Evaluation of the wound healing activity of Cinnamomum zeylanicum extract on experimentally induced wounds in rats

The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of Cinnamomum zeylanicum on experimentally induced excision wounds in rats. Thirty-two rats were divided into four groups of eight rats each. Group A received a placebo containing 0.75% cinnamon, Group B received a placebo containing 1.5% cinnamon, Group C as a control group did not receive any treatment, and finally, Group D received blank placebo; Groups C and D were considered as one group (standard). The results were taken on days 3, 7, 14 and 21 and a histological evaluation was carried out on the samples. The result shows that cinnamon extract had a significant (p<0.05, **p<0.01) effect on wound healing; it accelerated the healing process of the wounds. Significant enclosure rates were seen after 7 days of study. The present study proved that C. zeylanicum was effective in treating experimentally induced wounds and hasten healing, showing a dose-dependent treatment trend. It especially increased epithelialization in treatment groups compared to other groups.Key words: Cinnamomum zeylanicum, induced excision, epithelialization, wound healing

The role of protein kinase C in ischemic tolerance induced by hyperoxia in rats with stroke

Recent studies suggest that normobaric hyperoxia (HO) protects the rat brain from ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury. Protein kinase C (PKC) is a key signaling molecule involved in protection against IR injury but its role in protective effect of HO in brain injury in unknown. In this study we attempted to see if PKC is involved in the effect of HO. Rats were divided into four main experimental groups. The first two were exposed to 95 % oxygen (HO) in a chamber 4 h/day for 6 consecutive days. Each of these groups had a control group exposed to 21 % oxygen. To investigate the role of PKC during HO, chelerythrin chloride (CHEL, 1 mg/kg/day), a PKC inhibitor, or its vehicle was given to animals for 6 days. After 24 h, the rats were subjected to 60 min of right middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). After 24 h reperfusion neurological deficit scores, infarct volume, brain edema and blood–brain Barrier (BBB) permeability were assessed. HO decreased the infarct volume and brain edema in comparison with controls. PKC inhibition was associated with a significant increase in infarct size in both HO and control animals. PKC inhibition was unable to change brain edema in the experimental groups. Both HO and PKC inhibition reduced the BBB permeability within 24 h post occlusion of middle cerebral artery. Although both HO and PKC inhibition were associated with inhibition of BBB permeability during ischemic brain injury in rats, the neuroprotective effect of HO was independent of PKC in the MCAO model

Effect of troxerutin on serum glucose level and lactate dehydrogenase activity after exhaustive swimming in male rats

زمینه و هدف: ورزش وامانده ساز منجر به آسیب عضلانی و کاهش منابع انرژی نظیر گلوکز می‌شود. هدف مطالعه حاضر بررسی اثر مکمل تروگزروتین بر سطح سرمی گلوکز و فعالیت لاکتات دهیدروژناز متعاقب شنا وامانده ساز در موش‌های صحرایی نر بود. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی، 32 سر موش صحرایی نر نژاد ویستار به صورت تصادفی به 4 گروه کنترل، ورزش + 75 میلی گرم بر کیلوگرم، ورزش+ 150 میلی گرم بر کیلوگرم و ورزش + 300 میلی گرم بر کیلوگرم تیمار تروگزروتین تقسیم شدند. کلیه حیوان‌ها به مدت 30 روز تمرین شنا (5 بار در هفته) انجام دادند. تروگروتین به صورت خوراکی روزانه به مدت 30 روز تجویز شد. در روز سی‌ام ورزش شنا وامانده ساز انجام و سطح سرمی گلوکز و فعالیت لاکتات دهیدروژناز اندازه گیری شد. یافته ها: نتایج نشان داد که مکمل تروگزروتین به طور معنی‌داری سطح سرمی گلوکز را در مقایسه با گروه کنترل افزایش می‌دهد (001/0>P) و همچنین فعالیت لاکتات دهیدروژناز در گروه ورزش + تروگزروتین (300) در مقایسه با گروه‌های کنترل و ورزش + تروگزروتین )150 میلی گرم بر کیلوگرم( کاهش یافت (05/0>P). نتیجه گیری: مطالعه حاضر نشان داد که تروگزروتین می‌تواند تأثیر قابل توجهی در کاهش آسیب عضلانی ناشی از ورزش شنا وامانده ساز داشته باشد

Dynamic Placement Analysis of Wind Power Generation Units in Distribution Power Systems

The placement problem of distributed generators (DGs) in distribution networks becomes much more complicated in the case of using the DGs with renewable energy resources. Due to several reasons such as, their intermittent output powers, the interactions between DGs and the rest of the distribution network, and considering other involved uncertainties are very vital. This paper develops a new approach for optimal placement of wind energy based DGs (WDGs) in which all of such influences are carefully handled. The proposed method considers the time variations of dynamic nodal demands, nodal voltage magnitudes, and wind speed in the WDG placement process simultaneously. Thereby, an accurate dynamic model of the active and reactive powers injected by the WDG to the system is employed in which the interactions between the WDG and the distribution network are well regarded. Finally, simulation results are given to show the capability of the proposed approach. As it is demonstrated in the numerical analysis of the radial 33-bus distribution test network, the proposed placement algorithm can efficiently determine the optimal bus for connecting the WDG and is suitable for real applications

Development of Foolproof Solutions for Information Systems Using Best-Worth Method

Mistake proofing is an approach whose main purpose is to make mistakes impossible. This technique can eliminate the possibility of errors by making changes in the process, or by appropriate culture, or by preventing them from making a mistake by sending the appropriate message. Using new tools or technologies to improve the quality expected of the customer. The use of the miscalculation will dramatically increase customer loyalty. Although it has been decades in the making, it has a limited track record in services as well as in information technology and especially in information systems. In this study, based on previous research, the main dimensions of the error-solving strategies are categorized. Then, using the questionnaire, the experts' opinions on prioritization of nonlinearity strategies are discussed. We also select the final criteria based on the nominal batch technique and then prioritize the factors that play an important role in making the information systems unreliable based on the best-worst or BWM weighting method. The results showed that proper planning of quality management programs, skilled staff, advanced facilities and equipment, design capability and finally the use of appropriate controllers as the most important factors of information systems malfunction can be considered as the top priority of service managers. Also, providing appropriate assumptions for information items and improved data model structures can reinforce technological and innovative approaches to information systems

Recognition of the factors affecting survival in colon and rectal cancer patients referred to RCGLD center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences: accelerated failure time parametric survival analysis with frailty

زمینه و هدف: عوامل تشخیصی سرطان کولورکتال بر بقای بیماران و تجویز درمان مناسب موثر است. با توجه به افزایش نرخ‌ این سرطان در ایران مخصوصاً در سنین جوانی و اینکه عوامل تشخیصی سرطان کولورکتال به عنوان یک سرطان واحد درک دقیقی از دو سرطان کولون و رکتوم و عوامل موثر بر آن فراهم نمی‌کند، بنابراین مطالعه حاضر به منظور تعیین عوامل خطر اختصاصی سرطان‌های کولون و رکتوم انجام گردید. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی-تحلیلی تعداد 1219 بیمار مبتلا به سرطان‌های کولون و رکتوم طی دی ‌ماه 1383 تا مهرماه 1387 مورد بررسی قرار گرفتند. متغیر‌های دموگرافیک و بالینی در قالب تحلیل‌های یک متغیره و چند متغیره با رویکرد الگوی زمان شکست شتابنده تحلیل بقا و با انجام تصحیح توسط پارامتر شکنندگی توسط نرم‌افزار STATA 10 تجزیه و تحلیل شدند. یافته‌ها: بر اساس نتایج حاصل از این مطالعه برای سرطان کولون در زنان، بیماران بدون سابقه‌ی بیماری التهاب روده، بیماران با درجه‌ی تومور ضعیف متمایز شده و بیماران با مرحله‌ی پاتولوژیک I تومور احتمال بقای بالاتری به دست آمد و برای دو عامل سابقه‌ی مصرف الکل و اندازه‌ی تومور رابطه آماری معنی‌داری مشاهده نشد. همچنین برای سرطان رکتوم، بیماران با نوع اولین درمان عمل جراحی احتمال بقای بالاتری داشتند و برای دو عامل سابقه‌ی شخصی ابتلا به سرطان و مرحله‌ی پاتولوژیک تومور رابطه آماری معنی‌داری مشاهده نشد. همچنین برای هر دو نوع سرطان، رده‌‌های با شاخص توده بدنی 9/29–25 و بیشتر از 30 شاخص توده‌ی بدنی به ترتیب احتمال بقای بالاتر و رده‌ی کمتر از 5/18 احتمال بقای پایین‌تری را نشان دادند. در مجموع احتمال بقای بیماران مبتلا به سرطان رکتوم در مقایسه با بیماران مبتلا به سرطان کولون بالاتر بود. نتیجه‌گیری: ارزیابی جداگانه ی کولون و رکتوم، به درک بیشتری از عوامل موثر بر این سرطان‌ها می‌انجامد و می‌تواند در طراحی کارآزمایی‌های بالینی، تشخیص بهتر بیماری و یا تجویز درمان بهینه و اختصاصی کمک نماید

Preventive effect of N-acetylcysteine in a mouse model of steroid resistant acute exacerbation of asthma

Oxidative stress appears to have an important role in glucocorticoid insensitivity, as a crucial problem in asthma therapy. We studied the preventive effect of antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on the airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) and the accumulation of inflammatory cells in the airways in an animal model of steroid resistant acute exacerbation of asthma. Systemically sensitized Balb/C mice were exposed to Ovalbumin aerosol on days 13, 14, 15 and 16, followed by intratracheal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce acute exacerbation. NAC (intraperitoneal, 320 mg/kg 30 min before and 12 hours after each challenge) reduced hyperresponsiveness with/out dexamethasone. LPS application caused neutrophilia in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and eosinophil count was higher than respective control in BALF as well as neutrophils after dexamethasone treatment. NAC significantly decreased neutrophil and eosinophil count in BALF as well as inflammatory cytokines (IL-13 and IL-5).We concluded that addition of NAC to asthma therapy has beneficial preventive effects in an animal model of steroid resistant acute exacerbation of asthma

Imputation in missing not at random SNPs data using EM algorithm

    The relation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and some diseases has been concerned by many researchers. Also the missing SNPs are quite common in genetic association studies. Hence, this article investigates the relation between existing SNPs in DNMT1 of human chromosome 19 with colorectal cancer. This article aims is to presents an imputation method for missing SNPs not at random. In this case-control study, 100 patients suffering from colorectal cancer consulting with the Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences were considered as the case group and 100 other patients consulting with the same research institute were considered as the control group and the genetic test was applied in order to identify the genotype of the 6 SNPs of the DNMT1 of chromosom 19 for all the patients under investigation. The obtained data were analyzed using logistic regression, then a fraction of the data was eliminated both at random and not at random and the imputation was done through the EM algorithm and the logistic regression coefficients variation before and after the imputation was compared. The results of this study implied that in both methods, at random and not at random missing SNPs, the estimation of the logistic regression coefficients after the imputation through EM algorithm has a greater correspondence to the results obtained from the complete data in comparison with the method of eliminating the missing values.

Understanding the Methodological Process of Formation and Evolution of Scientific Empiricism in the Philosophy of West

The current paper evaluates the transformation of methodological approaches and perspectives of early centuries of the modern era scientism to fundamental change in the philosophical views of the west in the form of postmodern attitudes. Thus, on the one hand, the evolution in crude empiricism and its transition to positivism, logical positivism and how to transition from positivism to falsifiability will be evaluated. On the other hand, we address the transformation of positivism and falsifiability attitudes and thinking into macro structures and attitudes in the form of Imre and Lakatos research program and Thomas Kuhn's paradigm and finally, Feyerabend anarchist approach. Then, we will continue with a brief overview of how to shape the post-modern approaches as the outcome of fundamental change in the attitude of philosophy in the West. Of course, we try to avoid getting into the details of the views, as far as possible because the main focus of this paper is on the analysis of the evolution of the methodological perspectives of "Scientism (Philosophy of science)" to postmodernism