Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in baluch women in Chabahar

Epidemiological studies have shown the importance of the metabolic syndrome. With estimation of the metabolic syndrome, it may predict cardiovascular disease, sudden death and the presence of some other cardiovascular risk factors. The aim of this study was to assess the metabolic syndrome among Baluch women. Our study consisted of 120 Baluch women. Baseline data of Baluch women, prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components and distribution of body mass index were determined. The mean Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, triglyceride, High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (HDL-Chol.) and fasting blood glucose levels were significantly higher in the subjects with metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of HDL-cholesterol, high triglyceride, high fasting glucose levels, high waist circumference and high blood pressure were shown to be 33.3, 20.8, 12.5, 11.8 and 2.5, respectively. HDL-cholesterol (33.3) and high triglyceride levels (20.8) were the most frequent characteristics of metabolic components. The prevalence of subject with normal weight, overweight and obese BMIs were 77.5, 15 and 7.5, respectively. About 9.17, 4.17 and 4.17 of Baluch women had three, four and five criteria of metabolic syndrome components, respectively. This study reveals that there is a significant difference in the metabolic syndrome components in patients with and without metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of HDL-cholesterol and high triglyceride in Baluch women was highest. Definition of metabolic syndrome may help physicians to estimate, decrease and prevent coronary heart disease and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in subjects with metabolic syndrome. © 2015 Asian Network for Scientific Information

Genetic polymorphism of cytochrome p450 (2C9) enzyme in Iranian Baluch ethnic group

The aim of the present study is to assess and compare the frequencies of the cytochrome P450 CYP2C9 variations in the Baluch ethnic group (n=110) with other ethnic groups. The allele frequencies of CYP2C9*1, CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 were 80.90%, 11.82% and 7.27%, respectively. 70.90%, 11.82%, 8.18%, 4.55%, 2.73% and 1.82% of subjects were with CYP2C9*1/*1, CYP2C9*1/*2, CYP2C9*1/*3, CYP2C9*2/*2, CYP2C9*2/*3 and CYP2C9*3/*3 genotypes, respectively. Different mutants may effect on prediction of drug dose requirements in different ethnic groups. Thus, CYP2C9 variants to be determined for findings high risk groups use optimal dosage of drugs metabolized by this polymorphic enzyme. © Tabari et al.; Licensee Bentham Open

Effect of oral evening primrose capsules on ripening of the cervix in nulliparous Iranian pregnant women (A randomized trial)

Introduction: Ripening of the cervix and uterine contractions are two basic factors of a successful delivery. Lack of ripening of the cervix is considered to be one of the problems of delivery. Thus, the present research was designed to determine the effect of oral evening primrose capsules on the ripening of cervix in nulliparous women. Materials and methods: This research has been conducted with the triple-blind randomized trial method on 80 nulliparous women in the 40th week of pregnancy (6th day + 40 weeks) visiting the prenatal clinic Prenatal clinic Shahid Akbarabadi educational and medical center of Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2015. Samples were divided into two equal groups of medicine and placebo with the randomized allocation method. Each of the participants took a bottle containing 14 1000mg oral evening primrose capsules (2 capsules per day, each 12 twelve hours for a week) or the placebo containing 14 1000mg oral capsules of paraffin in similar bottles. Data collecting tools include: demographic specifications questionnaire and the form of the records of the examinations. Data was analyzed through statistical tests and SPSS software version 16 using descriptive inferential statistic. Findings: Similarity of the two groups in terms of individual specifications and Bishop Score before the intervention were reviewed in the two groups and no significant statistical difference was seen between the two groups. The mean of the Bishop score for those who had taken 10 or more capsules after the intervention did not show a statistically significant difference (p=0.110). Conclusion: Consumption of evening primrose did not show a considerable improvement in the score. It is recommended to do more comparative studies in this field in later weeks of pregnancy due to the conflicts of the studies

Reuse of Iraqi Agricultural Drainage Water Using Nanofiltration

Abstract: Irrigated areas between Euphrates and Tigris rivers in Iraq suffer from salinity buildup in the root zone of corps. Agricultural drain water (ADW) from these areas is collected in a single main drain canal, in an annual flow rate of about 6 billion cubic meter. In the present work, a pilot-scale nanofiltration membranes unit was used to evaluate the feasibility of desalinating ADW from the main drain canal for further reuse. Bench scale experiments were conducted to determine the optimum anti-scale dosage values in the unit. These values were verified in a plate type laboratory scale NF membrane to visually monitor the onset of crystal appearance behavior. A method for calcium sulfate precipitation control is presented and an empirical correlation of anti-scale dosage as a function of concentration factor (CF) was obtained. A pilot-scale unit was used to investigate the performance of NF membrane. High rejection values for both cations and anions indicate that the use of NF membrane in desalinating ADW from the Iraqi main drain canal is promising. The treated drainage water is considered good for irrigation when classified according to Wilcox classification

Polypropylene fibre reinforced cement mortars containing rice husk ash and nano-alumina

This paper presents the effects of incorporating two supplementary cementitious materials: rice husk ash (RHA) and nano-alumina (NA) in polypropylene fiber (PPF) reinforced cement mortars. RHA is an agricultural waste material and thus recycling of this material has substantial economic and environmental benefits. Compressive strength, flexural strength, water absorption and drying shrinkage of the hardened composites were investigated. The interfacial transition zone and the microstructures were studied by using scanning electron micrograph (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. A slight increase in compressive strength of mortar was observed by using up to 10 wt% of RHA as a replacement of cement. However, addition of nano-alumina helped the compressive strength of mortar remain approximately equal to that of the control specimen even when 20 or 30 wt% RHA was used. Addition of polypropylene fibers resulted in significant increase in the flexural strength of the mortar specimens. It was also observed that NA and PPF could reduce water absorption by pore blocking effect. The positive interactions between polypropylene fibers and RHA resulted in the lowest drying shrinkage of the fibrous mortar containing RHA. XRD analysis showed that the intensity of Alite and Belite phases decreased and new peak of portlandite produced with the addition of NA. The addition of RHA enhanced the late strength of the cement composites. Consequently, the combined addition of RHA, NA and PPF has resulted in increasing of flexural strength and reduction in both water absorption and drying shrinkage of mortars

Two-sex life table parameters of Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Lep.: Pyralidae) on different barley and wheat cultivars

In this study, two-sex life tableparameters of Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) were studied on seven cultivars of barley (Dasht, Khorram, Sahra, Reihan03, Fajr30, 5shoor and EH-83-7) and two cultivars of wheat (Bam and Sepahan) at 25 ± 1 °C, 65 ± 5% R.H., and 16:8 (L: D) h. The shortest and the longest larval periods were recorded on Reihan03 (42.58 ± 0.69 days) and EH-83-7 (53.42 ± 0.95 days) cultivars respectively. The longest and the shortest developmental periods for E. kuehniella were found on EH-83-7 (72.12 ± 1.61 days) and on Sepahan (58.19 ± 1.00 days) cultivars respectively. The heaviest and lightest pupaewere observed on Sepahan (21.07 ± 0.77 mg) and Fajr30 (15.20 ± 0.58 mg) cultivars respectively. The intrinsic rate of increase and net reproductive rate were the highest (0.07 ± 0.00 day-1 and 87.41 ± 1.89 offspring, respectively) on Sepahan, and the lowest (0.037 ± 0.00 day-1 and 12.29 ± 0.48 offspring, respectively) on Dasht cultivars. The results indicate that Sepahan wheat cultivar is the most suitable cultivar for the laboratory rearing of E. kuehniella

Magnetic properties of the spin S=1/2S=1/2 Heisenberg chain with hexamer modulation of exchange

We consider the spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain with alternating spin exchange %on even and odd sites in the presence of additional modulation of exchange on odd bonds with period three. We study the ground state magnetic phase diagram of this hexamer spin chain in the limit of very strong antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange on odd bonds using the numerical Lanczos method and bosonization approach. In the limit of strong magnetic field commensurate with the dominating AF exchange, the model is mapped onto an effective $XXZ$ Heisenberg chain in the presence of uniform and spatially modulated fields, which is studied using the standard continuum-limit bosonization approach. In absence of additional hexamer modulation, the model undergoes a quantum phase transition from a gapped string order into the only one gapless L\"uttinger liquid (LL) phase by increasing the magnetic field. In the presence of hexamer modulation, two new gapped phases are identified in the ground state at magnetization equal to 1/3 and 2/3 of the saturation value. These phases reveal themselves also in magnetization curve as plateaus at corresponding values of magnetization. As the result, the magnetic phase diagram of the hexamer chain shows seven different quantum phases, four gapped and three gapless and the system is characterized by six critical fields which mark quantum phase transitions between the ordered gapped and the LL gapless phases.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 24, 116002, (2012

Some Physiological Effects of Nanofertilizers on Wheat-Aphid Interactions

The increasing use of nanofertilizers in modern agriculture and their impact on crop yield and pest management require further research. In this study, the effects of nano-Fe, -Zn, and -Cu (which are synthesized based on nanochelating technology), and urea (N) fertilizers on the antioxidant activities of wheat plants (cv. Chamran), and the wheat green aphid Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) are investigated. The authors observed the highest levels of phenolics in non-infested nano-Zn-treated plants (26% higher compared with control). The highest H2O2 levels are in the infested and non-infested nano-Zn-treated and infested nano-Fe-treated plants (in infested nano-Zn and nano-Fe treated plants, 18% and non-infested nano-Zn-treated plants, 28% higher compared with control). The highest peroxidase (POX) activity is observed in the infested and non-infested N-treated and non-infested water-treated plants (almost 14%, 37%, and 46% higher than control, respectively). The lowest activity is in the infested plants’ nano-Zn and -Fe treatments (almost 7 and 5 folds lower compared to the control, respectively). The highest and lowest catalase (CAT) activity are in the infested N-treated plants (almost 42% higher than control) and water-treated plants, respectively. The infested nano-Zn, -Fe, -Cu and Hoagland-treated plants showed the highest superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Regarding the antioxidant enzyme activities of S. graminum, the highest POX activity is in the nano-Cu treatment (more than two folds higher compared with control); the highest CAT and SOD activities are in the nano-Cu and -Zn treatments. It can be concluded that the application of nanofertilizers caused increasing effects on the wheat plant’s antioxidant system and its resistance to S. graminum