Radial Basis Function Neural Networks : A Review

Radial Basis Function neural networks (RBFNNs) represent an attractive alternative to other neural network models. One reason is that they form a unifying link between function approximation, regularization, noisy interpolation, classification and density estimation. It is also the case that training RBF neural networks is faster than training multi-layer perceptron networks. RBFNN learning is usually split into an unsupervised part, where center and widths of the Gaussian basis functions are set, and a linear supervised part for weight computation. This paper reviews various learning methods for determining centers, widths, and synaptic weights of RBFNN. In addition, we will point to some applications of RBFNN in various fields. In the end, we name software that can be used for implementing RBFNNs

High folate production by naturally occurring Lactobacillus sp. with probiotics potential isolated from dairy products in Ilam and Lorestan provinces of Iran

Rapidly proliferating cells require large amounts of folate to support efficient DNA replication, repair and methylation indicating the importance of folate in human metabolism. Milk products are good sources of such vitamins which are produced by probiotics. In order to find suitable strains capable of high folate production, isolation and identification of Lactobacilli in traditional fermented milk from two different provinces located in the west of Iran were carried out. Lactobacillus  bacteria were isolated according to the ISO 7889 standard procedure. The isolated bacteria were characterized phenotypically and were screened for their ability to produce folate during fermentation of skim milk. Folate production by the selected strains was between 2.8 to 66.6 μg/l. Two strains with the highest folate production were then selected. The 16SrRNA genes from these two strains were amplified and sequenced and a phylogenetic tree constructed. The sequencing results in combination with phenotypic and biochemical properties showed that both strains were similar to Lactobacillus crustorum. Therefore, two new strains with an ability of high folate production were isolated and identified. These could be used as probiotics in the dairy industry. Hence, exploiting natural food-grade microorganisms for the production of nutritive dairy products is possible.Keywords: Folate, Lactobacillus, probiotic, traditional dairy products, IranAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 9(33), pp. 5383-5391, 16 August, 201

Prevalência de parasitas intestinais em população no sul do Teerã, Irã

The aim of this study was to describe epidemiologic characteristics of intestinal parasites in a population in south of Tehran, Iran. A retrospective cross-sectional study of patients with suspicious intestinal parasitic infections referred to the Zakaria Razi Laboratory in Shahre-Ray, southern Tehran, Iran, was conducted from April 21, 2004 to October 20, 2005. All stool samples were examined and socio-demographic informations were retrieved. Of 4,371 referred patients, 466 (239 males and 227 females) were laboratory diagnosed with intestinal parasites, with a period prevalence of 10.7%. Blastocystis hominis (B. hominis) and Giardia lamblia (G. lamblia) were the most frequent intestinal parasites. More than half of patients aged ³ 18 years had a low level of educational attainment (e.g. illiterate, primary school, high school) (170/331, 54.1%). Further, majority of patients were homemakers (42.3%, 140/331) or workers (28.1%, 93/331) employed in various business settings such as food industry and construction. Findings of this study showed that intestinal parasitic infections are still a major public health challenge in Iran that needs to be addressed. We believe that public education, improving sanitation conditions of underdeveloped areas/communities, community involvement, and supporting evidence-based practice/programs are the major keys to success in preventing the spread of intestinal parasitic infections in Iran.O própósito deste estudo foi descrever as características epidemiológicas dos parasitas intestinais em população do sul de Teerã, Irã. Um estudo retrospectivo seccional cruzado de pacientes com suspeita de infecções parasitárias intestinais enviados ao Laboratório Zakaria Razi em Shahre-Ray, sul do Teerã, Irã foi conduzido de 21 de abril de 2004 a 20 de outubro de 2005. Todas as amostras de fezes foram examinadas e as informações sócio-demográficas recuperadas. De 4371 pacientes enviados, 466 (239 homens e 227 mulheres) foram diagnosticados laboratorialmente como portadores de parasitas intestinais com prevalência no período de 10,7%. Blastocystis hominis (B. hominis) e Giardia lamblia (G. lamblia) foram os parasitas intestinais mais frequentes. Mais da metade dos pacientes ³ 18 anos tinham baixo nível educacional (por exemplo: analfabetos, escola primária, 2º grau completo) (170/331, 54,1%). Mais ainda, a maioria dos pacientes eram empregados domésticos (42,3%, 140/331) ou trabalhadores (28,1%, 93/331) empregados em diversos tipos de serviços, tais como a indústria de alimentos e construção. Achados deste estudo mostraram que as infecções parasitárias intestinais são ainda um desafio importante em saúde pública no Irã que necessita ser resolvido. Acreditamos que a educação pública, a melhoria das condições sanitárias em áreas pouco desenvolvidas/comunidades, envolvimento da comunidade, e programas práticos baseados nas evidências, são as principais chaves do sucesso na prevenção da disseminação das infecções parasitárias no Irã

Tetracycline resistance mediated by tet efflux pumps in clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii

Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most frequent nosocomial pathogen capable of acquiring resistance to different antimicrobials. The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of tetracycline, doxycycline and minocycline, the prevalence of tet(A) and tet(B) determinants, and the role of efflux pump in tetracycline resistance among the A. baumannii clinical isolates. Susceptibility of 98 A. baumannii isolates to tetracyclines was evaluated by disk diffusion method. The presence of active efflux pump was investigated by determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tetracycline using the carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to investigate the presence of tet(A) and tet(B) determinants in tetracycline-resistant isolates. The rate of resistance to tetracycline, doxycycline and minocycline was 47.95%, 0%, and 30.61%, respectively. Among the 47 tetracycline-resistant isolates, 29.79% were originated from burned patients and showed MIC ranging from 128-256 µg/mL with both MIC50 and MIC90 values of 256 µg/mL, while 70.21% were from ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) patients and had MIC values ranging from 32-1024 µg/mL, with MIC50 and MIC90 of 512 µg/mL and 1024 µg/mL, respectively. The tet(B) gene was found in 61.7% of tetracycline-resistant isolates, while none of the isolates carried the tet(A) gene. CCCP led to 2-128-fold reduction in tetracycline MIC of the tested isolates. The results showed that doxycycline and minocycline are promising agents for the treatment of A. baumannii infections. This study has also revealed the role of efflux activity in the resistance to tetracycline of A. baumannii isolates. The emergence of resistance to these agents is likely due to the spread of clones presenting with a higher prevalence of resistance determinants

NMDA RECEPTORS ARE INVOLVED IN THE ANTIDEPRESSANT-LIKE EFFECTS OF CAPSAICIN FOLLOWING AMPHETAMINE WITHDRAWAL IN MALE MICE

Abstract—Amphetamine withdrawal (AW) is accompanied by diminished pleasure and depression which plays a key role in drug relapse and addictive behaviors. There is no effi- cient treatment for AW-induced depression and underpinning mechanisms were not well determined. Considering both transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 1 (TRPV1) and N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors contribute to pathophysiology of mood and addictive disorders, in this study, we investigated the role of TRPV1 and NMDA receptors in mediating depressive-like behaviors following AW in male mice. Results revealed that administration of capsaicin, TRPV1 agonist, (100 lg/mouse, i.c.v.) and MK-801, NMDA receptor antagonist (0.005 mg/kg, i.p.) reversed AW-induced depressive-like behaviors in forced swimming test (FST) and splash test with no effect on animals’ locomotion. Co-administration of sub-effective doses of MK-801 (0.001 mg/kg, i.p.) and capsaicin (10 lg/mouse, i.c.v) exerted antidepressant-like effects in behavioral tests. Capsazepine, TRPV1 antagonist, (100 lg/mouse, i.c.v) and NMDA, NMDA receptor agonist (7.5 mg/kg, i.p.) abolished the effects of capsaicin and MK801, respectively. None of aforementioned treatments had any effect on behavior of control animals. Collectively, our findings showed that activation of TRPV1 and blockade of NMDA receptors produced antidepressant-like effects in male mice following AW, and these receptors are involved in AW-induced depressive-like behaviors. Further, we found that rapid antidepressant-like effects of capsaicin in FST and splash test are partly mediated by NMDA receptors. � 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of IBRO

Zebrafish biosensor for toxicant induced muscle hyperactivity

Robust and sensitive detection systems are a crucial asset for risk management of chemicals, which are produced in increasing number and diversity. To establish an in vivo biosensor system with quantitative readout for potential toxicant effects on motor function, we generated a transgenic zebrafish line TgBAC(hspb11:GFP) which expresses a GFP reporter under the control of regulatory elements of the small heat shock protein hspb11. Spatiotemporal hspb11 transgene expression in the musculature and the notochord matched closely that of endogenous hspb11 expression. Exposure to substances that interfere with motor function induced a dose-dependent increase of GFP intensity beginning at sub-micromolar concentrations, while washout of the chemicals reduced the level of hspb11 transgene expression. Simultaneously, these toxicants induced muscle hyperactivity with increased calcium spike height and frequency. The hspb11 transgene up-regulation induced by either chemicals or heat shock was eliminated after co-application of the anaesthetic MS-222. TgBAC(hspb11:GFP) zebrafish embryos provide a quantitative measure of muscle hyperactivity and represent a robust whole organism system for detecting chemicals that affect motor function

The Level of Health Literacy of the Health Department Employees, one of the Social Determinants of Health: A descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study

Background & Objectives: Social determinants play a major role in people's health. Accessing, understanding, appraising, and applying information about social determinants of health enable people to play an active role in creating a healthier environment for themselves, their families, and their communities. The present study aimed to determine the health literacy level in social determinants of health among employees of the Health Department of Arak University of Medical Sciences and its related factors. Methods: The study was conducted as a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional survey study on 200 employees selected from Arak University of Medical Sciences in 2019, through the stratified sampling method. The data collection instrument was Health Literacy on Social Determinants of Health Questionnaire (HL-SDHQ). One-way analysis of variance, independent t-test, and linear regression were used to analyze the data through SPSS (v 16). Results: The participants’ health literacy was mostly moderate (67.5%) and only 19% of participants had the desired level of health literacy. Among the dimensions of health literacy, the understanding of information was more desirable. Among the demographic variables, age was predictor of health literacy (β = -0.28). Conclusion: It is necessary to implement more specific educational sessions on how the social determinants affect people's health. Also, it is essential to train employees in executive strategies appropriate for their job duties to influence the determinants. Key¬words: Health Literacy, Social Determinants of Health, Employees, Health Department, University of Medical Sciences Citation: Moeini B, Rezapur-Shahkolai F, Barati M, Vesali-Monfared E, Parsamajd S, Ezzati Rastegar K. The Level of Health Literacy of the Health Department Employees, one of the Social Determinants of Health: A descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study. Journal of Health Based Research 2021; 6(2): 197-207. [In Persian

Protective effects of gabapentin against the seizure susceptibility and comorbid behavioral abnormalities in the early socially isolated mice

Adolescence is a pivotal period of brain development during lifespan, which is sensitive to stress exposure. Early social isolation stress (SIS) is known to provoke a variety of psychiatric comorbidities as well as seizure risk. Psychiatric comorbidities present challenging dilemmas for treatment and management in people with seizure disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether gabapentin (GBP) as an anti-epileptic drug is able to alleviate the seizure activity as well as comorbid behavioral abnormalities in socially isolated mice. Results showed that early SIS induced proconvulsant effects along with depressive, aggressive and anxiety-like behaviors. Whereas the administration of both acute and chronic GBP at sub-effective doses produced no alterations in the behavioral profile of socially conditioned counterparts the same treatments effectively reversed the seizure susceptibility to pentylenetetrazole and behavioral deficits in isolated mice. Results of the study indicate that 1) Early SIS could be considered as an animal model of psychosocial stress to investigate the psychiatric comorbidities in seizure disorders, 2) Chronic administration of low dose GBP prevented the shaping of behavioral abnormalities in adulthood, 3) Chronic administration of low dose GBP produced no negative behavioral effects in socially conditioned mice suggesting the safety of the drug, 4) Gabapentin at low doses may be considered as an agent for management of epilepsy in individuals with psychiatric comorbidities

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

Involvement of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in the antidepressant-like effects of selegiline in maternal separation model of mouse.

Mother-infant interactions are known to be associated with the psychological well-being of an individual in adulthood. It is well accepted that emotional stress in early life, such as maternal separation (MS), leads to alterations in the neurotransmission systems of various brain regions, especially the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, and subsequently can increase the risk for development of psychiatric disorders including depression in adulthood. Selegiline is an irreversible monoamine oxidase (MAO) type B inhibitor which increases striatal dopamine levels and exerts an antidepressant effect. In this study, 180min of MS stress was applied to mice at postnatal day (PND) 2-14 followed by behavioral tests for determining depressive-like behaviors, such as forced swimming test (FST), splash test and sucrose preference test (SPT) in adult mice (PND 50). The open field test (OFT) also was applied to validate FST results. We used SCH23390 (D1 antagonist) and sulpiride (D2 antagonist) in order to determine the role of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in antidepressant-like effects of selegiline. Our results revealed that MS provoked depressive-like behaviors in adult male mice, and the administration of selegiline attenuated depressive-like behaviors in MS mice. Our findings showed that D1 dopamine receptors facilitate the positive effects of selegiline on the passive behavior in the FST. Furthermore, antidepressant effects of selegiline on hedonic difficulties are mediated via D2 receptor in the SPT. The results of the splash test revealed that both D1 and D2 receptors mediate the protective effect of selegiline against motivational and self-care problems. Based on our results, we conclude that both D1 and D2 dopamine receptors are involved in mediating the antidepressant-like effect of selegiline. We found that D1 receptors mediate an effect on despair behavior, D2 receptors mediate an effect on anhedonia, and both D1 and D2 receptors contribute to the protective effects of selegiline on motivational complications