and fatty acid profile of Arabian yellowfin seabream (Acanthopagrus arabicus) larvae. Four levels of SeNPs were used to prepare the experimental emulsions,including control (0), 0.5, 1.0 and 5 mg SeNPs L−1. Larvae were stocked at density of 50 larvae L−1 into twelve 250-L cylindrical tanks. Tanks supplied with seawater (23 ± 1 ºC; 40.0 ± 1.0 g L−1). Green water was used from day first until 20 days after hatch (DAH). Rotifers (15 ml−1) were offered to larvae from day 2–21 DAH and Artemia metanauplii (1–3 Artemia ml−1) were offered to larvae from day 18–45 DAH. Fish were sampled at 0, 7, 10, 15, 22, 30, 40, 45, 50 DAH. The Se concentration in the livefoods and larval whole body linearly increased with the increment of SeNPs level in the experimental emulsions. Larvae wet weight showed quadratic response and increased with SeNPs up to 1 mg mg SeNPs/L, then decreased in SeNPs (5.0) group. The activity of antioxidant enzymes including catalase, superoxide dismutase glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity increased but malondialdehyde level decreased in larvae fed the SeNPs-enriched livefoods and showed both linear and quadratic responses. Lysozyme activity in the whole body of larvae fed SeNPs-enriched livefoods had both linear and quadratic responses and in the most of the sampling times was higher than the control group. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) level in the livefoods and larval whole body increased with SeNPs. In conclusion, livefoods enrichment with SeNPs at 1 mg L−1 is recommended to elevate the antioxidant capacity and non-specific immune response in A. arabicus larvae

Utility of the CT Scan in Diagnosing Midgut Volvulus in Patients with Chronic Abdominal Pain

Symptomatic intestinal malrotation first presenting in the adults is rare. Midgut volvulus is the most common complication of malrotation in the adults. Because of more differential diagnosis, Computed Tomography (CT) scan can play an important role in the evaluation of patients with this abnormality. The whirl pattern around the superior mesenteric artery found on CT scan in patients with midgut volvulus is pathognomonic and diagnostic. We describe a case of intestinal malrotation complicated by midgut volvulus in an adult patient. The preoperative CT findings were pathognomonic