A CORBA-based system for testing distributed systems

Le test est considéré comme une des étapes du cycle de vie d'un logiciel, et la dernière phase de la méthodologie de création de logiciel (analyse, conception, développement, et test). Dans ce mémoire, nous contribuons à la phase de test. Nous définissons les systèmes repartis et étudions les méthodes et les architectures pour tester un système reparti, à savoir : l'architecture de test centralise, l'architecture de test réparti (ou distant), et l'architecture de test coordonné. Si l'architecture centralisée ne pose pas de problème particulier, l'architecture repartie cause plusieurs problèmes en terme de contrôlabilité et d'observabilité, qui sont des caractéristiques fondamentales du test de conformité. Après une présentation des problèmes de contrôlabilité et d'observabilité, nous proposons une solution a ces deux problèmes, qui consiste a utiliser une architecture de test coordonné. Ensuite, nous proposons et concevons une architecture de test coordonné constituée de trois parties : Ie contrôleur de test. Ie système de test, et l'implementation sous test. Ensuite, nous présentons CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture), qui s'occupe de la communication entre les trois parties de notre architecture de test. Nous présentons une implémentation en Java et CORBA de notre architecture de test. Et enfin, nous illustrons l'application de notre architecture pour Ie test d'une version temporisée du protocole X.25.Abstract: Testing is considered as one of the steps in software life cycle and is the last phase in software creation methodology (Analysis, Design, Development, Testing). In this work, we contribute to testing phase. We define distributed systems, and study methods and architectures to test a distributed system, namely: centralized test architecture, distributed (or remote) test architecture, and coordinated test architecture. If the centralized architecture does not pose any particular problem, the distributed architecture raises several problems in terms of controllability and observability , which are fundamental features of conformance testing. After presenting controllability and observability problems, we propose a solution to these two problems, which consists of using a coordinated test architecture. Then, we propose and design a coordinated test architecture, consisting of three parts: Test Controller, Test System and Implementation Under Test. Then, we introduce CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture), which is responsible for communications between the three parts of our test architecture. Then, we present an implementation in Java and CORBA of our test architecture. And finally, we illustrate the application of our architecture for testing a timed version of the X.25 protocol

Ameliorative Effects of Vitamin C and Methanolic Extract of Broccoli on Cyclophosphamide-induced Poisoning in Ovary of Rat

Abstract Introduction: Considering the importance of using herbal compounds to reduce the side effects of cyclophosphamide (CPH), the current study aimed to evaluate the effects of broccoli extract and Vitamin C on ovarian poisoning with CPH. Materials and methods: Four equal groups of 48 adult female Wistar rats were formed. The first group that was control received physiological saline orally without treatment. A 200 mg/kg dose of CPH was administered intraperitoneally to the second group. For the third group, CPH was supplemented with 300 mg/kg of Vitamin C, and methanol extract of broccoli 300 mg/kg was used in the fourth group. The serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and ovarian tissue glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), were measured. At the end of the study, the ovarian tissue was cut and stained for histopathological investigations. Results: Ovarian tissue GPx, CAT, and SOD values indicated a significant decrease in the CPH group compared to other groups. In the CPH plus broccoli group, there was a significant decrease in MDA ovarian tissue and IL-1 and TNF-α in serum, compared to the CPH group. There were significant negative changes in ovarian cells of the CPH group, compared to the control and other treatment groups. Conclusion: The current study suggested that administrating broccoli extract plus CPH could increase the superior antioxidant potential, compared to Vitamin C. This can potentially decrease CPH-induced damage to the ovary of rats, thereby improving their fertility status. https://jlar.rovedar.com/index.php/JLAR/article/view/2

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Genome Editing: In vivo Review

Abstract The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been a game-changer in genetics and biotechnology. This study aimed to investigate the existing in vivo uses and their potential to increase our understanding of gene function and biological processes in animal models. With its remarkable precision and accuracy, researchers can now easily edit specific genes within cells and organisms. This technology has opened up new avenues for studying genetic diseases and developing therapies to treat them. One of the most significant advantages of the CRISPR/Cas9 system is its ability to create precise cellular and animal models of human diseases. This allows researchers to investigate the role of genetics in disease development and to develop more effective therapies. For example, the system can correct genetic mutations that cause cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia. The therapeutic potential of CRISPR/Cas9 is enormous, especially in gene therapy. By correcting specific genetic mutations, the system can potentially treat human diseases that are currently untreatable with conventional therapies. However, some challenges still need to be addressed before this technology can be used in clinical settings. Despite these challenges, the potential of CRISPR/Cas9 to revolutionize the field of genetics and biotechnology cannot be overstated. Ultimately, this technology has the potential to transform medicine by providing new therapies for a wide range of genetic diseases. https://jlar.rovedar.com/index.php/JLAR/article/view/1

Caenorhabditis elegans as a Valuable Model for Studying Apoptosis and Autophagy in Cancer Development: Current insights, Future directions, and Challenges

Abstract Despite significant progress in the fight against cancer, cancer treatment remains a significant public health concern and a societal burden worldwide. To develop better intervention strategies to counter tumor development, it is important to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying oncogenic diseases. In-vivo and in-vitro models have traditionally been utilized to understand the biological processes involved in cancer, including apoptosis, proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, genome instability, and metabolism. The present review aims to look at the way Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) can affect cancer cellular and molecular bases, concentrating on mechanisms like apoptosis and autophagy. In recent years, . elegans has emerged as a promising model organism for studying the molecular basis of tumorigenesis. This model organism is attractive since it is genetically tractable and has a simple and well-understood anatomy. The C. elegans exhibits conserved cellular pathways and mechanisms relevant to human diseases, including cancer. Furthermore, C. elegans has been used to study the roles of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes in tumorigenesis. In conclusion, C. elegans is an emerging animal model that has the potential to facilitate the development of better intervention strategies to prevent or counter tumor development and to advance our understanding of cancer progression with further research. https://jlar.rovedar.com/index.php/JLAR/article/view/1

Regulation of Electrical Distribution Companies via Efficiency Assessments and Reward-Penalty Scheme

Improving performance of electrical distribution companies, as the natural monopoly entities in electric industry, has always been one of the main concerns of the regulators. In this paper, a new incentive regulatory scheme is proposed to improve the performances of electrical distribution companies. The proposed scheme utilizes several efficiency assessments and a 3-dimentional reward-penalty scheme (3DRPS). Through efficiency assessments, economic efficiency and service quality, as two aspects of companies’ performances, are assessed and according to the results of such assessments, reasonable capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) for each company are calculated. Then, according to the reasonable CAPEX and OPEX, allowed revenues are calculated for next regulatory period. Moreover, the 3DRPS on quality is used to encourage the companies to maintain and improve their service quality during the regulatory period. The 3DRPS gives the incentive to the companies based on changes in their quality indices. The incentives are added to companies’ allowed revenues. Finally, the proposed scheme is applied to Iranian distribution companies and the results are discussed

A Case of Necrotizing Keratoscleritis in Primary Sjogren's Syndrome

We report on a case of necrotizing keratoscleritis in primary Sjogren's syndrome. A 66-year-old female patient who was complaining of ocular pain, tearing and decreased vision in her right eye for the previous two days was admitted to our hospital. Visual acuity in the right eye was hand movement, and initial examination showed a 3.0 × 1.8 mm uveal mass bulging through a corneoscleral melting site in the nasal region of the right eye. Positive anti-nuclear antibody was identified at a titer of 1:320 with a speckled pattern, and both Sjogren's syndrome A and Sjogren's syndrome B antibody tests were positive, with titers >200 U/mL. A technetium 99m pertechnetate salivary scan revealed chronic sialoadenitis in the submandibular glands. We diagnosed the lesion as necrotizing keratoscleritis due to primary Sjogren's syndrome. A corneoscleral patch graft was performed, followed by immunosuppression including oral cyclosporin and topical prednisolone. During a follow-up period of 12 months, the corneoscleral graft was well maintained with no recurrence

Employing Interface Compensators to Enhance the Power Quality In Hybrid AC/DC Microgrids

After the introduction of distributed generators, regarding the challenges these networks face, employing AC/DC Hybrid microgrids would be an undeniable issue due to its many advantages and it will certainly find a significant position. Thus, discussing the power quality in this type of microgrids and clean power for feeding the load via this microgrid is a drastic challenge. This paper proposing a hybrid microgrid with 2 interface converters, one placed in series and the other placed in parallel, tries to accomplish these control objectives in an AC microgrid in order to improve power quality: input sine current with Cosϕ=1 and output sine voltage with normal value when source voltage is abnormal and non-sinusoidal, besides, non-linear loads’ presence. Simulation results verify the favorable performance of converters and effective functionality of control systems

Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities and Phytochemical Analysis of Euphorbia wallichii Root Extract and its Fractions

Abstract Euphorbia wallichii a perennial herb growing mainly in Himalayas has been widely used in folk medicines for its medicinal properties. In the present study, the crude methanolic root extract (CME) and its fractions; n-Hexane Fraction (NHF), n-Butanol Fraction (NBF), Chloroform Fraction (CHF), Ethyl acetate Fraction (EAF) and Aqueous Fraction (AQF) of this plant specie were investigated for antioxidant and cytotoxic activities and phytochemical analysis. Antioxidant activity was determined by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl free radical (DPPH) and DNA protection assay performed on pBR322 plasmid DNA. In both these assays, promising results were obtained for CME as well as other fractions. The IC 50 values for DPPH assay were in a range of 7.89 to 63.35 µg/ml in which EAF showed the best antioxidant potential and almost all the tested samples showed certain level of DNA protection. The cytotoxic activity was assessed by using Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay on human cell lines; H157 (Lung Carcinoma) and HT144 (Malignant Melanoma). The IC 50 values of the tested samples ranged from 0.18 to 1.4 mg/mL against H157 cell line whereas against HT144 cell line the IC 50 values ranged from 0.46 to 17.88 mg/mL with NBF fraction showing maximum potential for both. Furthermore, the phytochemical analysis of CME and its fractions showed the presences of flavonoids, saponins, tannins, terpenoides and cardiac glycosides with varying concentrations

The role of PET/CT in Cogan’s syndrome

We report on the case of a 60-year-old woman with complaints of fatigue, coughing, anorexia, atypical chest pain, recurrent fever, and also ear pain and hearing loss. A test for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) was myeloperoxidase positive with p-ANCA specificity. Laboratory acute phase parameters were increased. A 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography investigation showed pathological uptake in the aorta ascendens, with no other involvement of the large vessels. After therapy with methylprednisolon intravenously and later prednisolon orally with methothrexate, her general condition and hearing loss improved both subjectively and objectively. “Atypical” Cogan’s syndrome was diagnosed on the basis of sensorineural deafness with improvement on steroids and large-vessel vasculitis of the aortic arch

A genetic variant in CDKN2A/2B locus was associated with poor prognosis in patients with 1 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is among the leading causes of cancer related death. Despite extensive efforts in identifying valid cancer prognostic biomarkers, only a very small number of markers have been identified. Several genetic variants in the 9p21 region have been identified that are associated with the risk of multiple cancers. Here, we explored the association of two genetic variants in the 9p21 region, CDKN2A/B, rs10811661 and rs1333049 for the first time in 273 subjects with, or without ESCC. We observed that patients with ESCC had a higher frequency of a TT genotype for rs10811661 than individuals in the control group, and this polymorphism was also associated with tumor size. Moreover, a CC genotype for the rs1333049 polymorphism was associated with a reduced OS of patients with ESCC. In particular, patients with a CC (rs1333049) genotype had a significantly shorter OS (CC genotype: 34.5±8.9 months vs. CG+GG: 47.7±5.9 months; p value= 0.03). We have also shown the association of a novel genetic variant in CDKN2B gene with clinical outcome of ESCC patients. Further investigations are warranted in a larger population to explore the value of emerging markers as a risk stratification marker in ESCC. Key word: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, risk marker, CDKN2A/B, polymorphis