Working memory and response inhibition in patients with bipolar I disorder during euthymic period

Background: Several cognitive domains, including attention, memory, and executive functions are impaired in bipolar disorder. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate two executive functions (working memory and response inhibition) in patients with bipolar I disorder during remission of the symptoms. Patients and Methods: In this case-control design, 30 bipolar I patients (18 to 45 years old) were matched with 30 ones in the control group in terms of age, gender, and education. The patients were selected from Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital (a hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences) from May to October 2013. They were evaluated and contrasted using working memory (Spatial Span and Spatial Working Memory (SSP and SWM)) and response inhibition (Stop Signal Task (SST)) tests. Results: We used independent t-tests for comparing and contrasting 2 groups on total and sub-scales scores of these 3 tests. In terms of SWM test there was a significant difference in between-group error between the two groups (P = 0.05); there was also a meaningful difference between the strategies used by two groups (P = 0.05). In SSP test, a significant difference appeared between averages of span length of the two groups. In the first and last item delays, there was also a clear difference, but the total error index was not noticeably different. In SST test, the direction error indicator in start-stop trials indicated a major difference, while in successful stops ratio, the case group had a lower ratio. In addition, reaction time to stop signs in bipolar group was meaningfully lower than the control group. Conclusion: In conclusion, even during remission phase, executive dysfunction is detectable at least in some areas in patients with bipolar disorder. © 2015, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences

Epidemiological study on some environmental and management parameters affecting on WSD occurrence in Fenneropenaeus indicus and Penaeus vannamei

For the first time white spot disease (WSD) was reported in shrimp farms of khoozestan province, in southwest of IRAN in 2002. Then in 2005 the neighbor province, boushehr, was contaminated. In 2008 WSD outbreak reported in sistan-bloochestan province in southeast of Iran. In 2015 all of southern shrimp farms of country except Hormozgan, the middle southern province, which has remained free of WSD, are being contaminated. White Spot disease suspended shrimp culture in thousands hectares of shrimp farms. Considering that white spot disease has not been observed in Hormozgan province yet, the question is; to what extent environmental and management factors participated in preventing WSD outbreak or cause WSD outbreak. In this study (20102012), the effects of environmental factors and management, stressors that decrease immune system function of shrimp are discussed. In addition, the role of pathogen as the main factor of outbreak is discussed. The goal of this study is to define environmental parameters and management practices associates with outbreak of white spot disease in affected provinces and discover reasons of being Hormozgan province free of this disease. In this study the role of the local environmental factors and management practice stressors in susceptibility to WSD was determine. Both the effects of environmental factors in water of ponds including total ammonia, nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, transparency, and temperature and management issues related to biosecurity are studied. There were overlaps on physical and chemical parameter values obtained in clear areas with contaminated areas .Results of the data analysis suggest that lack of association with WSD incidence was 7 times greater than WSD incidence despite of disease outbreak in sistan-bloochestan province, so other sources of white spot disease virus incidence was suspected in affected areas. Histopathological examinations and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests during project performance did not reveal white spot disease virus evidences in post larvae examined from khoozestan province stocked in farms but disease outbreak was happened in that farms , so we suspected to management practice include feed , pond preparation and carrier of disease. Recorded values of temperature and salinity in some months during inspection in Hormozgan province specified stressful condition that may lead to WSD outbreak, however the disease did not appear. Therefore the hypothesis that the water physical and chemical conditions are reasons to prevent disease outbreak in Hormozgan province is being rejected. The policy of Hormozgan’s fishery authorities, to replaced Fenneropenaeus indicus with specific pathogen free Litopenaeus vannamei, that is more resistant to some of diseases, before incidence of WSD in farms and to before being endemic in the Hormozgan province, made an advantage compare to affected southern provinces that introduced Litopenaeus vannamei after WSD prevalence to their farms. However it does not guarantee to maintain current trend of being Hormozgan province farms free of white spot disease. Therefore establishing the principals of biosecurity are strongly emphasized. Strategies taken by the proficient authorities in preparation of SPF shrimp broodstock can be the most important factor in preventing WSD. Regarding biosecurity principals purchased feed must be free of shrimp head powder. Construction the new shrimp farms should be as far as it could be away from contaminated areas

Microstructure, resistivity, and shear strength of electrically conductive adhesives made of silver-coated copper powder

Electrically conductive adhesives were made using silver-coated copper powders (filler) and epoxy. Resistivity, microstructure and shear strength of prepared adhesives were studied using two-point resistance measurements, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and universal tensile tests, respectively. Effect of filler concentration (70-85 wt%), silver concentration (10-50 wt%), particles morphology (flake or spherical) and addition of graphite (2-15 wt%) were investigated on prepared adhesives properties. Results showed that by increasing the filler percentage from 70 to 85 wt%, the electrical resistivity decreases from 6.2 x 10(-3) to 3 x 10(-3) Omega.cm. Furthermore, the electrical resistivity of adhesives is proportional to the silver content of the filler particles. Regarding the morphological effect of filler particles, it was found that by replacing 40 wt% of the flake with spherical particles in the adhesive with a filler content of 75 wt%, the electrical resistivity of the adhesive reduces from 5.6 x 10(-3) to 4.5 x 10(-3) Omega.cm, while the electrical resistivity of the adhesive containing 50 wt% of the spherical particles reached to 1.1 x 10(-2) Omega.cm. Graphite addition to adhesive formula in concentrations less than 6 wt%, slightly lowered the resistivity of the adhesives. Increasing the graphite addition from 6 to 15 wt% enhanced the electrical resistivity from 2.8 x 10(-3) to 1.7 x 10(-2) Omega.cm. The shear strength of the adhesives is inversely proportional to the filler percentage in the adhesives

Effects of probiotics on biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammatory factors in petrochemical workers: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: The aim of the current study was to determine effects of probiotic yoghurt and multispecies probiotic capsule supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammatory factors in petrochemical workers. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was done among petrochemical workers. Subjects were randomly divided into three groups to receive 100 g/day probiotic yogurt (n = 12) or one probiotic capsule daily (n = 13) or 100 g/day conventional yogurt (n = 10) for 6 weeks. The probiotic yoghurt was containing two strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis with a total of min 1 � 107 CFU. Multispecies probiotic capsule contains seven probiotic bacteria spices Actobacillus casei 3 � 103, L. acidophilus 3 � 107, Lactobacillus rhamnosus 7 � 109, Lactobacillus bulgaricus 5 � 108, Bifidobacterium breve 2 � 1010, Bifidobacterium longum 1 � 109 and Streptococcus thermophilus 3 � 108 CFU/g. Fasting blood samples were obtained at the beginning and end of the trial to quantify biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammatory factors. Results: Although a significant within-group decrease in plasma protein carbonyl levels was seen in the probiotic capsule group (326.0 ± 308.9 vs. 251.0 ± 176.3 ng/mL, P = 0.02), the changes were similar among the three groups. In addition, significant within-group decreases in plasma iso prostaglandin were observed in the probiotic supplements group (111.9 ± 85.4 vs. 88.0 ± 71.0 pg/ mL, P = 0.003) and in the probiotic yogurt group (116.3 ± 93.0 vs. 92.0 ± 66.0 pg/mL, P = 0.02), nevertheless there were no significant change among the three groups. Conclusions: Taken together, consumption of probiotic yogurt or multispecies probiotic capsule had beneficial effects on biomarkers of oxidative stress in petrochemical workers. © 2015, Mohammadi AA

The effects of probiotics on mental health and hypothalamic�pituitary�adrenal axis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in petrochemical workers

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine effects of probiotic yogurt and multispecies probiotic capsule supplementation on mental health and hypothalamicâ��pituitaryâ��adrenal axis in petrochemical workers. Methods: The present randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 70 petrochemical workers. Subjects were randomly divided into three groups to receive 100â� g/day probiotic yogurt + one placebo capsule (n = 25) or one probiotic capsule daily + 100â� g/day conventional yogurt (n = 25) or 100â� g/day conventional yogurt + one placebo capsule (n = 20) for 6 weeks. Mental health parameters including general health questionnaire (GHQ) and depression anxiety and stress scale (DASS) scores were measured. Fasting blood samples were obtained at the beginning and 6 weeks after the intervention to quantify hypothalamicâ��pituitaryâ��adrenal axis. Results: After 6 weeks of intervention, a significant improvement of GHQ was observed in the probiotic yogurt (18.0 ± 1.5 vs. 13.5 ± 1.9, P = 0.007) and in the probiotic capsule group (16.9 ± 1.8 vs. 9.8 ± 1.9, P = 0.001), as well as a significant improvement in DASS scores in the probiotic yogurt (23.3 ± 3.7 vs. 13.0 ± 3.7, P = 0.02) and the probiotic capsule group (18.9 ± 3.2 vs. 9.4 ± 4.0, P = 0.006). However, there was no significant improvement in the conventional yogurt group (P = 0.05 for GHQ and P = 0.08 for DASS). Discussion: The consumption of probiotic yogurt or a multispecies probiotic capsule had beneficial effects on mental health parameters in petrochemical workers. © 2016, © W. S. Maney & Son Ltd 2016