Validation of a method for measuring sperm quality and quantity in reproductive toxicity tests with pair-breeding male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas)

This article originally appeared in the ILAR e-Journal. It is reprinted with permission from the ILAR Journal, Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, National Research Council, Washington DC (www.nationalacademies.org/ilar).The fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) is an OECD-proposed test species routinely used in reproductive toxicity trials with suspected endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). The basic fecundity, endocrinology, and histopathology of reproductively active male and female fathead minnows has been well characterized, but there are few studies of the utility of male sperm concentration and motility as endpoints for use in reproductive trials. The purpose of this study was to (1) characterize the baseline sperm concentration and motility of pair-breeding male fathead minnows over their spawning cycle and (2) determine whether a repeated and nondestructive sperm sampling protocol would influence the baseline fecundity of the fish. Pair-breeding male fathead minnows that underwent sampling for milt three times a week for 4 weeks exhibited no significant changes in milt volume, sperm concentration, or motility parameters up to 6 days after each spawning event. The repeated sperm sampling procedure did, however, cause a significant lowering of spawning frequencies, although this decline did not correlate with effects on fecundity as there were no significant changes in the mean total numbers of eggs laid, fertilization, and hatching successes. This study confirmed the presence of a stable background of sperm concentration and motility parameters of pair-breeding male fathead minnows under reference conditions. The absence of any inherent “cycling” in the magnitude of these parameters over the spawning period suggests that sperm concentration and motility could be useful measures of male reproductive toxicity at the termination of tests in which pair-breeding males are at varying days post spawn.The research described was funded by the EU project Comparative Research on Endocrine Disrupters (COMPRENDO) Institute of Zoology Regents Park, London, contract No. EVK1-CT-2002-00129E

Developing high performance concrete for precast/prestressed concrete industry

High performance concrete (HPC) is a new class of concrete that has superior characteristics compared to conventional concrete. Despite of its superior characteristics, HPC is not widely used in local and international markets due to its high constituent materials cost. This paper presents the research done to develop economic HPC mixes using local materials and conventional mixing and curing techniques. HPC characteristics were attained using supplementary cementitious materials as silica fume and class C fly in partial replacement of Portland cement. Superplasticizers were used to maintain a high flowing ability using a low water-to-powder ratio. Concrete mixes were produced using a high energy mixer to maintain sufficient mix consistency. As a result, concrete mixes with 24 -h compressive strength of 70 MPa and 28-day strength of 105 MPa were produced. Concrete samples tested for expansion using accelerated mortar bar test (AMBT) showed that developed concrete is not susceptible to alkali-silica reaction. Improved characteristics can be used in improving the performance of concrete construction projects, reduce required maintenance, and increase construction projects life-span

Histological changes of the adult albino rats entorhinal cortex under the effect of tramadol administration: Histological and morphometric study

Background: Tramadol is a centrally acting synthetic analgesic agent with opioid activity. Tramadol is used to treat moderate to severe pain. The entorhinal cortex has initially attracted attention because of its strong reciprocal connections with the hippocampal formation and its involvement in certain brain disorders.Aim of work: The present study was designed to assess the deleterious effects of tramadol on the entorhinal cortex of the adult male albino rats.Materials and methods: The study was carried out on 40 adult male rats. The rats were divided equally into two groups: control group, received 1 ml normal saline 0.9% intraperitoneally for 4 weeks. Treated group received 50 mg/kg/day of tramadol intraperitoneally for 4 weeks. All animals were anaesthetized by ether inhalation and perfused by normal saline. The brains were extracted from the skulls. For light microscopy, the brains of 10 animals in each group were processed for paraffin sections and stained by Gallocyanine stain. For electron microscopy, the entorhinal cortex was dissected in 10 brains of each group and processed. Semithin sections were prepared and stained with toluidine blue. Morphometric and statistical studies were performed.Results: By light microscopy, the treated groups showed neuronal cells disorganization. Apoptotic cells were detected. In addition, diffuse chromatolysis of nuclear chromatin, absence of nucleoli, multinuclear cells, intercellular edema and a congested blood capillary were noticed. By electron microscopy, the treated groups of both lateral and medial entorhinal areas showed granular and pyramidal apoptotic cells. The morphometric and statistical studies showed significant increase of apoptotic index % in treated group as compared with control group.Conclusion: Tramadol had degenerative effects on both lateral and medial entorhinal areas. Light as well as electron microscopic examination of entorhinal areas came to prove these effects. Tramadol abuse should be avoided without medical description due to its toxic effects.Keywords: Tramadol; Entorhinal cortex; Rat

Comparison of Plasma Concentrations for Some Biological Markers in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Before and After Consuming a Vegetarian Diet

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus has been increasing worldwide in recent years. Long-term diabetes results in vascular changes and dysfunction. Complications of diabetes are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. [1] Renal involvement is an important complication of diabetes mellitus. End-stage kidney with renal failure accounts for deaths in more than 10% of all diabetics. [2] Diet therapy is fundamentally important for both diabetes and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) to maintain glucose control and suppress the progression of renal damage.[3] The main nutrition-related goals for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) involve the slowing of kidney failure progression rate and minimizing uremic toxicity and metabolic disorders of kidney failure, diminishing proteinuria, maintaining good nutritional status, and lowering the risk of secondary complications including cardiovascular disease, bone disease, and disturbed blood pressure control [4]. The aim of our study was to compare some biological markers in patients with type 2 diabetes whom are at risk of developing kidney failure, before and after starting a vegetarian diet for at least 30 days. Materials & Methods: In this study we measured plasma concentrations of Urea, Creatinine, Fasting Glucose, and calculated EGFR according to Cockcroft-Gault equation for of 20 patients with type 2 diabetes (5 males, 15 females), with an average age of 63 years. Blood-sampling and testing was conducted in two time periods. The first one was at the regular diet for subjects consuming all kind of foods including proteins of animal and plant sources, the second one was after at least 30 days of fasting involves abstention from all animal products (Easter Fasting). Results: Plasma Urea was significantly lower after the diet (mean ± SD: 27 ± 11 mg/dl) than before diet (mean ± SD: 42 ± 23.55 mg/dl). Using student’s t-test P was: 0.001 ˂ 0.05. Plasma Creatinine was significantly lower after the diet (mean ± SD: 1.09 ± 0.25 mg/dl) than before diet (mean ± SD: 1.2 ± 0.3 mg/dl). Using student’s t-test P was: 0.022 ˂ 0.05. Plasma Glucose was lower after the diet (mean ± SD: 126 ± 52.15 mg/dl) than before diet (mean ± SD: 140 ± 67.44 mg/dl). Using student’s t-test P was: 0.108 ˃ 0.05. EGFR was higher after the diet (mean ± SD: 71.45 ± 26.2 ml/min) than before diet (mean ± SD: 69.45 ± 25.54 ml/min). Using student’s t-test P was: 0.039 ˂ 0.05. Conclusion: These results may indicate that the vegetarian diet could be a kidney protective for patients with type 2 diabetes. DOI: 10.7176/CMR/11-6-04 Publication date: August 31st 201

Gene Polymorphism of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha in a Sample of Iraqi Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients

The study aimed to investigate the association between tumor necrosis factor (TNF gene) alleles and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in a sample of Iraqi patients, in which a total of 94 patients were investigated, in addition to 80 age, gender and ethnicity matched controls. All subjects were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers (SSP-PCR) method at two positions of TNF gene; -308 and -238 (TNF-308 and TNF-238), which were presented with three genotypes (GG, GA and AA) at both positions. At position -308, a significant (P = 6.9 x 10-5) decreased frequency of GG genotype was observed in PTB patients compared to controls (60.6 vs. 87.5%), and the preventive fraction of such difference was 0.68. In contrast, the genotype GA was significantly (P = 1.3 x 10-4) increased in patients (38.2 vs. 12.5%), and the associated relative risk and etiological fraction were 4.34 and 0.30, respectively. The corresponding TNF-308 alleles (G and A) also showed variations between patients and controls. Allele G was decreased (79.8 vs. 93.8%), while C allele was increased (20.2 vs. 6.2%) in patients, and both differences were significant at a P of 1.5 x 10-4. However, at position -238, neither TNF-238 genotypes nor alleles demonstrated a significant difference between patients and controls. The present results suggest that the GG genotype and G allele of TNF gene at position -306 may be associated with a protection against PTB in Iraqi population. Keywords: Tumor necrosis factor; Gene polymorphism, PCR; Pulmonary tuberculosis

Innovative Techniques for 60-GHz On-Chip Antennas on CMOS Substrate

The 60-GHz band has a 7-GHz of bandwidth enabling high data rate wireless communication. Also, it has a short wavelength allowing for passive devices integration into a chip, that is, fully integrated system-on-chip (SOC) is possible. This chapter features the design, implementation, and measurements of 60-GHz on-chip antennas (OCAs) on complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. OCAs are the primary barrier for the SOC solution due to their limited performance. This degraded performance comes from the low resistivity and the high permittivity of the CMOS substrate. We present here two innovative techniques to improve the CMOS OCAs’ performance. The first method utilizes artificial magnetic conductors to shield the OCA electromagnetically from the CMOS substrate. The second methodology employs the PN-junction properties to create a high resistivity layer. Both approaches target the mitigation of the losses of the CMOS substrate; hence, the radiation performance characteristics of the OCAs are enhanced

Inappropriate prescribing in hospitalized elderly patients

Inappropriate prescribing (IP) is a major healthcare problem in elderly patients. The risk of this problem increases during hospitalization. This is due to increase morbidity and thus increases the use of medications by the inpatients. This study will clarify the problem of IP for elderly people during hospitalization and will identify the different types of it. It also will highlight some tools that are used to assess the different types of IP and the prevalence of it in elderly patients during hospitalization. Finally, the study will address the consequences of IP in the elderly inpatients and the risks associated with the use of some potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in the elderly.

Evaluation of Taurine and Tryptophan against Cuprizone Induced Multiple Sclerosis Model on Swiss Albino Mice

The present study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Taurine and Trypyophan in Cuprizone model of multiple sclerosis. It was hypothised that Taurine and Tryptophan would be able to ameliorate the neuronal degeneration and neuroinflammation present in Multiple Sclerosis. The study was evaluated by assessment of various in vivo parameters like of learning and memory, locomotor activity and motor co ordination.The in vitro parameters like SOD, Catalase ,Glutathione reductase, Glutathione peroxidase and proinflammtoiry cytokine InterleuikZin-6 were also assessed. This study identified cuprizone as a neurotoxin capable of inducing oxidative stress. It also revealed the protective effect of Taurine and Tryptophan against CPZ-induced behavioral and neuropathological deficits in Swiss Albino mice

Evaluation of inappropriate prescribing to the hospitalized elderly patients in Al Shifa hospital, Gaza, Palestine

Background: The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of inappropriate prescribing (IP) for hospitalized elderly patients at Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza, Palestine.Methods: This study was a retrospective cross-sectional study. A total of 2385 prescribed drugs for 380 elderly inpatients in internal, cardiology, and respiratory departments were screened for IP. Four criteria were used to detect IP using chart review method; Drug-drug interactions (DDIs), drug contra-indications (CI), duplication of therapy and Beers' criteria 2012.Results: The results showed that 44.2% of patients had at least one IP. Around 33.2% of the patients had DDIs, 19.2% had IP according to Beers' criteria and 1.1% had drug CI. There was no duplication of therapy. A total of 323 IP instances were detected. Of them, 74% for DDIs and 24.8% for Beers' criteria. The prevalence of overall IP was significantly influenced by age (p-value=0.024), polypharmacy (p-value<0.001), degree of morbidity (p-value<0.001), and departments (p-value=0.018). The prevalence of DDIs was influenced by polypharmacy (p-value<0.001), degree of morbidity (p-value=0.001), and departments (p-value=0.005). Finally, the prevalence of IP according to Beers' criteria was significantly influenced by departments with the highest in the cardiology department (29.7%) (P-value=0.007).Conclusions: Although the overall IP was common, it was not far higher than that reported worldwide. The majority of IP was DDIs. Age, polypharmacy, degree of morbidity and departments influenced the occurrence of IP

Forever-Fit Summer Camp: The Impact of a 6-Week Summer Healthy Lifestyle Day Camp on Anthropometric, Cardiovascular, and Physical Fitness Measures in Youth With Obesity

Pediatric obesity is a public health concern with lifestyle intervention as the first-line treatment. Forever-Fit Summer Camp (FFSC) is a 6-week summer day program offering physical activity, nutrition education, and well-balanced meals to youth at low cost. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of this program that does not emphasize weight loss rather emphasizes healthy behaviors on body mass index, cardiovascular and physical fitness. Methods: The inclusion criteria were adolescents between 8 and 12 years and body mass index (BMI) ≥85th percentile. The data were collected at baseline and week 6 (wk-6) and was analyzed for 2013-2018 using paired-sample t tests. Results: The participants' (N = 179) average age was 10.6 ± 1.6 years with a majority of females (71%) and black race/ethnicity (70%). At wk-6, BMI and waist circumference decreased by 0.8 ± 0.7 kg/m2 and 1.0 ± 1.3 in, respectively. Resting heart rate, diastolic and systolic blood pressure decreased by 8.5 ± 11.0 bpm, 6.3 ± 8.8 mmHg, and 6.4 ± 10.1 mmHg, respectively. The number of pushups, curl-ups, and chair squats were higher by 5.8 ± 7.5, 6.7 ± 9.1, and 7.7 ± 8.5, respectively. Conclusion: The FFSC is efficacious for improving BMI, cardiovascular, and physical fitness in the short term. The effect of similar episodic efforts that implement healthy lifestyle modifications throughout the school year should be investigated