Seed-priming with cold plasma and supplementation of nutrient solution with carbon nanotube enhanced carotenoid contents and the expression of psy and pdsin Bitter melon (Momordica charantia)

Recent studies on cold-plasma and nanotechnology in some crop species have shown a potential for application in food, medicine, and crop improvement. Here, the behaviours of Momordica charantia were evaluated, following supplementation of nutrient solution with multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) and seed priming with cold plasma treatments. The ultra-structural study of stems confirmed CNT uptake and symplastic transportation. CNT supplementation and seed-priming with plasma synergistically provoked a drastic increase in the plant’s early growth and performance. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis confirmed that the applied treatments mediated variations in transcriptions of the phytoene-synthase gene (McPSY) and phytoene desaturase (McPDS). The McPDS and McPSY genes showed a similar expression trend in which the highest expression levels were observed in CNT50+Plasma 60 group. According to HPLC analysis, the CNT50+Plasma60 treatment was the most effective way to increase concentrations of β-carotene. The applied treatments dependent on dose and treatment method increased zeaxanthin concentration. Similarly, CNT50+Plasma 60 and CNT100+Plasma 60 groups had significantly higher α-carotene levels than the other treatment group. Moreover, the statistical analysis confirmed the significant positive correlations between the expression of target genes and concentrations of carotenoids. Herein, a theoretical basis was gained to exploit in the food, pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries

Impact of Social Media on Psychological Health: Challenges and Opportunities

Background and Aim: During the past few years, social networking has become very popular. Currently, there is a lack of information about the uses, benefits, and limitations of social media for health communication in society.Material and Methods: This paper will review some of challenges and opportunities to use social and their impact on psychological health. In this review we searched all valuable and relevant information considering the social media impact on psychological health. We referred to the information databases of Medline, PubMed, Scopus and Google scholar.Conclusion: Social media brings a new dimension to health care, offering a platform used by the public, patients, and health professionals to communicate about health issues with the possibility of potentially improving health outcomes. More study is required to establish whether social media has impact on mental health in both the short and long terms

Novel formulation and evaluation of a Q10-loaded solid lipid nanoparticle cream: in vitro and in vivo studies

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) were formulated by a high-pressure homogenization method. The best formulation of SLN dispersion consisted of 13% lipid (cetyl palmitate or stearic acid), 8% surfactant (Tween 80 or Tego Care 450), and water. Stability tests, particle size analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy, and release study were conducted to find the best formulation. A simple cream of CoQ10 and a cream containing CoQ10-loaded SLNs were prepared and compared on volunteers aged 20–30 years. SLNs with particle size between 50 nm and100 nm exhibited the most suitable stability. In vitro release profiles of CoQ10 from simple cream, SLN alone, and CoQ10-loaded SLN cream showed prolonged release for SLNs compared with the simple cream, whereas there was no significant difference between SLN alone and SLN in cream. In vitro release studies also demonstrated that CoQ10-loaded SLN and SLN cream possessed a biphasic release pattern in comparison with simple cream. In vivo skin hydration and elasticity studies on 25 volunteers suggested good dermal penetration and useful activity of Q10 on skin as a hydratant and antiwrinkle cream

The effect of L-carnitine on Oocyte Mitochondrial Activity after Cryopreservation

Background: Mitochondria are cellular organelles required for energy production, vital to reproduction, especially oocyte maturation and fertilization. It has been seen that oocyte cryopreservation (OC) can cause mitochondria damage, aggregation of lipid droplets near mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, and cryoinjury. In recent studies use of antioxidants such as L- carnitine can increase the number of active mitochondria and decrease intracellular ROS levels. The present study aimed to determine the beneficial effect of L –carnitine on oocyte mitochondrial activity after vitrification. Materials and Methods: In the present experimental study, 6-8 weeks of female NMRI mice were taken from the Royan Institute of Iran and stimulated with 7.5 IU Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotrophin (PMSG) and 10 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) after 48 hours was injected. After stimulation, oocytes were collected, and MII oocytes were selected. A two-step vitrification procedure was done, and 0.6mg/ml of L –carnitine was added to both ES and VS mediums. After two weeks, oocyte thawing was performed, intracellular GSH level was also measured mitochondrial membrane potential was measured. Captured images were analyzed by J software (Version 1.40; and obtained data were analyzed using SPSS Ver.20. Results: Average difference in intracytoplasmic GSH level in the study group was significantly higher than the control group (P<0.001). So, L –carnitine could successfully increase the oocyte intracytoplasmic GSH level. Also, it has been seen that the LC supplement could successfully grow oocyte mitochondrial function and subsequent mitochondrial membrane potentials(P<0.001). Conclusion: Adding LC to the cryopreservation media could increase mitochondrial activity, GSH level, and mitochondrial membrane potentials. Adding LC to the cryopreservation could enjoy the beneficial effect of L –carnitine on oocyte mitochondrial activity after vitrification and minimize mitochondrial damage and boost oocyte quality which can lead to successful fertilization and embryo growth

The Prevalence of Hyperamylasemia and Its Relationship With Mortality in COVID-19 Patients

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Investigating the Relationship between Social Responsibility and Earnings Management in Banks through Emphasis on the Moderating Role of CEO Power

Considering the impact of CEO Power on a bank’s performance, CEOs can play a role in social responsibility and earnings management. Given that earnings management in banks can have various effects on other industries and the overall economy, banks tend to practice earnings management more frequently than non-financial organizations. Furthermore, due to a lack of transparency and information asymmetry, banks are required to be more accountable to society than other industries. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the impact of CEO Power on the relationship between social responsibility and earnings management in banks. The research sample comprises 16 banks listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange Market and Iran OTC between 2016 and 2021. These banks were selected to test the research hypothesis. The findings of the study suggest that social responsibility has a significant negative impact on earnings management in banks. This implies that an increase in social responsibility may lead to a decrease in information asymmetry and lack of transparency, resulting in a decrease in earnings management. Furthermore, the findings of the study indicate that CEO power does not play a significant role in moderating the relationship between social responsibility and earnings management in banks.IntroductionIndeed, engaging banks in social responsibility practices is expected to be beneficial for their stakeholders. In this context, stakeholders are often attracted to banks with a good reputation for social responsibility. Therefore, executives may engage in social responsibility activities to gain support from stakeholders, defend themselves against stakeholder activism, manage their business reputation, or protect their own careers. However, executives may also engage in social responsibility activities to manipulate earnings management and hide their self-interest motivations, which leads to agency problems. These agency problems arise when executives take opportunistic actions such as earnings management to maximize their profits, increasing the bank's agency costs. Given the influence of powerful CEOs on a bank’s performance, powerful CEOs play a role in social responsibility and earnings manipulation. Therefore, CEO power is one of the most important determinants affecting managers’ decisions.the current research has several important aspects. First, it extends the literature on the effect of commitment to social responsibility activities on firm earnings management, with a specific focus on the banking sector. Second, the research fills a gap in the literature regarding the role of social responsibility in financial reporting. Previous studies have not provided a clear consensus on whether social responsibility commitment has a positive or negative impact on financial reporting quality. Given the diversity of findings reported by previous studies, more research is needed to focus on understanding how social responsibility commitment can affect financial reporting quality, as proxied by earnings management practices.Does social responsibility affect banks' earnings management? Does CEO power have a significant effect on the relationship between social responsibility and earnings management of banks and strengthen this relationship?Literature Review2.1. Corporate social responsibility and earnings managementTo understand the link between corporate social responsibility (SR) and earnings management (EM), previous studies have proposed two perspectives: the ethical perspective and the managerial opportunism perspective. The ethical perspective assumes that EM is negatively associated with SR, while the managerial opportunism perspective argues that EM and SR are positively related. This leads us to our first hypothesis:H1. There is a significant relationship between SR and EM.2.2. Corporate social responsibility, earnings management and CEO powerGiven the influence of powerful CEOs on bank’s performance, powerful CEOs play a significant role in both SR input and earnings manipulation. Therefore, CEO power is considered one of the crucial determinants affecting managerial decisions. Hence, CEO power may have a moderating effect on the relationship between SR and EM. Accordingly, we propose the following hypothesis:H2. Powerful CEOs moderate the SR–EM relationship. MethodologyThe statistical population of this research consists of banks enlisted in the Tehran Stock Exchange Market and Iran OTC. The data from 16 banks for the period between 2016 to 2021 have been analyzed to test the research hypotheses. The statistical method employed in this study is the regression model of mixed data using panel data approach with a random effects estimation.ResultsThe obtained results suggest that social responsibility has a negative and significant effect on bank’s earnings management. In other words, as social responsibility increases, earnings management in banks is expected to decrease. Furthermore, the results show that the significant relationship between social responsibility and earnings management is not maintained when the adjusting variable of the CEO's power is included. In other words, the CEO's power does not have a significant effect on the relationship between social responsibility and earnings management.Discussion and ConclusionWith an increase in activities related to social responsibility, banks experience a decrease in earnings management. This observation aligns with the ethical perspective and the signaling theory, which suggest that social responsibility can serve as a tool to reduce earnings management. Banks with higher levels of social responsibility not only exhibit greater transparency regarding their social responsibility initiatives and stronger engagement with stakeholders, but they also tend to engage in less earnings management. Additionally, the study found that CEO power does not moderate the relationship between social responsibility and bank earnings management. This finding contradicts the theoretical foundations and the research background, which propose that CEOs may use social responsibility to gain stakeholder support, manage their reputation, and defend against stakeholder activism. Therefore, it is evident that relying solely on CEO power and characteristics may not lead to accurate decision-making in this domain. Shareholders and other financial decision-makers should consider factors beyond CEO power when attempting to moderate the relationship between social responsibility and earnings management

Synergistic Effects of Capsaicin and Quercetin Improved Induced Premature Ovarian Failure in Rat

Objective: Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a heterogeneous disorder. POF is defined as hypergonadotropichypoestrogenism in women under 40 years. There is no effective treatment to cure POF patients. Antioxidants preventovarian damage by reducing the lipid peroxidation cascades affecting folliculogenesis, meiosis and ovulation. Hence;the aim of present study was to investigate the effects of Capsaicin (CAP) and Quercetin (QUR) on cyclophosphamide(CYC)-induced POF in rat model.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, POF was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 200 mg/kg CYC onfirst day and then 8 mg/kg/day for the following 3 days. After 4 days of CYC administration, rats were randomly dividedinto five groups (n=6/group) as follows: POF, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), CAP (0.5 mg/kg/day), QUR (100 mg/kg/day)and CAP+QUR. Biochemical, hormonal, gene expression, and histological evaluations were performed on blood serumand tissue samples after 14 days of treatment with the CAP and QUR.Results: CAP, QUR and CAP+QUR groups showed signs of restored ovarian function in the form of a significantincrease in serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), estrogen, progesterone and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) levelsversus POF and DMSO groups and a significant improvement in histological parameters and follicle numbers intreatment groups compared to POF and DMSO groups. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis demonstrated thatCAP and QUR upregulate the expression of BAX gene and decreased the expression of apoptosis inducing genes(BCL-2 and P53).Conclusion: CAP and QUR treatment of CYC-induced POF rats showed a positive effect on reducing ovarian damageby improving TAC levels, expression of apoptotic genes, levels of ovarian reserve markers, and histological parameters.Our results suggest that treatment with CAP or QUR may be a conservative treatment approach for CYC -induced POF

Ubiquinone Ameliorates Hippocampus Injury Induced by Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion

Background: Apoplexy is known as a critical issue all over the world and certain parts of the brain are more sensitive to Ischemia/cerebral reperfusion such as the hippocampus. Coenzyme Q10 is a powerful anti-oxidant, which helps in cells membrane durability. Aim: This study attempts to find the effect of coenzyme Q10 on the change of hippocampal area texture after cerebral reperfusion/Ischemia.                                                                                                                                Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were organized into 4 groups of six including control, Ischemia, vehicle and experimental groups, with 100 mg /Kg of coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 was given to the rats 5 days before and 3 days after Ischemia/reperfusion induction. Ischemia was done for 20 minutes by reciprocal blocking of carotid arteries. The rat’s brains were removed and stained by applying the chrysalis fast violet method. The number of viable cells of the hippocampal regions of all 4 groups was counted by Imaging-Pro-Plus software. Statistical analysis of the data was then accomplished by one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test. Results: Findings revealed that the number of viable cells in CA2 and CA3 area reduced following ischemia induction. Whereas, there was no notable change between the control and experimental groups in terms of cells numbers. Besides, there was no remarkable change between the control, experimental and ischemia groups in terms of the number of cells within CA4 area. Conclusion: The results support the use of coenzyme Q10 as a neurotrophic substance and as an adjunctive therapy in patients at risk for ischemic stroke

Efficacy of DVIU and intralesional injection of mitomycin C in the treatment of bulbar urethral stricture

Background and aim: To find if intra-operative local injection of Mitomycin-C after internal Urethrotomy in patients with urethral stricture can improve the outcome of surgery.Materials and Methods: Seventy patients were allocated in two groups randomly and data were analyzed. The case group (n=35) was treated by internal Urethrotomy with intra-operative local injection of Mitomycin-C. The control group (n=35) was underwent standard internal Urethrotomy. The patients were followed after removing catheter and for 6 months after surgery by USS PROM questionnaire and uroflowmetry.Results: A significant difference was observed in terms of urodynamic indices like Q-max (p-value=0.006) and urine flow pattern (p-value=0.025) after internal Urethrotomy in the local injection of Mitomycin-C group and control group, six months after surgery. In the case group, in the six months after operation, only 2.9% of patients had Q-max less than 15 and no one had obstructive pattern, while in the control group, 25.7% of patients had Q- max less than 15 and 17.1% had obstructive pattern. However, the patient's satisfaction history did not show any significant difference in post-internal Urethrotomy voiding status in the local injection of Mitomycin-C group and control group, either immediately after removal of the urethral catheter (p-value=1) and six months after surgery (p-value=0.198). Also, no significant difference was observed in terms of urodynamic indices like Q-max (p-value=0.771) and urine flow pattern (p-value=1) after internal Urethrotomy in the local injection of Mitomycin-C group and control group, immediately after removal of the urethral catheter.Conclusions: Intra-operative local injection of Mitomycin-C after internal Urethrotomy can be regarded as a safe and efficient technique which has several advantages including lower cost. Lower recurrence rate of urethral stricture is the main effect of local Mitomycin-C application that is more prominent after six months follow up