Spectrophotometric analysis of thrombolytic activity: SATA assay

Introduction: Measurement of thrombolytic activity i.e. clot lysis is crucial for research and development of novel thrombolytics. It is also a key factor in assessment of the effectiveness of conventionally used thrombolytic agents in the clinic, which are the choice effective therapies for myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Previous methods used for the assessment of thrombolytic activity are often associated with some drawbacks such as being costly, time-consuming, complication and low accuracy. Here, we introduce a simple, economic, relatively accurate and fast method of spectrophotometric analysis of thrombolytic activity (SATA) assay, standardized by tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which can quantitatively measure in vitro thrombolytic activity. Methods: Blood clots were formed, uniformly, by mixing citrated whole blood with partial thromboplastin time (PTT) reagent, together with calcium chloride. Then, designated concentrations of tPA were added to the samples, and the released red blood cells from each clot were quantified using spectrophotometry (λmax= 405 nm) as an indicator of thrombolytic activity. The accuracy of the method was tested by assessment of dose-responsibility against R2 value obtained by linear equation and measurement of limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ). The SATA assay was validated in comparison with some currently used techniques. Results: A linear relationship was obtained between different concentrations of tPA versus the spectrophotometric absorbance of the related dilutions of lysed clots, at λmax = 405 nm. Calculated R2 values were greater than 0.9; with LOD of 0.90 μg/mL of tPA (436.50IU) and LOQ of 2.99 μg/mL of tPA (1450.15IU). Conclusions: Conclusively, the SATA assay is a very simple quantitative method with repeatable and reproducible results for estimating the potency of an unknown thrombolytic agent, and calculating the activity as delicate as 1 μg/mL of tPA (485 IU/mL of thrombolytic dose). © 2018 The Author(s)

Effect of erythropoietin on inflammatory response and ischemic brain damage after carotid artery clamp in rat

Introduction: Erythropoietin (EPO) is reported to have a minimizing effect on the ischemic condition, but the detailed association between EPO and the ischemic upshot is still not clearly understood. We aimed to evaluate the effect of EPO on inflammatory response and ischemic brain damage after carotid artery clamp in rats. Methods: In this experimental, animal trial study, which was conducted at the Animal Facility and laboratory at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, 50 adult male Wistar rats with (250 to 300 g) were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. The intervention and control groups were administered intraperitoneally with equal volumes of EPO (5000 U/kg) and normal saline, respectively. Both groups had common carotid arteries clamped for 20 minutes. Using the Nissl staining technique, the slides of brain ischemic areas were observed and the rate of ischemic injury in both groups was determined. The blood level of inflammatory cytokines was also measured. Results: The levels of inflammatory markers including creatine phosphokinase (CPK), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1B and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF)-α in the intervention group were significantly lower than that of control group. Mean percentage of the ischemic area in the intervention group with an amount of 4.30±2.15%, was significantly lower than that of control group (11.20±2.35%, P=0.023). Conclusion: Findings of this study showed that the injection of EPO before carotid clamping is effective in preventing cerebral ischemic injury in rats

Renal Dysfunction Is an Independent Risk Factor for Poor Outcome in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated with Intravenous Thrombolysis: A New Cutoff Value

Objective. This study was set to assess the effect of renal dysfunction on outcome of stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). Methods. This multicenter research involved 403 patients from January 2009 to March 2015. Patients were divided into two groups: (1) control group with GFR ≥ 45 mL/min/1.73 m2 and (2) low GFR group with GFR < 45 mL/min/1.73 m2. Outcome measurements were poor outcome (mRS 3–6) and mortality at 3 months and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) within the first 24–36 hours. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed, and odds ratios (ORs) were determined at 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results. Univariate analyses determined that every decrease of GFR by 10 mL/min/1.73 m2 significantly increased the risk of poor outcome (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.09–1.30, p<0.001) and mortality (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.06–1.32, p=0.002). In multivariate regression, adjusted for all variables with p value < 0.1, low GFR (GFR < 45 versus GFR equal to or more than 45) was associated with poor outcome (OR adjusted 2.15, 95% CI 1.01–4.56, p=0.045). Conclusion. In IVT for acute stroke, renal dysfunction with GFR < 45 mL/min/1.73 m2 before treatment determined increased odds for poor outcome compared to GFR of more than 45 mL/min/1.73 m2

ERYTHROCYTE MEMBRANE FATTY ACIDS IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS AND HOT-NATURE DIETARY INTERVENTION WITH CO-SUPPLEMENTED HEMP-SEED AND EVENING-PRIMROSE OILS

The risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with increased dietary intake of saturated fatty acids. For many years it has been suspected that this disease might be associated with an imbalance between unsaturated and saturated fatty acids. We determined erythrocyte membrane fatty acids levels in Hot nature dietary intervention with co-supplemented hemp seed and evening primrose oils in multiple sclerosis patients. To determine the erythrocyte membrane fatty acids levels and correlate it with expanded disability status scale (EDSS) at baseline after 6 months intervention in MS patients by gas chromatography, in this double blind, randomized trial, 100 RRMS patients with EDS

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements improve the cardiovascular risk profile of subjects with metabolic syndrome, including markers of inflammation and auto-immunity

OBJECTIVE Fish-oil contains high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. We have evaluated the effects of purified omega-3 fatty acid supplements on several anthropometric and biochemical parameters, including heat shock protein (Hsp) 27 antibody titres in subjects with metabolic syndrome. METHODS Subjects (n = 120) with metabolic syndrome (mean age of 52.9 +/- 11.9 years) were randomly allocated to one of two groups: sixty subjects were given 1 gram of fish oil as a single capsule, containing 180 mg eicosapentaenoic acid and 120 mg docosahexaenoic acid daily for 6 months. Control subjects did not receive any supplementation over the same period. RESULTS The study was completed by 47 subjects in the intervention group and 42 subjects in the control group. Treatment with omega 3 supplements was associated with a significant fall in body weight (P < 0.05), systolic blood pressures (P < 0.05), serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.05), and total cholesterol (P < 0.05), triglycerides (P < 0.05), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (P < 0.01), and Hsp27 antibody titres (P < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the control group. CONCLUSION It appears that omega 3 improves the cardiovascular risk profile of subjects with metabolic syndrome, having effects on weight, systolic blood pressure, lipid profile and markers of inflammation and autoimmunit

Clinical and Laboratory Findings in Iranian Children with Cyclic Neutropenia

Cyclic neutropenia is a rare immunodeficiency syndrome, characterized by regular periodic oscillations in the circulating neutrophil count from normal to neutropenic levels through 3 weeks period, and lasting for 3-6 days. In order to determine the clinical features of cyclic neutropenia, this study was performed. Seven patients with cyclic neutropenia (3 males and 4 females), who experienced neutropenic periods every 3 weeks (5 with severe and 2 with moderate neutropenia), were investigated in this study. They had been referred to Iranian Primary Immunodeficiency Registry during 23 years (1980-2003). The range of patients' ages was from 7 to 13 years (median 11 years). The median age at the onset of the disease was 12 months (1 month- 2 years) and the median age of diagnosis was 2 (1.5-5) years, with a median diagnosis delay of 1 year (2 months- 5 years). Neutropenia was associated with leukopenia (3 patients), anemia (3 patients), and thrombocytopenia (1 patient). Patients were asymptomatic in healthy phase, but during the episode of neutropenia suffered from aphthous ulcers, abscesses and overwhelming infections. The most commonly occurred manifestations were: otitis media (6 cases), oral ulcers (5 cases), abscesses (4 cases), pneumonia (3 cases), diarrhea (3 cases), oral candidiasis (3 cases), cutaneous infections (2 cases), and periodontitis (2 cases). One of these patients subsequently died because of recurrent infections. Unusual, persistent or severe infections should be the initiating factors to search for an immune deficiency syndrome such as cyclic neutropenia, because a delay in diagnosis may result in chronic infection, irretrievable end-organ damage or even death of the patient

Deliverable D2.1 - Ecosystem analysis and 6G-SANDBOX facility design

This document provides a comprehensive overview of the core aspects of the 6G-SANDBOX project. It outlines the project's vision, objectives, and the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Value Indicators (KVIs) targeted for achievement. The functional and non-functional requirements of the 6G-SANDBOX Facility are extensively presented, based on a proposed reference blueprint. A detailed description of the updated reference architecture of the facility is provided, considering the requirements outlined. The document explores the experimentation framework, including the lifecycle of experiments and the methodology for validating KPIs and KVIs. It presents the key technologies and use case enablers towards 6G that will be offered within the trial networks. Each of the platforms constituting the 6G-SANDBOX Facility is described, along with the necessary enhancements to align them with the project's vision in terms of hardware, software updates, and functional improvements

Studies of structures, transport and magnetic properties of doped novel three-dimensional perovskite compounds

Perovskite oxide compounds have generated a great amount of interest over the past twenty years, as they exhibit exotic magnetic, electric, and magnetoelectric properties, which, apart from their intrinsic interest, would have a wide range of applications in industry, with special utilization in the engineering of data storage devices. Starting with a general definition of the perovskite structure of ABO3 materials, the magnetic and transport properties of cobalt and manganese based compounds are reviewed. The objective of this thesis is focused on the investigation of the structures, and the magnetic and transport properties of some typical cobalt or manganese based three-dimensional perovskite compounds doped with various elements. Polycrystalline samples of RE1-xSrxCoO3 (RE = Gd, Nd, Ho, Y, and Dy), REMnxCo1-xO3 (RE = Gd and Ho), and La0.33Sr0.66Fe1-xCrxO3 were fabricated and characterized in detail using X-ray diffraction, Rietveld structural refinement, magnetic and transport measurements, X-ray absorption near-edge (XANES) spectroscopy, and far-infrared (FIR) spectroscopy. Perovskite GdCo1-xMnxO3 (x = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8) compounds were prepared by solid-state reaction. Structures were characterized using X-ray diffraction and the Rietveld refinement method. The compounds crystallized in the orthorhombic structure with Plmn space group. Crystal lattice parameters constants decreased with increasing Mn doping level. DC magnetization and ac susceptibility were studied over a wide temperature range and different frequencies. A typical spin glass state was observed in all samples around the same temperature of 122 K, where the compounds changed from the paramagnetic to the ferromagnetic state. For x = 0.5, secondary transitions were observed both in dc and in ac measurements, which were independent of the frequency, but depended on the doping level. The valences of Co and Mn were estimated with possible spin states. The structures, magnetism, giant magnetoresistance, and spin and valence states of Co ions were investigated in perovskite Gd1-xSrxCoO3 (x = 0-0.5) compounds synthesized by a solid state reaction method. Results showed that all the samples are ferromagnetic around 150 K, and the magnetization and coercive field increase with the Sr doping level. A spin glass state was observed. Furthermore, the resistivity drops systematically with x. Giant magnetoresistance of over 60% was observed for the Gd0.5Sr0.5CoO3 sample. Spin state assessment indicates that the Co3+ and Co4+ ions are present in intermediate and high spin states. Polycrystalline perovskites compounds HoMn1-xCoxO3 (x = 0-0.8) were prepared by conventional solid-state reaction. Rietveld refinement indicated that, instead of a hexagonal structure with P63cm symmetry for HoMnO3, the compounds doped with Co crystallized in the GdFeO3-type orthorhombic structure containing distorted (Co/Mn)O6 octahedral. The dc magnetization was measured in fields up to 5 T over a wide temperature range from 350 K down to 5 K. It was found that the system gradually changed from paramagnetic for x = 0 to ferromagnetic with a Curie temperature, TC, of 90 K for x = 0.5, then to paramagnetic again for x = 0.8. X-ray absorption near-edge spectra (XANES) were collected to determine the valences of both Co and Mn ions. The results showed that Co and Mn were present mainly as mixed valences of Co2+ + Co3+, Mn4+ + Mn3+, Co3+ +Co4+, and Mn4+, depending on the value of x. When the XANES results were combined with Curie-Weiss fitting, it was found that both Mn4+ and Co3+ were present as high spin states for x \u3e 0.2, whereas, Co4+ appeared in either intermediate or high spin states, closely corresponding to the lattice variations along the (010) direction. HoMn1-xCoxO3 (x = 0-0.8) compounds were also studied by far-infrared (FIR) spectroscopy in order to gain information on the infrared active phonon modes. The data indicated that phonon modes significantly changed with increasing cobalt doping level. Four main bands were assigned as external, torsional, bending, and stretching bands. The external vibration energy remained the same at 1190 cm-1 for Co doping with x \u3c 0.5 and shifted to higher energy for x \u3e 0 5. The torsional and bending bands exhibited splitting. The stretching band is at 600 cm-1 for all samples, but the bandwidth is reduced as Co doping is increased. The transmission spectrum of HoMn4/5Co1/5O3 was analyzed to obtain the spectrum of the optical density. The minimum number of oscillators to obtain a reliable fit is 5, using a sum of non-interacting harmonic oscillators. Cr doping effects on the crystal structures and magnetic properties for La1/3Sr2/3Fe1-xCrxO3 were studied in this work. It was observed that single phase samples with the cubic crystal structure can only form within a narrow solubility range. Magnetic measurements showed that the resulting compounds are magnetic insulators

AC loss in Ag/Bi-2223 tapes in AC field

Bi-2223/Ag tapes are currently the only HTS that can be classified as “conductor”; i.e. long lengths of the tapes can be purchased and used in practical applications. They have started their use primarily in applications with alternating currents (AC), such as transformers, high current/low voltage cables, motors and generators. The energy losses in practical superconductors are negligibly small under suitable working conditions. However, Bi-2223/Ag tapes are composite conductors, consisting of superconducting filaments in a silver matrix. Composite conductors are associated with additional losses when the tape is used in AC applications, commonly referred to AC coupling loss. The susceptibility of different tapes to the coupling losses is usually described by effective transverse resistivity, P⊥. P ⊥differs from resistivity of the silver matrix, and it is a convenient way to describe the susceptibility of a tape to the AC loss. Coupling currents between the filaments flow in a complicated pattern because of the complex geometry of the tapes. The coupling current loss depends not only on the resistivity of the silver matrix, but also on the spatial distribution of the currents. Therefore, the overall shape of the tape, as well as the architecture of the superconducting filaments in the tape are important factors defining the coupling losses. The geometrical factor needs to be known for determination of P ⊥and is for tapes usually taken simply as the aspect ratio of the tapes, a/b, where a is the thickness and b is the width of the tape. The Abstract proposed study is aimed at determining the effective transverse resistivity of 8 filamentary untwisted Bi-2223/Ag tapes, fabricated by the PIT method and heat treated at 837oC. This takes into account the filament configuration, tape thickness and width as well. Three thicknesses of 0.18mm, 0.24mm and 0.33mm tape were studied. Ic, X-ray diffraction, and optical microscopy measurements were performed in order to characterise the tape. The Bi2223/Bi2212 phase ratio in the composite is XBi2223=~87%, and there is no bridging between the filament and no discontinuities. The Ic values for the thicknesses are: Ic(0.18mm)=11.2A, Ic(0.24mm)=17.85A, Ic(0.33mm)=13.8A. The Ic vs. thickness values demonstrate an optimum thickness for Ic. Measurements of the frequency dependence of the AC loss makes it possible to obtain the value of P ⊥&#;for each thickness-length of tape. This measurement was performed using an induction method, with the excitation field applied parallel to the face of the tape. The P ⊥&#;is large, comparing to the tape matrix resistivity, P Ag