Effect of 8 Weeks of High Intensity Interval Training on Plasma Levels of Adiponectin and Leptin in Overweight Nurses

Background: High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a novel training method which has received most attention in recent years. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of 8 weeks of high intensity interval training (HIIT) on plasma levels of adiponectin and leptin in overweight nurses.Materials and Methods: 27 nurses (mean age 25.81±60 years, height 158.01±67 cm and weight 69.41±25 kg) were voluntarily selected and randomly assigned to three groups (each group 9 subjects): 1. HIIT (type 1) including 8 seconds of sprint running and 12 seconds of active recovery 2. HIIT (type 2) including 40-m shuttle run with maximum speed 3. Control group. HIIT (type 1) was performed for eight weeks, three sessions per week, each session 6-9 min. With more than 90% HRmax. HIIT (type 2) was applied for eight weeks, three sessions per week with more than 90% HRmax. The control group did not participate in any training protocol.Results: The data were analyzed by the dependent t test and ANOVA. The results showed that the HIIT (type 1) and (type 2) had significant effects on plasma leptin decrease and plasma adiponectin concentration increase in nurses. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the intergroup data at p˂0.05.Conclusion: The results showed a significant difference in the variables (leptin and adiponectin) among HIIT (type 1), HIIT (type 2) and control

The incidence of needle stick injuries among medical students at Tabriz Imam Reza hospital in 2014

Background and aims: Needle stick injuries are a common and serious occupational hazard in the medical settings. So, this study was aimed to assess the incidence of needle stick injury among medical students at Tabriz Imam Reza Hospital in 2014. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study which its data was collected from 211 medical students in Tabriz Imam Reza Hospital. The study was done using valid and reliable researcher's made questionnaire in December 2014 with getting inform consent from participants. The mentioned tool has two main parts; the first part studies the demographic and background variables and the second part focuses on the phenomenon of needle stick injuries and its relevant parameters. The data were firstly analyzed descriptively and the obtained results reported the qualitative variables in form of frequency (percentage) and for the quantitative variables the mean (standard deviation) was reported. Further on, the statistical relationship between demographic and background with Needle stick injuries parameters were assessed using Chi-square test. All these analyses were conducted using SPSS software and in all cases the significance of P was considered as less than 0.05. Results: Obtained findings showed that 36 of the medical students have experienced needle stick injuries in the last year (with Confidence Interval of 95) and the mean annual frequency is equal to 3.11 times per person. Moreover, the study findings indicated that there is a statistical relationship between needle stick exposure and age (P=0.019), educational level (P=0.001) and the hospital ward (P=0.004) which students older than 30, medical research fellows and students working in the surgery and pathology wards experience needle stick injuries more than others significantly. Conclusion: This study showed the high incidence of needle stick injuries in medical students and highlighted the need for implementing precise interventions

Zoning areas prone to fire occurrences in the forest ecosystems of North Zagros (Case study: Sardasht forests in West Azarbaijan)

The ecological balance in nature is integrated with forest safety. Wildfire causes irreparable effects on the ecological functions of the forest and disrupts the production of oxygen and carbon sequestration, reducing biodiversity, expanding pests and diseases, and eventually breaking the balance of nature, which is the unique role of the forest. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting the occurrence and zoning of fire hazards in Sardasht forests in the area of 1784.8 hectares to achieve control and counteraction strategies. At first, layers of elevation, slope, aspect, precipitation, temperature, organic carbon, soil texture, and vegetation cover were mapped for the study area. AHP was used for prioritization, evaluation criteria, and weighting of the layers. Finally, the classifications of the layer were done using GIS, and hazard scores were classified at four classes included; Safe, low risk, medium risk, and high risk. The results showed that 12.7% of the study area is at high risk, 39.9% has moderate risk, 31.9% is in the low-risk area and 15.5% is located in the safe area. Also, the Angstrom index was showed that wildfire occurring has maximum possibility between June to September. It was also found that the north-east of the study area is more at risk of fire due to the denser vegetation than other areas. The minimum fire hazard was observed in the north, part in the south, and the narrow strip in the central regions of the study area

Separation of radioactive elements from rare earth element-bearing minerals

ABSTRACT: Rare earth elements (REE), originally found in various low-grade deposits in the form of different minerals, are associated with gangues that have similar physicochemical properties. However, the production of REE is attractive due to their numerous applications in advanced materials and new technologies. The presence of the radioactive elements, thorium and uranium, in the REE deposits, is a production challenge. Their separation is crucial to gaining a product with minimum radioactivity in the downstream processes, and to mitigate the environmental and safety issues. In the present study, different techniques for separation of the radioactive elements from REE are reviewed, including leaching, precipitation, solvent extraction, and ion chromatography. In addition, the waste management of the separated radioactive elements is discussed with a particular conclusion that such a waste stream can be employed as a valuable co-product

Tropisetron attenuated the anxiogenic effects of social isolation by modulating nitrergic system and mitochondrial function.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Early social isolation stress (SIS) is associated with the occurrence of anxiety behaviors. It seems interaction between the nitrergic system and mitochondrial function plays a role in mediating the anxiety-like behaviors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anxiolytic effects of tropisetron in animal model of SIS and we try to illustrate the possible role of nitrergic system and mitochondrial function. METHODS: We applied early social isolation paradigm to male NMRI mice. Animals treated with various doses of tropisetron, nitric oxide agents or their combination and anxiety-like behaviors of animals were assessed using valid behavioral tests including elevated plus maze (EPM), open-field test (OFT) and hole-board test (HBT) in their adulthood. Effects of housing conditions and drug treatments on the mitochondrial function were investigated in the hippocampus by assessing the ATP, GSH, ROS and nitrite levels. RESULTS: Anxiogenic effects of early SIS were assessed in the EPM, OFT, and HBT. Also, SIS disrupted mitochondrial function and caused oxidative stress in the hippocampus of stressed animals. Tropisetron showed an anxiolytic effect in the stressed mice. Also, these effects were mediated by nitrergic system by affecting mitochondrial function and modulating the oxidative stress. L-arginine, a nitric oxide precursor, abolished the anxiolytic effects of tropisetron in the behavioral tasks and blocked the protective effects of it against mitochondrial and oxidative challenge. CONCLUSIONS AND GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Our results demonstrated tropisetron attenuated the anxiogenic effects of SIS by mitigation of the negative effects of nitric oxide on mitochondrial functio

Anxiety- and Depressive-Like Behaviors are Associated with Altered Hippocampal Energy and Inflammatory Status in a Mouse Model of Crohn’s Disease

Abstract—Depression and anxiety are common comorbid disorders observed in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Increasing line of evidence indicates that immune-inflammatory responses are involved in cooccurrence of mood disorders and IBD. However, the mechanisms through which immune-inflammatory pathways modulate this comorbidity are not yet understood. This study investigated the role of innate immunity in the development of behavioral abnormalities associated with an animal model of Crohn’s disease (CD). To do this, we induced colitis in male adult mice by intrarectal (i.r.) injection of DNBS (Dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid). After 3 days, we performed behavioral tests for anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors as well as tissue collection. Our results showed that DNBS-induced colonic inflammatory responses were accompanied by infiltration of inflammatory cells, and increased expression of genes involved in toll-like receptor signaling pathway in intestinal tissue. Furthermore, the DNBS-treated mice showed depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors which were associated with increased expression of the inflammatory genes and abnormal mitochondrial function in the hippocampus. These results suggest that peripheral inflammation is able to increase the transcriptional level of the genes in tolllike receptor pathway, induces abnormal mitochondrial function in the hippocampus, and these negative effects may be involved in the co-occurrence of anxiety and depression in early stages of CD. � 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Streptozotocin induced oxidative stress, innate immune system responses and behavioral abnormalities in male mice

Recent evidence indicates the involvement of inflammatory factors and mitochondrial dysfunction in the etiology of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression. To investigate the possible role of mitochondrial-induced sterile inflammation in the co-occurrence of anxiety and depression, in this study, we treated adult male mice with the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of a single low dose of streptozotocin (STZ, 0.2 mg/mouse). Using valid and qualified behavioral tests for the assessment of depressive and anxiety-like behaviors, we showed that STZ-treated mice exhibited behaviors relevant to anxiety and depression 24 h following STZ treatment. We observed that the co-occurrence of anxiety and depressive-like behaviors in animals were associated with abnormal mitochondrial function, nitric oxide overproduction and, the increased activity of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) in the hippocampus. Further, STZ-treated mice had a significant upregulation of genes associated with the innate immune system such as toll-like receptors 2 and 4. Pathological evaluations showed no sign of neurodegeneration in the hippocampus of STZ-treated mice. Results of this study revealed that behavioral abnormalities provoked by STZ, as a cytotoxic agent that targets mitochondria and energy metabolism, are associated with abnormal mitochondrial activity and, consequently the initiation of innate-inflammatory responses in the hippocampus. Our findings highlight the role of mitochondria and innate immunity in the formation of sterile inflammation and behaviors relevant to anxiety and depression. Also, we have shown that STZ injection (i.c.v.) might be an animal model for depression and anxiety disorders based on sterile inflammation

Morphine Attenuated the Cytotoxicity Induced by Arsenic Trioxide in H9c2 Cardiomyocytes.

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is an efficient drug for the treatment of the patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Inhibition of proliferation as well as apoptosis, attenuation of migration, and induction of differentiation in tumor cells are the main mechanisms through which ATO acts against APL. Despite advantages of ATO in treatment of some malignancies, certain harmful side effects, such as cardiotoxicity, have been reported. It has been well documented that morphine has antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and cytoprotective properties and is able to attenuate cytotoxicity. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of morphine against ATO toxicity in H9c2 myocytes using multi-parametric assay including thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, caspase 3 activity, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) phosphorylation assay, and expression of apoptotic markers. Our results showed that morphine (1 μM) attenuated cytotoxicity induced by ATO in H9c2 cells. Results of this study suggest that morphine may have protective properties in management of cardiac toxicity in patients who receive ATO as an anti-cancer treatment

Oxytocin mitigated the depressive-like behaviors of maternal separation stress through modulating mitochondrial function and neuroinflammation

Mother-infant contact has a critical role on brain development and behavior. Experiencing early-life adversities (such as maternal separation stress or MS in rodents) results in adaptations of neurotransmission systems, which may subsequently increase the risk of depression symptoms later in life. In this study, we show that Oxytocin (OT) exerted antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Previous studies indicate that neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction are associated with the pathophysiology of depression. To investigate the antidepressant-like effects of OT, we applied MS paradigm (as a valid animal model of depression) to male mice at postnatal day (PND) 2 to PND 14 (3 h daily, 9 AM to 12 AM) and investigated the depressive-like behaviors of these animals at PND 60 in different groups. Animals in this work were divided into 4 experimental groups: 1) saline-treated, 2) OT-treated, 3) atosiban (OT antagonist)-treated and, 4) OT + atosiban-treated mice. We used forced swimming test (FST), splash test, sucrose preference test (SPT) and open field test (OFT) for behavioral assessment. Additionally, we used another set of animals to investigate the effects of MS and different treatments on mitochondrial function and the expression of the relevant genes for neuroinflammation. Our results showed that MS provoked depressive- like behaviors in the FST, SPT and splash test. In addition, our molecular findings revealed that MS is capable of inducing abnormal mitochondrial function and immune-inflammatory response in the hippocampus. Further, we observed that treating stressed animals with OT (intracerebroventricular, i.c.v. injection) attenuated the MS-induced depressive-like behaviors through improving mitochondrial function and decreasing the hippocampal expression of immune-inflammatory genes. In conclusion, we showed that MS-induced depressive-like behaviors in adult male mice are associated with abnormal mitochondrial function and immune-inflammatory responses in the hippocampus, and activation of OTergic system has protective effects against negative effects of MS on brain and behavior of animals

Attenuation of oxidative and nitrosative stress in cortical area associates with antidepressant-like effects of tropisetron in male mice following social isolation stress.

Tropisetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist widely used as an antiemetic, has been reported to have positive effects on mood disorders. Adolescence is a critical period during the development of brain, where exposure to chronic stress during this time is highly associated with the development of depression. In this study, we showed that 4 weeks of juvenile social isolation stress (SIS) provoked depressive-like behaviors in male mice, which was associated with disruption of mitochondrial function and nitric oxide overproduction in the cortical areas. In this study, tropisetron (5 mg/kg) reversed the negative behavioral effects of SIS in male mice. We found that the effects of tropisetron were mediated through mitigating the negative activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) on mitochondrial activity. Administration of aminoguanidine (specific iNOS inhibitor, 20 mg/kg) augmented the protective effects of tropisetron (1 mg/kg) on SIS. Furthermore, l-arginine (nitric oxide precursor, 100 mg/kg) abolished the positive effects of tropisetron. These results have increased our knowledge on the pivotal role of mitochondrial function in the pathophysiology of depression, and highlighted the role of 5-HT3 receptors in psychosocial stress response during adolescence. Finally, we observed that tropisetron alleviated the mitochondrial dysfunction through decreased nitrergic system activity in the cerebral corte