Serum Hsp70 antigen: Early diagnosis marker in perinatal asphyxia

BACKGROUND: Perinatal asphyxia is an important cause of mortality and permanent neurological and developmental deficit. Early and accurate diagnosis would help to establish the likely prognosis and may also help in determining the most appropriate treatment. Studies in experimental animal models suggest that a protein called Hsp70 may be a good and potentially useful marker of cellular stress that may be clinically useful in determining the presence of neonatal asphyxia. OBJECTIVES: Regarding the importance of early and accurate diagnosis of asphyxia, we conducted this study, which is the first investigation of the comparison of the serum Hsp70 antigen level between asphyxiated and healthy infants. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this observational study, the serum concentrations of Hsp70 antigen were compared between neonates suffering from perinatal asphyxia (n = 50) and normal neonates (n = 51). The inclusion criteria for the cases were neonates who had reached term and had at least two clinical criteria of asphyxia. Exclusion criteria were babies with gestational age < 37 weeks, infants with congenital abnormalities or positive blood culture. Exclusion criteria in this group were the requirement to hospital stay during first week of the life or babies whose mothers had difficulties during pregnancy or delivery. Term neonates without major anomalies who had asphyxia during delivery were enrolled in the first six hours after delivery, and control group consisted of healthy term neonates without problems and normal delivery process in the first week of life. The cord blood was taken during labor to measure Hsp70 antigen level by using an in-house ELISA (The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). RESULTS: The median values of serum anti Hsp70 titers were significantly higher in asphyxiated neonates compared with non-asphyxiated neonates (0.36 [0.04 - 1.14] vs 0.24 [0.01 - 0.63]). At cutoff point = 0.3125 ng/mL, sensitivity was 58% and specificity 76% based on ROC curve. CONCLUSIONS: A significant difference between the serum concentrations of Hsp70 of the control and patient group was observed in this study. It is inferred serum concentrations of Hsp70 antigen may be a useful marker for the early diagnosis of that prenatal hypoxia

Mineralogy and stable isotope geochemistry of the Ab Ask travertines in Damavand geothermal field, Northeast Tehran, Iran

Abstract The Ab Ask mineral springs are located 85 km northeast of Tehran, in the southern range of the Damavand volcano. Deposits of these calcareous springs are mainly precipitated as travertine. Petrographical, mineralogical, and stable isotope studies were conducted on different types of travertine to determine their genesis and factors that govern carbonate precipitation. Based on sedimentation consequence and lithofacies these travertines are categorized as first type (fresh travertine), second type (fissure-ridge, dam, and cascade), and third type (laminated) travertines, illustrating a specific condition of formation, deposition and diagenesis. Combined XRD and microscopic investigations show that the Ab Ask travertines are is composed of about 95 % calcite and a minor amount of quartz along with iron oxide impurities. The origin and transport of springs water from which travertine was precipitated are elucidated by 13C and 18O isotopic studies of the travertines. δ18O and δ13C values of travertines increase (from −13.0 to −6.3% VPDB and from 6 to 9.8% VPDB, respectively) with increasing distance from the spring orifice. This significant increase is attributed to temperature decrease, rapid degassing of CO2, and biological activities. It seems that CO2 content of these fluids may have originated from limestone decarbonation. Based on the integrated petrographic and stable isotope study, the Ab Ask travertines can could be thermogenic in origin

DRUJ instability after distal radius fracture: A comparison between cases with and without ulnar styloid fracture

AbstractBackgroundBecause of the importance of the DRUJ in upper extremity function and the prevalence of distal radius fractures, either with or without ulnar styloid fracture, this study was designed to assess the relationship between ulnar styloid fracture and the incidence of DRUJ instability after treatment of distal radius fractures treated with ORIF (volar plate).Methods112 patients suffering from type two and three distal radius fractures (Fernandez classification), were evaluated. Depending on the presence of ulnar styloid avulsion fracture, patients were divided into two groups: 86 cases with isolated radial fracture and 26 cases with a distal radius fracture accompanied by ulnar styloid fracture. All patients underwent distal radius fracture ORIF. CT scanning was done both immediately after surgery and 3 months post-op. DRUJ stability was examined using the modified radioulnar line method and the incidence of DRUJ instability was compared between the two groups.ResultsImmediate instability was seen in 11 patients. Three of these patients had concomitant ulnar styloid fracture and were excluded for further fixation. Three months later, another 9 cases were diagnosed with DRUJ instability, 2 of whom had concomitant ulnar styloid fracture and the other 7 suffered from isolated distal radius fracture. Chi-square test revealed no significant difference (p < 0.05). There were no cases of delayed union or non-union distal radius fracture.ConclusionOur study demonstrated that untreated stable or minimally displaced ulnar styloid fracture accompanied by distal radius fracture, has no adverse effect on DRUJ stability following ORIF of the radius

Improved superabsorbent polymers

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This work is devoted to the synthesis, characterization and modification of a class of acrylic-based superabsorbent polymers. The techniques of inverse suspension and solution polymerisations were used for synthesis. Each absorbent was mainly characterised by its equilibrium capacity of water absorption and by the rate of absorption. The swelling characteristics of the polymers were evaluated in terms of change in polymerisation variables which include, type and amount of crosslinker, monomer composition, process of polymerisation, temperature, initiator concentration, monomer concentration and particle size of the product. The swelling dependency on salinity was also examined. In some cases, the base polymer was blended with certain polymers in order to upgrade the swelling properties. A swelling model was devised based on a simple viscoelastic model, i. e. Voigt model, to obtain a better understanding of the effect of the above-mentioned variables on the swelling behaviour. Finally, our materials of choice were compared with some commercial analogues and some further comments have been made for continuing the work

Atomically resolved studies of quantum excitations and interactions in low-dimensional materials

Diese Arbeit verwendet ein kombiniertes STM-AFM, das bei extremniedrigen Temperaturen und unter UHV betrieben wird. Im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit habe ich die strukturellen und elektronischen Eigenschaften von Graphen auf SiC(0001) untersucht. Die Korrelation zwischen den gebundenen Grenzflächenzuständen und den STM-Bildern wurde untersucht. Im nächsten Teil wurden diese Grenzflächenzustände durch Li-Interkalation von Graphen auf SiC(0001) unterdrückt. Die Interkalation wird durch Quenchen der charakteristischen Überstruktur von Graphen und weiterer Elektronendotierung entdeckt. Dabei werden die Li-Adatome meist an der unteren Grenzfläche platziert: Pufferschicht-SiC. Im nächsten Teil dieser Studie wird eine weitere Li-Interkalation des Graphens durchgeführt, um beide darunter liegende Grenzflächen zu sättigen. Obwohl die vorhergesagte supraleitende Phase fehlte, konnten in den inelastischen Tunnelspektren interessante Merkmale festgestellt werden. In weitergehenden Untersuchungen wurden einzelne chemische Bindungen und elektrostatische Effekte in den Verbindungsstellen der vorherigen Proben bewertet. Zu diesem Zweck wird ein AFM verwendet, um auf kontrollierbare Weise eine Bindung zwischen dem Au-Atom, das die AFM-Spitze abschließt, und einem C-Atom von Graphen auf SiC(0001) zu bilden und zu brechen. Im letzten Teil dieser Dissertation habe ich das System Fe-Pb(111) mittels STM untersucht. Über ihre elektronischen und strukturellen Eigenschaften wurden hauptsächlich zwei unterschiedliche Materialklassen entdeckt. Die breite asymmetrische Lücke um die Fermi-Energie wird der stark verspannten zuerst abgeschiedenen Fe-Schicht zugeschrieben, die pseudomorph auf dem Pb(111)-Substrat wächst. Diese Materialklasse unterdrückt die Supraleitfähigkeit des Substrats. Im Gegensatz dazu zeigt die andere Materialgruppe das Metallische Eigenschaften mit den YSR-Bändern im Inneren der Inselregion.This study uses a combined STM-AFM operating at ultra-low temperature and under UHV. In the first part of this work, I studied the structural and electronic properties of graphene on SiC(0001). The correlation between the interfacial bound states and the STM images was explored. In the next part, these interfacial states were suppressed by Li intercalation of graphene on SiC(0001). The intercalation is discovered by quenching the characteristic superstructure of graphene and further electron doping. In this process, the Li adatoms are mostly placed at the bottom interface: buffer layer-SiC. In the next part of this study, further Li intercalation of the graphene is performed to saturate both underlying interfaces. Although the predicted superconducting phase was absent, inelastic tunneling became a prominent feature in this sample. The studies proceeded further by evaluating individual chemical bonds and electrostatic effects in the junctions of the previous samples. To this end, an AFM is used to form and break in a controllable manner a bond between the Au atom terminating the AFM tip and a C atom of graphene on SiC(0001). In the last part of this dissertation, I investigated the Fe-Pb(111) system by STM. Mainly two different classes of materials were discovered via their electronic and structural properties. The wide asymmetric gap around Fermi energy is attributed to the highly strained first deposited Fe layer, which pseudomorphically grows on the Pb(111) substrate. This class of material suppresses the superconductivity of the substrate. In contrast, the other group of materials shows the metallic feature with the YSR bands in the interior of the island region

Impact of Gender Discrimination and Patriarchal Attitude On Women In Educational Institute (India)

Gender bias remains a serious issue in the workplace. In order to begin responding to this complex issue, we need to isolate the factors in which influence these inequalities. So as to show differences in attitudes, the two sex of the applicant and the prospective occupations were inflated. The hypothesis is that, in comparison to liberals, conservatives would be unlikely to hire men and women for gender atypical positions than male or female stereotypical positions

A Corpus-assisted Critical Discourse Analysis of the Representation of Syrian Refugees in Canadian Newspapers

Humanitarian immigration plays a significant role in building a positive identity for Canada as compassionate and welcoming to those who “deserve” and need protection. Canadian media representations reify this positive self-image and position Canadians in favor of or against refugees; the media’s influence on the public’s perception of immigration has been demonstrated by a significant body of scholarship. Public perception helps determine how Canadians treat newcomers, which, in turn, affects “the precarious resilience of multiculturalism in Canada”. This study critically investigates the representation of Syrian refugees in five Canadian newspapers: the Globe and Mail, the National Post, the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun, and the Ottawa Citizen. It brings together prominent approaches in Critical Discourse Studies (CDS) and tools in corpus linguistics under the overarching methodological framework of Corpus-assisted Critical Discourse Studies to analyze themes surrounding Syrian refugees and the discursive construction of Syrian refugees and the Canadian government and public in each theme. A total of 340 news articles published between 2015 and 2017 were analyzed. The findings reveal that although the newspapers generally welcomed the resettlement of Syrian refugees and unanimously praised Canadians and their humanitarian response, representation of refugees and the Canadian government varied among newspapers according to political affiliations, coverage, and stylistic features. The findings also indicate that discriminatory discourses such as refugees as political tools, security threats, economic burdens, criminals, and incapable of integration exist in tandem with empowering representations that render refugees as self-sufficient, determined, willing, and well-able to become part of the Canadian community. These findings suggest that there is a capacity in the media for more balanced and empowering representations of refugees. This research adds to existing literature using Corpus-assisted Critical Discourse Studies, which combines quantitative and qualitative methods to offer an analytically balanced approach to the investigation of news media representation of immigration in an era of increasing global displacement

Mitochondrial mechanisms in benzo[a]pyrene-induced carcinogenesis and chemoprevention by polyphenols

Naturally occurring polyphenols in fruits and vegetables have been shown to exhibit anticancer characteristics. Although some roles of polyphenols in cancer prevention have been previously described, an involvement of mitochondrial mechanisms has not been well-studied. Also, while mitochondrial dysfunction has been identified in several cancer cells and is correlated with poor prognosis, less is known about the involvement of mitochondrial changes in carcinogenesis and neoplastic transformation. In an in vitro model of cancer initiation and promotion using Bhas 42 fibroblasts, we investigated the involvement of mitochondrial changes induced by benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and possible roles of different polyphenols in preventing carcinogenesis and neoplastic transformation, through inhibiting oxidative stress, inducing mitochondrial biogenesis, and ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction. Bhas 42 mouse fibroblast cells were pre-treated with 5 μM polyphenols (resveratrol, quercetin, catechin, cyanidin, cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), and berberine) for 2h for most experiments followed by treatment with 4 μM B[a]P for 12h, 24h and 72h. Different experiments including measuring intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial superoxide, gene expression, mitochondrial content, and neoplastic transformation were conducted. B[a]P induced oxidative stress by increasing intracellular ROS and mitochondrial superoxide generation, as well as induced UCP2 expression compared to untreated cells. Most of the polyphenols prevented these effects; however, only anthocyanins (cyanidin and C3G) and berberine decreased B[a]P-induced mitochondrial superoxide generation. B[a]P induced neoplastic transformation almost 5-fold while resveratrol and quercetin inhibited this effect and resveratrol had the strongest effect, inhibiting by 75%. B[a]P also decreased mitochondrial content, as well as decreased SIRT1 activity, ERRα expression, and expression of some mitochondrial respiratory subunits (NDUFS8, ATP5A1, and CYB). All polyphenols increased at least one of these factors with different effectiveness. B[a]P exposure also produced mitochondrial dysfunction, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ATP content by 25% and 28%, respectively, while some polyphenols such as resveratrol and quercetin completely prevented B[a]P-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. The increased mitochondrial biogenesis by resveratrol corresponded with decreased ROS generation and can be suggested as a plausible mechanism by which resveratrol inhibited B[a]P-induced neoplastic transformation more strongly than other studied polyphenols. The study showed that B[a]P impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and induced mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and neoplastic transformation, whereas different polyphenols protected against these effects, with resveratrol showing the most robust effects. The results shed new light into mitochondrial mechanisms by which polyphenols may prevent cancer initiation and progression

Exploring the Potential of Nanotechnology in Pediatric Healthcare: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions.

The utilization of nanotechnology has brought about notable advancements in the field of pediatric medicine, providing novel approaches for drug delivery, disease diagnosis, and tissue engineering. Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of materials at the nanoscale, resulting in improved drug effectiveness and decreased toxicity. Numerous nanosystems, including nanoparticles, nanocapsules, and nanotubes, have been explored for their therapeutic potential in addressing pediatric diseases such as HIV, leukemia, and neuroblastoma. Nanotechnology has also shown promise in enhancing disease diagnosis accuracy, drug availability, and overcoming the blood-brain barrier obstacle in treating medulloblastoma. It is important to acknowledge that while nanotechnology offers significant opportunities, there are inherent risks and limitations associated with the use of nanoparticles. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the existing literature on nanotechnology in pediatric medicine, highlighting its potential to revolutionize pediatric healthcare while also recognizing the challenges and limitations that need to be addressed

The evaluation of the performance of primary and secondary school managers using the EFQM model: a case from Iran

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of primary and secondary headmasters using the EFQM organizational excellence model in Andimeshk. This was a descriptive survey. The statistical population consisted of 2000 teachers of primary and secondary school of the first and second year in Andimeshk. According to Morgan table, 322 people were selected using stratified random sampling technique and gender. The data collection includes a questionnaire used derived from business excellence model with 4 criteria (leadership, strategy, resources, partners and employees outcomes). To assess the validity, two kinds of content and construct validity were used. The validity of the scale of the evaluation of headmasters' performance was confirmed according to the business excellence model using confirmatory factor analysis with LISREL software. Reliability of the tool was obtained 0/90 using Cronbach test. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics were used and in regard with inferential statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Friedman's rank, one-sample t-test and chi-square goodness of fit test. Statistical results showed that from the perspective of teachers, the performance of primary and secondary headmasters in Andimeshk was in an acceptable level with regard to leadership, strategy, resources and partners and society