302 research outputs found

    Assessment of the Nexus between Groundwater Extraction and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Employing Aquifer Modelling

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    AbstractOne of the main sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) is electricity consumption which is getting used for different purposes.Water pumping, especially, pumping from deep groundwater resources consumes a lot of energy. In arid and semi-arid areas, in which groundwater is the only source of water, water pumping is done for different purposes such as agricultural, industrial and urban uses. Kerman plain is one of these arid and semi-arid areas which is located in South East of Iran. Groundwater reliance and aquifer decline are the most prominent challenges that this area is faced with in recent years. This challenges increase the demand for more electricity consumption to pump water from the aquifer so that CO2 emissions will be increased. A large percentage of water extraction from the aquifer is used for agricultural purposes. In this paper, by modelling Kerman plain aquifer with MODFLOW software by using Geographical Information System (GIS) database and also studying height of groundwater table from 1999 to 2012, electricity energy consumption of groundwater extraction for agricultural, industrial and urban water supply is calculated and the CO2 emissions trends resulted from electricity energy consumption is evaluated. Then model results are examined for a business as usual (BAU) scenario of changes in water resources. As a result the amount of CO2 emitted from groundwater abstraction by three mentioned sectors is calculated for specified time horizon. Finally, some suggestions are presented for reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the time horizon

    The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in psoriatic arthritis patients, a hospital-based cross-sectional study on Iranian population

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    Background: Psoriasis is a T-cell mediated chronic inflammatory disorder with multiple skin, nails and joints involvement. The reported prevalence of psoriatic arthritis varies from 5 to 42 cases per 100 psoriasis patients. Insulin resistance is believed to be central to the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome, a constellation of major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, including atherogenic dyslipidemia, truncal adiposity, hypertension and hyperglycemia. The association of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis with metabolic syndrome is increasingly being reported. Although the literature relating psoriatic arthritis to metabolic syndrome is accumulating, there is still a paucity of evidence, especially from Asia. Here, we examined the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Methods: The study was performed among outpatients attending the specialty clinic and rheumatology ward of Rasoul-e-Akram general hospital between January 2014 and April 2015. A consecutive sample of 80 patients diagnosed as having psoriatic arthritis was studied. Age, gender, body mass index, blood pressure and waist circumference, and history of smoking of patients were measured and asked at the enrolment visit. Venous samples were taken after 8 h of overnight fasting for the estimation of serum lipid profile, glucose and uric acid levels. Also an ultrasonographic examination was done for detection of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Results: 46 patients (57.5) were male and 34 patients (42.5) were female. Mean age of the participants was 43 years (SD: 11.3). The prevalence of abnormal components of metabolic syndrome was 53.8 for BMI, 48.8 for TG level, 50 for HDL, 46.3 for LDL, 45 for Cholesterol, 23.8 for FBS, 46 for waist circumflex in men and 47.7 in women and 42.5 for uric acid. 40 of the patients had abnormal SBP and 41.2 had abnormal DBP. Thirty percent of the participants were current smokers and 43.8 had NAFLD on ultrasonographic examination. Conclusion: 51.3 of patients had metabolic syndrome according to the adult treatment panel III criteria for adult Asian patients. � 2016, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

    An investigation on relationship of chemical indices of kilka (Clupeonella engrauliformis) with weight loss during cold storage at -18C

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    We studied the relationship between physical and chemical properties of frozen kilka with weight loss for packed and unpacked products during storage at amal 8 ' C. Statistical analysis of the results including variance, Duncan test and ANOVA showed relationships existed between changes in Total Volatile Nitrogen (TVN), Peroxide Value (PV), pH, moisture, organoleptic properties of frozen packed and unpacked kilka with product weight losses during cold storage at -18°C. The statistical treatment of the results showed that weight losses for packed samples in comparison to unpacked one at the level of P<0.0I was significant. The weight losses, changes of TVN, PV, pH and moisture losses for unpacked samples were 1.5, 1.35, and 4.5, 132 and 1.32 times more in comparison to the packed one, respectively. Also, the statistical analysis of the results showed a correlation between weight losses in unpacked samples of frozen kilka and the measured factors. The results of chemical and physical properties measured for packed samples of frozen kilka during cold storage and their statistical analysis showed a significant correlation P<0.01 between weight losses and the changes in TVN from 7 to 28mg/100gr, PV from 2.28 to 6.01meq/kg, pH from 6.08 to 6.37 and 1.72% loss in the moisture of the samples. According to these results and the organoleptic tests, the shelf life for packed and unpacked frozen kilka in cold storage at 48°C, is recommended 60 and 30 days, respectively

    Immunomodulatory Effect of Toll-Like Receptor-3 Ligand Poly I:C on Cortical Spreading Depression

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    The release of inflammatory mediators following cortical spreading depression (CSD) is suggested to play a role in pathophysiology of CSD-related neurological disorders. Toll-like receptors (TLR) are master regulators of innate immune function and involved in the activation of inflammatory responses in the brain. TLR3 agonist poly I:C exerts anti-inflammatory effect and prevents cell injury in the brain. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of systemic administration of poly I:C on the release of cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4, TGF-β1, and GM-CSF) in the brain and spleen, splenic lymphocyte proliferation, expression of GAD65, GABAAα, GABAAβ as well as Hsp70, and production of dark neurons after induction of repetitive CSD in juvenile rats. Poly I:C significantly attenuated CSD-induced production of TNF-α and IFN-γ in the brain as well as TNF-α and IL-4 in the spleen. Poly I:C did not affect enhancement of splenic lymphocyte proliferation after CSD. Administration of poly I:C increased expression of GABAAα, GABAAβ as well as Hsp70 and decreased expression of GAD65 in the entorhinal cortex compared to CSD-treated tissues. In addition, poly I:C significantly prevented production of CSD-induced dark neurons. The data indicate neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of TLR3 activation on CSD-induced neuroinflammation. Targeting TLR3 may provide a novel strategy for developing new treatments for CSD-related neurological disorders. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York

    Immunomodulatory Effect of Toll-Like Receptor-3 Ligand Poly I:C on Cortical Spreading Depression

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    The release of inflammatory mediators following cortical spreading depression (CSD) is suggested to play a role in pathophysiology of CSD-related neurological disorders. Toll-like receptors (TLR) are master regulators of innate immune function and involved in the activation of inflammatory responses in the brain. TLR3 agonist poly I:C exerts anti-inflammatory effect and prevents cell injury in the brain. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of systemic administration of poly I:C on the release of cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4, TGF-β1, and GM-CSF) in the brain and spleen, splenic lymphocyte proliferation, expression of GAD65, GABAAα, GABAAβ as well as Hsp70, and production of dark neurons after induction of repetitive CSD in juvenile rats. Poly I:C significantly attenuated CSD-induced production of TNF-α and IFN-γ in the brain as well as TNF-α and IL-4 in the spleen. Poly I:C did not affect enhancement of splenic lymphocyte proliferation after CSD. Administration of poly I:C increased expression of GABAAα, GABAAβ as well as Hsp70 and decreased expression of GAD65 in the entorhinal cortex compared to CSD-treated tissues. In addition, poly I:C significantly prevented production of CSD-induced dark neurons. The data indicate neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of TLR3 activation on CSD-induced neuroinflammation. Targeting TLR3 may provide a novel strategy for developing new treatments for CSD-related neurological disorders. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York

    Energy conditions in f(R) gravity and Brans-Dicke theories

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    The equivalence between f(R) gravity and scalar-tensor theories is invoked to study the null, strong, weak and dominant energy conditions in Brans-Dicke theory. We consider the validity of the energy conditions in Brans-Dicke theory by invoking the energy conditions derived from a generic f(R) theory. The parameters involved are shown to be consistent with an accelerated expanding universe.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, to appear in IJMP
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