Effect of Nepeta Menthoides on Cognitive Disorders in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Clinical Trial

Nowadays, given the outbreak of Alzheimer disease (AD) as a global phenomenon, it is absolutely essential to take efficacious measures against it. Heating up the brain is a recommended approach to decrease the symptoms of AD. Furthermore, using hot herb is an effective method to enhance the temperature of the brain. One of the hot herbs is Nepeta menthoides which is known as Ostokhodus and has neuroprotective effects. In the present paper, the effect of Nepeta on the treatment of Alzheimer was studied. A trial was carried out on two groups of AD patients. While the first group was prescribed the capsules of Nepeta extraction, the second group was given the placebo capsules. The results of the taken MMSE inventories from both of the tested groups as the comparison criteria revealed that Nepeta had positive influence on the treatment of AD

Effect of Nepeta Menthoides on Cognitive Disorders in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Clinical Trial

Nowadays, given the outbreak of Alzheimer disease (AD) as a global phenomenon, it is absolutely essential to take efficacious measures against it. Heating up the brain is a recommended approach to decrease the symptoms of AD. Furthermore, using hot herb is an effective method to enhance the temperature of the brain. One of the hot herbs is Nepeta menthoides which is known as Ostokhodus and has neuroprotective effects. In the present paper, the effect of Nepeta on the treatment of Alzheimer was studied. A trial was carried out on two groups of AD patients. While the first group was prescribed the capsules of Nepeta extraction, the second group was given the placebo capsules. The results of the taken MMSE inventories from both of the tested groups as the comparison criteria revealed that Nepeta had positive influence on the treatment of AD

Design and characterization of biodegradable multi layered electrospun nanofibers for corneal tissue engineering applications

YesTissue engineering is one of the most promising areas for treatment of various ophthalmic diseases particularly for patients who suffer from limbal stem cell deficiency and this is due to the lack of existence of appropriate matrix for stem cell regeneration. The aim of this research project is to design and fabricate triple layered electrospun nanofibers as a suitable corneal tissue engineering scaffold and the objective is to investigate and perform various in vitro tests to find the most optimum and suitable scaffold for this purpose. Electrospun scaffolds were prepared in three layers. Poly(d, l-lactide-co-glycolide; PLGA, 50:50) nanofibers were electrospun as outer and inner layers of the scaffold and aligned type I collagen nanofibers were electrospun in the middle layer. Furthermore, the scaffolds were cross-linked by 1-ethyl-3-(3 dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride and glutaraldehyde. Structural, physical, and mechanical properties of scaffolds were investigated by using N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle measurement, tensile test, degradation, shrinkage analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, capability to support cell attachment and viability were characterized by SEM, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay, and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. According to the result of Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, specific surface area of electrospun scaffold was about 23.7 m2 g-1. Tensile tests on cross-linked scaffolds represented more suitable hydrophilicity and tensile behavior. In addition, degradation rate analysis indicated that noncross-linked scaffolds degraded faster than cross-linked one and cross-linking led to controlled shrinkage in the scaffold. The SEM analysis depicted nano-sized fibers in good shape. Also, the in vitro study represented an improved cell attachment and proliferation in the presence of human endometrial stem cells for both cross-linked and noncross-linked samples. The current study suggests the possibility of producing an appropriate substrate for successful cornea tissue engineering with a novel design.Deputy of Research, Tehran University of Medical Science. Grant Number: 93‐01‐33‐2561

Diagnostic Performance of 64-Channel Multislice Computed Tomography in Assessment of Significant Coronary Artery Disease in Symptomatic Subjects

The recent development of 64-channel multislice computed tomography (MSCT) has resulted in noninvasive coronary artery imaging improvement. This study was conducted to determine the accuracy of 64-slice MSCT in a relatively unselected group of 143 patients with presentations suggestive of coronary artery disease, including those with unstable angina pectoris, who underwent both coronary computed tomographic angiography and invasive coronary angiography. No arrhythmia was considered an exclusion criterion except for atrial fibrillation or frequent extrasystoles. In patients with fast heart rates, a β blocker was administered orally. Data were obtained using electrocardiography gated 64-slice MSCT. Computed tomographic angiography and invasive coronary angiography findings of each coronary segment were compared to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of MSCT in the detection of their normalcy or insignificant (<50 diameter decrease) stenosis versus significant (�50 diameter decrease) stenosis or total occlusion. In per-patient assessment, the calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of MSCT were 96, 67, 91, and 83, respectively. These values in per-artery evaluation were 94, 94, 87, and 97, and corresponding values in per-segment analysis were 92, 97, 77, and 99, respectively. In conclusion, computed tomographic angiography has high diagnostic performance in the assessment of significant coronary artery disease in most patients in a daily routine practice, including those presenting with unstable angina pectoris symptoms. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Ontology-guided data preparation for discovering genotype-phenotype relationships

International audienceComplexity of post-genomic data and multiplicity of mining strategies are two limits to Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) in life sciences. Because they provide a semantic frame to data and because they benefit from the progress of semantic web technologies, bio-ontologies should be considered for playing a key role in the KDD process. In the frame of a case study relative to the search of genotype-phenotype relationships, we demonstrate the capability of bio-ontologies to guide data selection during the preparation step of the KDD process. We propose three scenarios to illustrate how domain knowledge can be taken into account in order to select or aggregate data to mine, and consequently how it can facilitate result interpretation at the end of the process

Recent publications from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative: Reviewing progress toward improved AD clinical trials

INTRODUCTION: The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) has continued development and standardization of methodologies for biomarkers and has provided an increased depth and breadth of data available to qualified researchers. This review summarizes the over 400 publications using ADNI data during 2014 and 2015. METHODS: We used standard searches to find publications using ADNI data. RESULTS: (1) Structural and functional changes, including subtle changes to hippocampal shape and texture, atrophy in areas outside of hippocampus, and disruption to functional networks, are detectable in presymptomatic subjects before hippocampal atrophy; (2) In subjects with abnormal β-amyloid deposition (Aβ+), biomarkers become abnormal in the order predicted by the amyloid cascade hypothesis; (3) Cognitive decline is more closely linked to tau than Aβ deposition; (4) Cerebrovascular risk factors may interact with Aβ to increase white-matter (WM) abnormalities which may accelerate Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression in conjunction with tau abnormalities; (5) Different patterns of atrophy are associated with impairment of memory and executive function and may underlie psychiatric symptoms; (6) Structural, functional, and metabolic network connectivities are disrupted as AD progresses. Models of prion-like spreading of Aβ pathology along WM tracts predict known patterns of cortical Aβ deposition and declines in glucose metabolism; (7) New AD risk and protective gene loci have been identified using biologically informed approaches; (8) Cognitively normal and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects are heterogeneous and include groups typified not only by "classic" AD pathology but also by normal biomarkers, accelerated decline, and suspected non-Alzheimer's pathology; (9) Selection of subjects at risk of imminent decline on the basis of one or more pathologies improves the power of clinical trials; (10) Sensitivity of cognitive outcome measures to early changes in cognition has been improved and surrogate outcome measures using longitudinal structural magnetic resonance imaging may further reduce clinical trial cost and duration; (11) Advances in machine learning techniques such as neural networks have improved diagnostic and prognostic accuracy especially in challenges involving MCI subjects; and (12) Network connectivity measures and genetic variants show promise in multimodal classification and some classifiers using single modalities are rivaling multimodal classifiers. DISCUSSION: Taken together, these studies fundamentally deepen our understanding of AD progression and its underlying genetic basis, which in turn informs and improves clinical trial desig

Survey on health status in aquaculture sturgeons centers (Mazandaran, Guilan And Golestan Provinces)

Study of survey health management and diseases in hatcheries and fish farms can help us to knowledge and application control methods such as: prevention, treatment and increase high levels of production in hatchery and farms, finally. This survey carried out from 2005 to 2008 for 4 years in sturgeon hatcheries and farms of Golestan province. Sturgeon fishes include Huso Huso, Ship sturgeon, Acipenser persicus collected and for virology, bacteriology, fungius and hematology examined. Also, physicochemical parameters measured and recorded in different stages of culture. Results of this study showed that all of samples in virology was negative and did not observe any doubetful causes. In bacteriology CFU was variation from 3/9 ×105 to 6/9×10. The most parasites that detected in this survey was Cocolanus espherolanus, Sceria binopsulus semiarmatus and Amphilina fuliacea that separates from Acipenser Percicus, especially. The results about hematology parameters some important hematological indices of ship sturgeon include: The total RBC for female and mail specimens measured as 5.3±1.5 ×10^5, 4.8±0.5×10^5 per mm^3 respectively. The amount of haematocrit and hemoglobin for female and mail determined: 34.3±2.8, 35±1.4 percent and 10.3±0.9, 8.9±0.8 gr/dl .The MCV: 216.3± 96.2, 736.5± 102.5, MCH: 720.2±309.5, 186±0.7 and MCHC: 30±0.8, 25.5±3.4 percent respectively.The total WBC were (female, male): 21320±1054, 20580±777 per mm^3 and neutrophil: 16.4±2.5, 17±1.4 percent and lymphocyte: 74.4±2.4, 73.5± 0.7 percent and eosinophil: 6±1.4, 6.4±0.5 percent, monocyte: 2.8±0.8, 3.5±0.7 percent. There was not any significant differences (p>0.05) between mentioned parameters in male and female (students t-test). Also evaluation of hematological parameters in bluga ( Huso huso) include: total RBC were (male , female) 5±0.3 ×105 , 4.9±0.6 ×105 per mm^3 ,respectively and hematocrit: 33.2±6.7 , 35.4±3.4 percent and hemoglobin: 11.2±1.5 , 12.2±1gr/dl and MCV: 669.9±172.2, 723.9±982.4 and MCH: 226.2±42.5, 249.5±35.4 and MCHC: 34.1±2.4, 34.6±3.6 percent respectively. The totals WBC were (male, female): 24800±707.1, 23042±1375.4 per mm^3 and neutrophil: 18.5±0.7, 21.4±1.1 percent and lymphocyte: 73.5±1.4, 68.4±1.1 percent and eosinophil: 5±2.8, 7±1.2 percent and monocyte: 3.5±3.5, 3.2±0.8 percent. According to statistically study the count of lymphocyte had significant difference between male and female fish and this count in male was higher than female. (p≥0.05)