Anthropometric measurements of the external nose in 18–25-year-old Sistani and Baluch aborigine women in the southeast of Iran

The human nose differs in its anatomy and morphology between different racial and ethnic groups. The objective of this survey was to provide data for clinical plastics of the nose, medical aesthetics and cosmetology, anthropology, nationality study, and medical jurisprudence in Sistani (Fars) and Baluch aborigines in the southeast of Iran. The subjects participating in this study were 400 volunteer Baluch and Sistani aborigine women (in both groups the number of subjects was 200) within the age range of 18&#8211;25 years. Anthropometric data were obtained from all subjects using standard anthropometric methods with a sliding calliper. The data were analyzed using SPSS 11.0. Values were expressed as mean &#177; standard deviation (SD). Student t-test was used to compare the results. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. The mean total length and height of the nose in the Sistani group was significantly (p < 0.001) lower than in the Baluch group (46.5 &#177; 1.8 vs. 53.0 &#177; 1.3; 44.0 &#177; 2.2 vs. 49.5 &#177; 2.0). The mean anatomic width of the nose in the Sistani group was higher than in the Baluch group (32.3 &#177; 1.3 vs. 31.4 &#177; 1.5 mm). The nasal index in the Sistani group was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than in the Baluch group (69.7 &#177; 3.5 vs. 59.2 &#177; 3.3). The most common type of nose was leptorrhine (fine nose), accounting for 55.5% in the Sistani group and 98.5% in the Baluch group. The most common type of face in both groups was leptoprosopic. In spite of significant differences in measurements of noses in the Sistani and Baluch groups, the most common types of nose and face were similar in these two groups

C-Peptide Effects on Renal Physiology and Diabetes

The C-peptide of proinsulin is important for the biosynthesis of insulin and has for a long time been considered to be biologically inert. Animal studies have shown that some of the renal effects of the C-peptide may in part be explained by its ability to stimulate the Na,K-ATPase activity. Precisely, the C-peptide reduces diabetes-induced glomerular hyperfiltration both in animals and humans, therefore, resulting in regression of fibrosis. The tubular function is also concerned as diabetic animals supplemented with C-peptide exhibit better renal function resulting in reduced urinary sodium waste and protein excretion together with the reduction of the diabetes-induced glomerular hyperfiltration. The tubular effectors of C-peptide were considered to be tubule transporters, but recent studies have shown that biochemical pathways involving cellular kinases and inflammatory pathways may also be important. The matter theory concerning the C-peptide effects is a metabolic one involving the effects of the C-peptide on lipidic metabolic status.This review concentrates on the most convincing data which indicate that the C-peptide is a biologically active hormone for renal physiology

Patient safety climate and its affecting factors among rehabilitation health care staff of hospitals and rehabilitation centers in Iran-Tehran

Objectives: Hospitals and clinical centers are concerned about patient safety. Safety climate is a perceived value of safety in an organization that could improve the safety of workers and patients. The present research was conducted to study the safety climate of patients in the hospitals and rehabilitation centers affiliated to the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 300 nurses and nurse's aides (healthcare staff) who were selected by stratified sampling method, from two hospitals and three clinics, in 2017. Data collection tools included Patient Safety Climate Scale presented by Kudo and a demographic data questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS using descriptive statics like frequencies and percentages. Furthermore, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to analyze the obtained data and compare the mean scores, respectively. Results: The Mean±SD age and work experience of study participants were 36.7±6.79 and 9.46±5.8 years, respectively. The patient safety climate sub-factors were significantly different between males and females (P 0.05). Patient safety climate was only different in nursing condition (P=0.013) among studied healthcare centers. Also, only fatigue reduction was different among various studied wards (P=0.035), where intensive care unit had the lowest score (2.12±2.0). Discussion: Overall, the poor condition of patient safety climate was found in the studied rehabilitation centers. Therefore, it is recommended to improve nurses' attitudes with the assistance of hospital managers, to enhance patient safety. © 2019 University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences

Removal of high density salt and pepper noise from image and video based on optimal decision based algorithm

Removal of high density salt and pepper noise is an interesting field of research. However, most previous approaches do not lead to good results. If the density of noise increases rapidly, the quality of the image tremendously decreases and the restoration of those images is a difficult task. This paper proposes an optimal method to suppress the noise with high density properly based on a nonlinear filter and decision-based approach. We assume a 3×3 fix window to scan the image from top-left to bottom-right of the image pixel by pixel. This size of window guarantees the image saving with more details and avoiding the image blurring. There are two steps, detection of the corrupted pixels and then restoration. Detection is provided by using statistical analysis in each window, then the appropriate replacement for the noisy pixel is conducted from given values inside the current window or adjacent reconstructed pixels based on mean calculation and also, for very high density of noise which density of noise is bigger than 80%, the reconstruction is based on a recursive approach. Experimental results on some benchmark images and video clips show that this method is a successful algorithm for suppression of salt and pepper noise with high density; besides, they show that the computational complexity and time consuming are reasonable

Restoration of missing data in old archives based on genetic algorithm

Video restoration has been an interesting area of research for many years and still with the advent of new technologies makes it an important subject to be discussed. Blotches are common defects in old archives. They refer to a small area with an approximately uniform gray level that occurs randomly in each frame. After applying most algorithms to detect the position of blotches and also scratch which is another type of defect in the old media, in each frame of video, it is essential to correct them, in other words, we should fill the missing data with reasonable values. In this paper, we consider this task similar to an optimization problem and apply Genetic Algorithm (GA) to each frame. The current frame scans row by row and is considered as the corrupted slice of each row which is found; then, we apply the GA to fill the missing data on that special portion and the process is continued to cover the image completely. The proposed algorithm is able to remove blotches and scratches with different sizes and directions and shapes. The information of previous or next frames is not needed in this implementation. The experimental results show the restored images have good quality

Physical origin of third order non-linear optical response of porphyrin nanorods

The non-linear optical properties of porphyrin nanorods were studied using Z-scan, Second and Third harmonic generation techniques. We investigated in details the heteroaggregate behaviour formation of [H4TPPS4](2-) and [SnTPyP](2+) mixture by means of the UV-VIS spectroscopy and aggregates structure and morphology by transmission electron microscopy. The porphyrin nanorods under investigation were synthesized by self assembly and molecular recognition method. They have been optimized in view of future application in the construction of the light harvesting system. The focus of this study was geared towards understanding the influence of the type of solvent used on these porphyrins nanorods using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques

Sex differences in adrenal cortex beta-catenin immunolocalization of the Saharan gerbil, Libyan jird (Meriones libycus, Lichtenstein, 1823)

Background: The adrenal cortex provides adequate steroidogenic responses to environmental changes. However, in desert rodents, the adrenocortical activity varies according to several factors especially sex, age, and seasonal variations. Herein, we examined the sex differences in the adrenal cortex activity and explored the involvement of sex hormones in the regulation of this function in Libyan jird Meriones libycus. Materials and methods: Twenty-four adults male and female animals weighing 109-110g were captured in the breeding season and equally assigned into control and gonadectomised groups. Animal euthanasia was performed 50 days after the gonadectomy. Adrenal gland was processed for structural and immunohistochemistry study of β-catenin, whereas plasma was used for cortisol assay. Results: The results showed that female adrenal gland weight was heavier than male and gonadectomy reduced this dimorphism. The adrenal cortex thickness was greater in the female than in the male, mainly due to significant development of the zona fasciculata. Females presented higher cell density in fasciculata and reticularis zones. The plasma cortisol was higher in females than in males. The immunolocalization of β-catenin showed that the expression was particularly glomerular in both sexes. However, in the female, the immunostaining was present in the zona reticularis while it was absent in the control male. Orchiectomy reduced zona glomerulosa cell density and induced hypertrophy of zona reticularis characterized by strong β-catenin immunoreactivity. However, ovariectomy leads to hyperplastic expansion and high β-catenin expression in the zona glomerulosa associated with zona fasciculata and reticularis hypoplasia distinguished by weak β-catenin immunostaining. Conclusions: Results indicated that sex hormones had a major role in the regulation of the Saharan gerbil’s adrenal homeostasis by modulating β-catenin signaling. Androgens seem to inhibit the Wnt β-catenin pathway and estrogens are activators of the adrenal inner zones

Diversity of teachers’ conceptions related to environment and human rights. A survey in 24 countries

The environmental, social and economical dimensions of ESD include human rights as equality of all the human beings independently to their gender, ethnic group, religion or sexual orientation. To analyse teachers’ conceptions on environment and on human rights, and to identify eventual links between them and with controlled parameters, a large survey has been done in 24 countries (8 749 teachers). The data are submitted to multivariate analyses. In the less developed countries, the teachers’ conceptions are more anthropocentric, less awareness of the problem of the limit of resources in our planet, and less reticent to use GMO (genetically modified organisms). These teachers are more believing in God, more practicing religion, more for “a strong central power”, “against the separation between science and religion”. The priority of ESD in these countries is poverty and development, while it is to avoid wasting and excessive consumption in the most developed countries. The teachers with the most anthropocentric conceptions more agree with these propositions: “It is for biological reasons that women more often than men take care of housekeeping” and “Ethnic groups are genetically different and that is why some are superior to others”, and more disagree with: “Homosexual couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples”. These points illustrate that some socio-cultural traditions can differ from values of ESD (the universal human rights).CIEC – FCT Research Unit 317

Guidelines for the establishment and functioning of Animal Ethics Commitees (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees) in Africa.

Animals are used for scientific purposes across Africa to benefit humans, animals or the environment. Nonetheless, ethical and regulatory oversight remains limited in many parts of the continent. To strengthen this governance framework, the Pan-African Network for Laboratory Animal Science and Ethics brought together experts from 12 African countries to create an Africa-centric practical guide to facilitate the establishment and appropriate functioning of Institutional Animal Ethics Committees across Africa. The Guidelines are based on universal principles for the care and use of sentient animals for scientific purposes, with consideration of the cultural, religious, political and socio-economic diversity in Africa. They focus on 11 key elements, including responsibilities of institutions and of the Institutional Official; composition of the Committee; its responsibilities, functioning and authority; ethical application and review processes; oversight and monitoring of animal care and use and of training and competence; quality assurance; and the roles of other responsible parties. The intent is for African institutions to adopt and adapt the guidelines, aligning with existing national legislation and standards where relevant, thus ensuring incorporation into practice. More broadly, the Guidelines form an essential component of the growing discourse in Africa regarding moral considerations of, and appropriate standards for, the care and use of animals for scientific purposes. The increased establishment of appropriately functioning animal ethics committees and robust ethical review procedures across Africa will enhance research quality and culture, strengthen societal awareness of animals as sentient beings, improve animal well-being, bolster standards of animal care and use, and contribute to sustainable socio-economic development