Intestinal histomorphology, autochthonous microbiota and growth performance of the oscar (Astronotus ocellatus Agassiz, 1831) following dietary administration of xylooligosaccharide

The present study investigates the changes in intestinal histomorphology, autochthonous microbiota and growth performance of the oscar, Astronotus ocellatus, following dietary administration of different levels of xylooligosaccharide (XOS). One hundred forty-four oscars (8.88 ± 0.23 g; n = 144) were randomly stocked in 12 aquaria (100-L) assigned to four treatments repeated in triplicate. Fish were fed a commercial diet, Biomar, supplemented with different levels (0 control, 0.5, 1, 2%) of XOS for 8 weeks. Treatments were investigated under static aerated water conditions with a 70% daily water exchange. Evaluation of intestinal histomorphology (villus height, enterocytes height and thickness of the tunica muscularis) revealed no significant differences between XOS-fed groups and the control treatment (P > 0.05). However, administration of XOS in the oscar diet increased the total autochthonous intestinal heterotrophic bacteria significantly (P < 0.05). Autochthonous lactic acid bacteria levels were also significantly elevated in XOS-fed groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary XOS remarkably increased growth performance (control: 22.76 ± 2.79, 2% XOS: 29.13 ± 2. 8; n = 12) parameters of the oscar (P < 0.05). These results demonstrated the beneficial effects of XOS on the growth performance and intestinal microbiota of A. ocellatus. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH

TREATMENT OF INFANTILE SPASMS; TETRACOSECTIDE OR VIGABATRIN? A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Objective:Infantile spasms (IS) is an age specific epileptic syndrome. Due to poor response of IS to conventional antiepileptic drugs, scientists are always on the lookout for newer, more effective drugs to treat the condition.Materials & Methods:In this study, 50 infants with IS symptoms, aged between 2-24 months, were randomly divided into two equal groups, each treated either with Vigabatrin or ACTH (long acting   Tetracosectide); the results for clinical efficacy of medication and drug side effects were compared.Results:After the sixth week of treatment, in the Vigabatrin group, 28% complete remission and 40% reduction in seizure frequencies was seen, while in the Tetracosectide group there were 40.9%  complete remission and 45.5% reduction in seizure frequencies, showing no significant difference between the clinical responses found in the two groups (P=0.44).Conclusion:Vigabatrin effeciacy is similar to Tetracosectide, but since it is impossible to evaluate visual field constriction, a probable irreversible side effect of Vigabatrin , It's better to use Tetracosectide for the first line in the treatment of IS .Keywords:Infantile spasms,Hypsarrhythmia, Vigabatrin,Tetracosectide

Complete Semantics to empower Touristic Service Providers

The tourism industry has a significant impact on the world's economy, contributes 10.2% of the world's gross domestic product in 2016. It becomes a very competitive industry, where having a strong online presence is an essential aspect for business success. To achieve this goal, the proper usage of latest Web technologies, particularly schema.org annotations is crucial. In this paper, we present our effort to improve the online visibility of touristic service providers in the region of Tyrol, Austria, by creating and deploying a substantial amount of semantic annotations according to schema.org, a widely used vocabulary for structured data on the Web. We started our work from Tourismusverband (TVB) Mayrhofen-Hippach and all touristic service providers in the Mayrhofen-Hippach region and applied the same approach to other TVBs and regions, as well as other use cases. The rationale for doing this is straightforward. Having schema.org annotations enables search engines to understand the content better, and provide better results for end users, as well as enables various intelligent applications to utilize them. As a direct consequence, the region of Tyrol and its touristic service increase their online visibility and decrease the dependency on intermediaries, i.e. Online Travel Agency (OTA).Comment: 18 pages, 6 figure

Neuroprotective Effect of Vitamin E in a Kainate-Induced Rat Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is known as the most common form of epilepsy in adults and as the type most resistant to treatment. Neuroprotective treatments are considered as a promising therapy for preventing and treating TLE. We investigated the possible neuroprotective effect of vitamin E in an intrahippocampal kainate model of TLE in rats. Kainate injection caused a higher incidence rate of seizures, and vitamin E pretreatment significantly attenuated this index. Intrahippocampal kainate also led to elevation of the malondialdehyde and nitrite/ nitrate levels and lowered superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, while vitamin E significantly restored MDA and SOD indices. In addition, intrahippocampal kainate induced a significant degeneration of neurons in the CA1, CA3, and hilar regions of the hippocampus; vitamin E considerably attenuated these changes. Timm staining data demonstrated mossy fiber sprouting (MFS) in the dentate gyrus of kainate-lesioned rats, and vitamin E significantly lowered the MFS intensity. Our data suggest that vitamin E pretreatment is capable of attenuating seizures and inhibiting hippocampal neuronal loss and MFS in the kainate-induced model of TLE. A part of the beneficial vitamin E effects is due to its potential to mitigate oxidative stress.«Скронева» епілепсія (СЕ) – найпоширеніша форма епілепсії у дорослих, причому найбільш резистентна до лікування. Як перспективний напрямок у профілактиці та лікуванні СЕ розглядаються підходи, засновані на нейропротекції. Ми досліджували можливий нейропротекторний ефект вітаміну Е на „каїнатній” моделі СЕ у щурів (інтрагіпокампальне введення каїнату). Такі ін’єкції зумовлювали підвищену ймовірність прояву судом, а попереднє курсове введення вітаміну Е істотно знижувало відповідний індекс. Ін’єкції каїнату також призводили до зростання рівнів малонового альдегіду та нітритів/нітратів і падіння активності супероксиддисмутази; під впливом вітаміну Е відповідні значення нормалізувалися. До того ж, інтрагіпокампальні введення каїнату викликали істотну дегенерацію нейронів у зонах CA1 та CA3 і хілусі гіпокампа, а вітамін Е значно обмежував ці зміни. Результати забарвлення за Тіммом продемонстрували наявність феномену спраутинга моховитих волокон у зубчастій звивині щурів після введення каїнату; вітамін Е істотно зменшував інтенсивність даного процесу. Наші результати дозволяють нам вважати, що попередня дія вітаміну Е сприяє зменшенню інтенсивності судом, знижує загибель нейронів у гіпокампі та обмежує спраутинг в умовах каїнатної моделі СЕ. Позитивний ефект вітаміну Е частково зумовлений його здатністю послаблювати оксидативний стрес

Presence of macrovolt T wave alternans and short coupled PVC simultaneously in a patient with long QT syndrome

This report presents a patient with macrovolt T wave alternans, PVC with R on T or a long-short sequence followed by torsades de pointes

Neuroprotective and Antiapoptotic Potential of Trigonelline in a Striatal 6-Hydroxydopamine Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Considering neuroprotective and antioxidant effects of trigonelline, our study was undertaken to evaluate its protective effect in a 6-hydroxydopamine-induced model of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in rats. Unilateral intrastriatal 6-OHDA-lesioned rats were pretreated with trigonelline at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg. Significant rotational behavior, a significant reduction in the number of Nissl-stained neurons on the left side of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC), increased apoptosis, enhanced levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite, and a lower level of glutathione (GSH) were observed in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Trigonelline at a dose of 100 mg/kg significantly reduced rotations, prevented reduction of SNC neurons, prevented apoptosis, and restored the MDA level. These results suggest that pre-lesion trigonelline treatment exerts dose-dependent neuroprotective and antiapoptotic effects under conditions of 6-OHDA toxicity and may be, henceforth, advantageous for the management of early PD.Беручи до уваги нейропротекторний та антиоксидантний вплив тригонелліну, ми дослідили його захисну дію в моделі хвороби Паркінсона у щурів, індукованій стереотаксичним уведенням 6-гідроксидофаміну (6-OHDA). Щурам, котрим робили унілатеральні ін’єкції 6-OHDA в стріатум, попередньо щоденно тричі вводили тригонеллін у дозах 50 і 100 мг/кг. В умовах використаної 6-OHDA-моделі істотно посилювалась обертальна моторна поведінка, викликана ін’єкцією апоморфіну, значно знижувалася кількість забарвлених, за Ніслем, нейронів у лівій половині компактної частини чорної субстанції, посилювався процес апоптозу нейронів, зростали рівні малональдегіду та нітриту та знижувався рівень відновленого глутатіону. Тригонеллін у щоденних дозах 100 мг/кг вірогідно знижував кількість обертальних рухів, протидіяв зменшенню числа нейронів у чорній субстанції та розвитку апоптозу, а також нормалізував рівень малональдегіду. Отримані результати свідчать про те, що уведення тригонелліну перед ін’єкціями 6-OHDA забезпечує дозозалежні нейропротекторний та антиапоптотичні ефекти в умовах токсичної дії 6-OHDA. Цей агент та його аналоги можуть бути тестовані як допоміжні засоби при лікуванні хвороби Паркінсона на ранніх стадіях

POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF DUKU (LANSIUM DOMESTICUM CORR) AND LANGSAT (LANSIUM DOMESTICUM JACK) EXTRACTS ON THE GROWTH OF BIFIDOBACTERIA SPP.

Objective: Lansium domesticum Corr. is a fruit tree species belongs to the family Meliaceae. There are numerous forms of the species and grouped into two main types: Duku and Langsat. The objective of this study is to screen the ability of adding extracts of freeze-dried duku and langsat to stimulate the growth and stability of selected Bifidobacteria spp in skimmed milk.Methods: Samples were prepared by adding either 5% or 12% of oligosaccharides from duku, langsat, inulin, galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) to 5% and 12% (w/v) reconstituted nonfat dry milk (NDM), respectively. The specific growth rates (µ) for each sample were calculated. All experiments were replicated ten times.Results: The mean doubling time (Td) for Bifidobacterium longum, was lowest in the presence of freeze-dried duku and langsat compared to GOS, FOS and inulin. Retention of the viability of five Bifidobacterium species was greatest in the presence of freeze-dried duku and langsat followed by GOS, FOS and inulin. The highest percentage of acetic and lactic acids were produced by B. longum, B. infantis and B. adolescentis with freeze-dried duku and langsat. The pattern of results was similar to the commercial product, oligosaccharides (inulin, GOS and FOS). Conclusion: Therefore, this study provides promising results on promoting growth and probiotic activity of natural oligosaccharides compound from freeze-dried duku and langsat

Survey of the relationship between activity energy expenditure metabolic equivalents and barrier factors of physical activity in the elderly in Kashan

Background: Physical activity in the elderly is influenced by aspects of aging that cause personal, mental, environmental, andsocial changes. Increases in factors that are barriers to activity cause physical energy expenditure to decrease. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to survey the relationship between energy expenditure in metabolic equivalent units (MET) and factors that are barriers to physical activity in elderly people in Kashan, Iran Methods: This is a descriptive analysis done in 2014. The study population was 400 people above 60 years old in medical facilities in Kashan. Multistage sampling was used in 10 clinics in 5 areas of Kashan. The sample size was varied according to gender and elderly population. Contributors were given questionnaires concerning energy expenditure levels in physical activity and factors that are barriers to being active. Results: The average age among the study population was 67.6 ± 6.8 years median, and the interquartile range (IQR) of barriers to physical activity among Kashan�s elderly was (8.75) ± 33. Average energy expenditure was 326.21 ± 364.84 based on metabolic equivalent units (MET). In fact, 340 persons (85) were practically without any active energy expenditure. The mostcommonbarrier was the lack of an appropriate place for doing physical activity; 298 (74) of the participants cited this barrier. The results show the Spearman rank-order correlation is significant (P = 0.038, r = 0.104) between barriers to physical activity and activity energy expenditure in Kashan�s elderly. Conclusions: Decreasing barriers to physical activity among the elderly causes physical activities to increase; therefore, energy expenditure is increased. Decreasing social and environmental problems for the elderly is effective in increasing physical activity and energy expenditure. © 2016, Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal

A quark model framework for the study of nuclear medium effects

A quark-model framework for studying nuclear medium effects on nucleon resonances is described and applied here to pion photoproduction on the deuteron, which is the simplest composite nucleon system and serves as a first test case. Pion photoproduction on nuclei is discussed within a chiral constituent quark model in which the quark degrees of freedom are explicitly introduced through an effective chiral Lagrangian for the quark-pseudoscalar-meson coupling. The advantage of this model is that a complete set of nucleon resonances can be systematically included with a limited number of parameters. Also, the systematic description of the nucleon and its resonances at quark level allows us to self-consistently relate the nuclear medium's influence on the baryon properties to the intrinsic dynamic aspects of the baryons. As the simplest composite nucleus, the deuteron represents the first application of this effective theory for meson photoproduction on light nuclei. The influence of the medium on the transition operators for a free nucleon is investigated in the Delta resonance region. No evidence is found for a change of the Delta properties in the pion photoproduction reaction on the deuteron since the nuclear medium here involves just one other nucleon and the low binding energy implies low nuclear density. However, we show that the reaction mechanism is in principle sensitive to changes of Delta properties that would be produced by the denser nuclear medium of heavier nuclei through the modification of the quark model parameters.Comment: Revtex, 8 pages, 4 figure

A comparative study of dynamic and static balance status in childern with specific learning diability and normal childern

Introduction: Balance is one of the important principles of learning in children, and impaired balance can affect learning. This study was conducted to compare the balance status of children with specific learning disability with that of the normal children. The results are to be used to help rehabilitate such children properly. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all students with specific learning disorder who were qualified for our study in Semnan (58 students) and the same number of students without a specific learning disorder were examined as control group. In order to choose the children in control group, three schools of children without learning disorders were selected by convenience method and 58 students were selected by simple random sampling. The balance test was administered using Biodex balance system (D3) and observing the test requirements. Results: In open-eye state, dynamic balance index, a significant difference was observed between students with learning disorder and normal students in their total balance (p=0.015), posterior-anterior (p=0.025) and lateral (p=0.026). However, these parameters were not significantly different in both groups (p>0.05) in close-eye state and also the static balance index in open-eye and close-eye states. Conclusion: The research results indicated that dynamic balance was impaired in students with specific learning disability with the eyes opened. It is necessary that therapists and parents take the matter into account. It is also necessary to perform interventions to improve the dynamic balance. © 2017, Semnan University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved