A review of therapeutic and non-therapeutic properties of sea buckthorn

Background and aims: Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is a deciduous plant and has highly variable type and size, from small shrubs to medium-sized trees, traditionally growing in Tibet and currently all over the world especially in Europe and Asia. This study aimed to overview some of therapeutic and non-therapeutic properties of SBT and its potential benefits and side effects in order to open up a clear understanding for further detailed study in this regard. Methods: This review article was carried out by searching studies in Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed and ScienceDirect. The search terms were “Sea buckthorn”, “Sea buckthorn” and “hippophae”, “therapeutic”, “non-therapeutic”. Results: Various studies have shown that sea buckthorn plays a role in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, liver fibrosis, skin diseases (eczema, acne,), arthritis, vaginal atrophy, dry eye. This herb has anti- inflammatory, anti-constipation, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-cancer, anti-stress, antidepressant and antiproliferative effects. Besides, it enjoys some non-therapeutic properties including nutritive values (a good source of vitamin C, E, omega 3, 6, 7), oral and dental health care value and cosmetic value (in the industry of cosmetics: cream, shampoo, jellies, and etc.). Conclusion: sea buckthorn is widely used for therapeutic and non-therapeutic purposes that trigger its significant value. Various combinations and numerous medicinal properties of its berries, fruits, extract, pulp, seed oil, leaves demand further and more studies about the other useful and unknown properties of this multifunctional plant

Therapeutic effects of Crocus sativus: An overview of systematic reviews

Background and aims: Crocus sativus is of medicinal plants possessing many beneficial effects in treatment of various disorders. This study aimed to overview the therapeutic effects of Crocus sativus on the basis of reviews and systematic reviews. Methods: Computerized search of review articles was performed using PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science, Medline database from 1996 to 2015. Results: Searches identified 8 reviews and systematic reviews of therapeutic effects of Crocus sativus. Despite remarkable difference in interventions, and type of studies carried out on this plant (in vivo and in vitro), it seemed to have many therapeutic effects on the treatment of various types of diseases. In all the reviews, the objectives were similar, e.g. inhibition of growth of cancer cell lines, analgesic activity, improvement of health condition and treatment of some disease but the type of study (in vivo and in vitro) (animal studies: rat, mouse, guinipig, rabbit) and content was quite different. The most common effects of Crocus sativus were anti-carcinogenesis, tumoricidal, anti-depressant, antihypertensive, anticonvulsant, antitussive, anti-genototoxic and cytotoxic effects, anti-Alzheimer’s, antitussive, anxiolytic, aphrodisiac, antioxidant, anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory, relaxant activity, and effects on the gastrointestinal tract, on ocular blood flow and on retinal function, effect on coronary artery diseases, and hypnotic, and anesthetic effects. Conclusion: The results of various studies on Crocus sativus showed that it has a lot of therapeutic effects on the treatment of various types of diseases. However, to be able to use these results in our daily life, additional clinical trials with larger sample size and longer duration may be required to evaluate its toxicity and safety in each and every case of its therapeutic effects

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) guard cells responses to salinity stress: a proteomic analysis

Soil salinity is a major environmental constraint affecting crop growth and threatening global food security. Plants adapt to salinity by optimizing the performance of stomata. Stomata are formed by two guard cells (GCs) that are morphologically and functionally distinct from the other leaf cells. These microscopic sphincters inserted into the wax-covered epidermis of the shoot balance CO2 intake for photosynthetic carbon gain and concomitant water loss. In order to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying stomatal function under saline conditions, we used proteomics approach to study isolated GCs from the salt-tolerant sugar beet species. Of the 2088 proteins identified in sugar beet GCs, 82 were differentially regulated by salt treatment. According to bioinformatics analysis (GO enrichment analysis and protein classification), these proteins were involved in lipid metabolism, cell wall modification, ATP biosynthesis, and signaling. Among the significant differentially abundant proteins, several proteins classified as “stress proteins” were upregulated, including non-specific lipid transfer protein, chaperone proteins, heat shock proteins, inorganic pyrophosphatase 2, responsible for energized vacuole membrane for ion transportation. Moreover, several antioxidant enzymes (peroxide, superoxidase dismutase) were highly upregulated. Furthermore, cell wall proteins detected in GCs provided some evidence that GC walls were more flexible in response to salt stress. Proteins such as L-ascorbate oxidase that were constitutively high under both control and high salinity conditions may contribute to the ability of sugar beet GCs to adapt to salinity by mitigating salinity-induced oxidative stress

Quiescience as a mechanism for cyclical hypoxia and acidosis

Tumour tissue characteristically experiences fluctuations in substrate supply. This unstable microenvironment drives constitutive metabolic changes within cellular populations and, ultimately, leads to a more aggressive phenotype. Previously, variations in substrate levels were assumed to occur through oscillations in the hæmodynamics of nearby and distant blood vessels. In this paper we examine an alternative hypothesis, that cycles of metabolite concentrations are also driven by cycles of cellular quiescence and proliferation. Using a mathematical modelling approach, we show that the interdependence between cell cycle and the microenvironment will induce typical cycles with the period of order hours in tumour acidity and oxygenation. As a corollary, this means that the standard assumption of metabolites entering diffusive equilibrium around the tumour is not valid; instead temporal dynamics must be considered

A novel hook-shaped antenna operating at 28 ghz for future 5g mmwave applications

To address atmospheric attenuation and path loss issues in the mmwave portion of the spectrum, high gain and narrow beam antenna systems are essential for the next generation communication networks. This paper presents a novel hook-shaped antenna array for 28 GHz 5G mmwave applications. The proposed antenna was fabricated on commercially available Rogers 5880 substrate with thickness of 0.508 mm and dimensions of 10 x 8 mm2. The proposed shape consists of a circle with an arc-shaped slot on top of it and T-shaped resonating lengths are introduced in order to attain broad band characteristics having gain of 3.59 dBi with radiation and total efficiency of 92% and 86% for single element. The proposed structure is transformed into a four-element array with total size of 26.9 x 18.5 mm2 in order to increase the gain up to 10.3 dBi at desired frequency of interest. The four-element array is designed such that it exhibits dual-beam response over the entire band of interest and the simulated results agree with fabricated prototype measurements. The proposed antenna array, because of its robustness, high gain, and dual-beam characteristics can be considered as a potential candidate for the next generation 5G communication systems

Design of a Dual Band SNG Metamaterial Based Antenna for LTE 46/WLAN and Ka-Band Applications

The non-existing properties of the metamaterial surfaces can be utilized to improve the antenna radiation characteristics. In this article, a design and performance analysis of a Single Negative (SNG) metamaterial based antenna is imparted for LTE 46/WLAN and Ka-band (like in satellite communication for the receiving side) applications. The unit cell of the metamaterial surface exhibits negative permittivity and positive permeability; yielding a high magnitude positive refractive index, is used to improve and analyze the performance of the proposed monopole antenna element. The proposed SNG based antenna covers a -10 dB bandwidth from 5.35-5.69 GHz (LTE 46/WLAN) and 17.81-20.67 GHz (Ka-band). The total size of the proposed antenna element is 20.2 x 28 .4 mm(2) while a 2 x 3 SNG metamaterial surface is used at the back of the antenna element which improves the gain from 4.52 dB to 9.13 dB for the desired Ka band and 1.17 to 5.04 dB for the LTE 46/WLAN band. Furthermore, for the LTE 46/WLAN frequency band, the impedance matching also gets better, resulting in the return loss improvement from -11 dB to -32.4 dB. Moreover, the radiation efficiency is also improved by more than 10 % for the Ka band after employing the SNG metamaterial surface. The measured results fall in good agreement with the simulated one and make the proposed SNG metamaterial based antenna design competent for the LTE 46/WLAN and Ka-band (like in satellite communication for the receiving side) applications

Isolation improvement in uwb-mimo antenna system using slotted stub

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scheme refers to the technology where more than one antenna is used for transmitting and receiving the information packets. It enhances the channel capacity without more power. The available space in the modern compact devices is limited and MIMO antenna elements need to be placed closely. The closely spaced antennas undergo an undesirable coupling, which deteriorates the antenna parameters. In this paper, an ultra wide-band (UWB) MIMO antenna system with an improved isolation is presented. The system has a wide bandwidth range from 2-13.7 GHz. The antenna elements are closely placed with an edge to edge distance of 3 mm. In addition to the UWB attribute of the system, the mutual coupling between the antennas is reduced by using slotted stub. The isolation is improved and is below -20 dB within the whole operating range. By introducing the decoupling network, the key performance parameters of the antenna are not affected. The system is designed on an inexpensive and easily available FR-4 substrate. To better understand the working of the proposed system, the equivalent circuit model is also presented. To model the proposed system accurately, different radiating modes and inter-mode coupling is considered and modeled. The EM model, circuit model, and the measured results are in good agreement. Different key performance parameters of the system and the antenna element such as envelope correlation coefficient (ECC), diversity gain, channel capcity loss (CCL) gain, radiation patterns, surface currents, and scattering parameters are presented. State-of-the-art comparison with the recent literature shows that the proposed antenna has minimal dimensions, a large bandwidth, an adequate gain value and a high isolation. It is worth noticeable that the proposed antenna has high isolation even the patches has low edge-to-edge gap (3 mm). Based on its good performance and compact dimensions, the proposed antenna is a suitable choice for high throughput compact UWB transceivers

Evaluation of visibility of foreign bodies in the maxillofacial region: Comparison of computed tomography, cone beam computed tomography, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging

Background: Detection of foreign bodies (FBs) is challenging. Selection of a fast and affordable imaging modality to locate the FB with minimal patient radiation dose is imperative. Objectives: This study sought to compare four commonly used imaging modalities namely cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and ultrasound (US) for detection of FBs in the head and neck region. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, iron, glass, stone, wood, asphalt, and tooth samples measuring 0.1 � 0.5 � 0.5 cm were placed in the tongue muscle, soft tissue-bone interface and nasal cavity in a fresh sheep�s head and subjected to MRI, US, CT and CBCT. A total of 20 images were captured by each imaging system from the six materials in the afore-mentioned locations. The images were observed by an expert oral and maxillofacial radiologist and a general radiologist. To assess reliability, 20 images were randomly observed by the observers in two separate sessions. The images were classified into three groups of good visibility, bad visibility and invisible. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 18, Wilcoxon Signed Rank, Pearson chi square, and Fisher�s exact tests. Results: All FBs in the tongue and at the soft tissue-bone interface had good visibility on US (P = 1.00). Also, CBCT and CT had significantly different performance regarding FB detection (P < 0.001). All wooden samples in the nasal cavity were invisible on CT scans; while, only 20 of them were invisible on CBCT scans. MRI showed significant differences for detection of FBs in the three locations (P < 0.001). MRI could not locate iron samples due to severe artifacts and only showed their presence (bad visibility) but other FBs except for wood and tooth in the nasal cavity (100 invisible) had good visibility on MRI. Conclusions: Ultrasound is recommended as the first choice when FB is located within the superficial soft tissues with no bone around it. In case of penetration of FB into deeper tissues or beneath bone, CT or CBCT are recommended. Otherwise, considering lower dose, CBCT is preferred over CT. We can use MRI if the FB is not ferromagnetic. However, CT is the first choice in emergency situations because of higher sensitivity. © 2016, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Iranian Society of Radiology

Mimo antenna system for modern 5g handheld devices with healthcare and high rate delivery

In this work, a new prototype of the eight-element MIMO antenna system for 5G communications, internet of things, and networks has been proposed. This system is based on an H-shaped monopole antenna system that offers 200 MHz bandwidth ranges between 3.4-3.6 GHz, and the isolation between any two elements is well below -12 dB without using any decoupling structure. The proposed system is designed on a commercially available 0.8 mm-thick FR4 substrate. One side of the chassis is used to place the radiating elements, while the copper from the other side is being removed to avoid short-circuiting with other components and devices. This also enables space for other systems, sub-systems, and components. A prototype is fabricated and excellent agreement is observed between the experimental and the computed results. It was found that ECC is 0.2 for any two radiating elements which is consistent with the desirable standards, and channel capacity is 38 bps/Hz which is 2.9 times higher than 4 x 4 MIMO configuration. In addition, single hand mode and dual hand mode analysis are conducted to understand the operation of the system under such operations and to identify losses and/or changes in the key performance parameters. Based on the results, the proposed antenna system will find its applications in modern 5G handheld devices and internet of things with healthcare and high rate delivery. Besides that, its design simplicity will make it applicable for mass production to be used in industrial demands

The Mineral Content of Sesame Seed and Its Transition to Ardeh and Refined Sesame Oil

Background and objective  It was shown that contamination of agricultural pasturage with fertilizers, application of sewage and effluents in irrigation, use of pesticides and air pollution have led to the entrance of chemical contaminants, including metals, into plants. On the other hand, food processing is (handling, processing, transportation) considered as an important way of food contamination. Vegetable oils are essential in human dietary which is introduced as crucial sources of energy, fat soluble vitamins, and essential fatty acids. Sesamum indicum L., known as sesame seed, has been cultivated in Asian countries from ancient times as vegetable oil for cooking and seasoning ingredients. In recent years, the sesame oil has been considered due to its high antioxidant activities and nutritional properties. Due to the use of sesame seeds extracted oil in two form of ardeh oil and sesame oil, the amounts of mineral elements (phosphorus, potassium, iron, nickel, cobalt, manganese, calcium and magnesium) in sesame seeds and its extracted oils (ardeh oil and refined sesame oil) were investigated.   Materials and Methods  In order to determine the mineral concentration, refined sesame oil and ardeh oils were prepared from an imported sesame seed. In order to prepare the sesame oil, sesame seeds were put into a cold presser and the oil was extracted under low pressure. The Ardeh oil was prepared by adding water to sesame paste in the ratio of 2.2:10 and oil was separated by centrifugation. The sesame seeds and oil samples (refined sesame oil and ardeh oils) were digested by microwave digestion method in presence of 5 ml 65% nitric acid and 2 ml of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The digested samples were then filtered through 0.45 µm filter membrane. Then, the concentrations of phosphorus, potassium, iron, nickel, cobalt, manganese, calcium and magnesium in sesame seeds, ardeh oil and refined sesame oil were examined using Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP – OES).   Results  In the present study, the limit of detection (LOD) for each studied mineral elements were determined as nickel: 4 mg/kg, magnesium: 0.00066 mg/kg, manganese: 0.000134 mg/kg, phosphorus: 0.384 mg/kg, cobalt: 0.594 μg / kg, iron: 0.000797 mg/kg, potassium: 0.00394 mg/kg, calcium 0.005 mg/kg. According to the results, the highest amounts of mineral elements were detected in sesame seeds. The achieved results showed that the method of sesame oil extraction can reduce the mineral elements in the final sesame oils. The amounts of mineral elements in sesame seeds were estimated as P > Ca > K > Mg > Fe > Mn > Co > Ni. The pattern of mineral elements in Ardeh oil was reported as P > Fe > K > Co > Mg > Ni > Mn > Ca. The reduction pattern was reported as P > K > Fe > Ni > Co > Mn > Ca > Mg in refined sesame oil. As can be seen the order of mineral elements was changed in two oil samples and sesame seed. It was shown that except for K and Ca, all mineral elements in ardeh oil were higher than refined sesame oil. As can be seen, the refining process was effectively reduced the metals in oil samples. On the other hand, high amount of mineral elements in sesame seed in comparison to extracted oils could be attributed to lack of processing methods which are present in oil production in both methods.    Conclusion  It should be considered that presence of different metals in vegetable oils could facilitate the oil deterioration and oxidization as well as oil shelf life reduction. Since the most of the sesame lots in Iran are imported, it is necessary to monitor the amount of mineral elements