Topical Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Activities of Citrullus colocynthis Extract Cream in Rats.

Background and objectives:Citrullus colocynthis (CC), known as bitter apple, is used to treat diabetes in Iranian traditional medicine. The aim of this study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of CC cream in rats. Materials and Methods: The carrageenan-induced edema in a rat hind paw was carried out to evaluate the topical anti-inflammatory effect of the CC fruit extract cream (2⁻8%) and the tissue levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were estimated by using a commercial ELISA kit. The topical antinociceptive activity of CC cream (2⁻8%) was evaluated in the rat formalin test. To determine the role of opioid receptors in the local antinociceptive effect of the CC cream, naloxone (20 μg/paw, i.pl.), a non-selective opioid antagonist, was used. Results: The results showed that the CC cream (2⁻8%) dose-dependently reduced the carrageenan-induced paw edema and reversed the changes in the level of TNF-α and IL-6 due to carrageenan-induced edema (p < 0.01). The anti-inflammatory effect of CC cream 8% was comparable to that of hydrocortisone ointment 1%. Furthermore, the application of CC cream (2⁻8%) dose-dependently inhibited both first and second phases of the formalin test (p < 0.05). The antinociceptive effect of the CC cream (8%) was comparable to that of methyl salicylate cream 30%. Moreover, the administration of naloxone significantly reversed the topical antinociceptive effect of the CC cream (p < 0.05). Conclusions: For the first time, this study indicated that the topical application of CC cream possesses significant anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities in animal models, which were probably mediated by opioid receptors and the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6). Thus, the CC cream can be used to treat inflammatory pain and inflammatory diseases

Association of Decorative Elements in Haj Agha Ali House, the Largest Adobe House in the World

Historical houses in Qajar era are among the most significant works of that time which represent specific features of that time having a close relationship with daily life of people. The houses are important for their plans and architectural spaces and they are also culturally and aesthetically unique because they contain many decoration and elements which are treasures of art and handicrafts.  In this development, research was conducted in a library. Here motifs used in Haj Agha Ali house have been categorized after analysis and comparison. In fact, decoration is an integral part of traditional architecture in Iran as they show the type of using space and they also represent the dominant mind set of that time. Qajar art as occasion served was exposed with western elements and reacted upon them. The result of such reaction in architectural decoration is that in many cases imported elements are created with traditional elements in an associated combination. Although in some cases, the full unity is not the case but generally, the artists of that time could get to a general unity in architectural decorations with a combination of different cultural elements. Because there have been no comprehensive studies about the decorations of the house, the present study can introduce aesthetics features and concepts and open the doors of modern plans for the younger generations

Established and Future Promising Fertility Preservation Options in Adolescence and Adults

Over the past decades, due to a high number of cancer survivors, the demands for fertility preservation have been raised dramatically, and this might come from recent progress in the cancer prognosis and diagnosis procedures. For those who are involved in cancer diseases, there are multiple options regarding their fertility preservation which can be selected based on patient’s age, the risk of gonadal involvement, the time available and the type of cancer with different advantages and disadvantages. Among all possible options, embryo cryopreservation for females and semen freezing for males are the most applicable method, however other options such as gonadal tissue cryopreservation, and oocyte cryopreservation are other promising options which would be considered if the partner was not available. As conclusion, this is noteworthy that women with cancer must benefit from adequate consultations regarding their possible fertility preservation options and immediate correct consultations definitely can help families to make their mind to choose best available options

The Effect of Implementation of Smart Board on Iranian Lower-Intermediate EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension and Their Intrinsic Motivation in Reading

Smart board has been found as an effective learning tool in English as foreign language (EFL) reading comprehension. The present study aims at exploring the effects of smart board on reading comprehension and intrinsic motivation to read. Among 90 EFL learners, fifty-two Iranian lower-intermediate EFL learners were selected based on Quick Placement Test (QPT) developed by Oxford University Press and University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (2001). These participants were randomly assigned in two experimental (smart board) and one control (traditional board) groups. Each group included 26 male EFL students. At the beginning of the study, pretest (Reading Comprehension Test from Key English Test developed by Cambridge ESOL Examination, 2008) was administered to both experimental and control groups. In addition to KET, a translated copy of intrinsic motivation in English reading questionnaire (IMERQ) adopted from Wigfield and Guthrie (1997) was given to these two groups. Throughout the course of 14 sessions (three months), participants in experimental group were taught reading materials from Intro-interchange (Ricahrds, 2005) by using smart board. Participants in control group took benefits from traditional board. Reading materials were the same for both groups. Finally, participants in both groups sat for posttest. Here, both instruments administered at the start of the study, were used as the posttest. Results of t-test indicated that implementation of smart-board significantly improved participants' reading comprehension and their intrinsic motivation to read. These findings provide pedagogical implications for utilizing smart board in EFL context. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n4s1p28

Radiolabeling of Herceptin with 99mTc as a Her2 tracer

Introduction: Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that is used in treating breast cancer. We labeled this monoclonal antibody with Technetium-99m and performed in vitro and in vivo quality control tests as a first step in the production of a new radiopharmaceutical. Methods: Trastuzumab was labeled with Technetium-99m using Succinimidyl Hydrazinonicotinamide (HYNIC) as chelator. Radiochemical Purity and stability in buffer and serum were determined. Immunoreactivity and toxicity of the complex were tested on SKBR3, MCF7 and A431 breast cancer cell lines. Biodistribution study was performed in normal mice at 4 and 24 h post injection.Results: The radiochemical purity of the complex was 95±1.4%. The stabilities in phosphate buffer and in human blood serum at 24 h post preparation were 85±3.5% and 74±1.2%, respectively. The immunoreactivity of the complex was 86±1.4%. The binding of labeled antibody to the surface of SKBR3, MCF7 and A431 cells were increased by increasing Her2 concentration on the cells surface.Conclusions: The findings showed that the new radiopharmaceutical can be a promising candidate as Her2 antigen scanning for human breast cancer

An Investigating into the Differences between Advanced and Intermediate Proficiency Levels in EFL Writing Skill Test

In this study, it is aimed to determine the most measured writing constructs based on confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the significant differences in the specifications of the EFL writing skills test between Iranian advanced and intermediate proficiency level learners. For this purpose, sequential combination method was performed to provide comprehensive answers to research questions. In the present study, 60 out of 114 Iranian language learners from Boroujerd Branch Azad University were selected as participants. Then, the quantitative stage was followed by the qualitative stage. The research tools included Oxford Placement Test (OPT), structured survey questionnaire, semi-structured interview, and writing tasks. The participants were divided into advanced and intermediate groups based on the students&#39; writing skills scores. Moreover, independent t-tests as well as principal component analysis (PCA), were used to compare the advanced and intermediate groups. The results showed that there is a significant difference between Iranian learners with high and medium skill level in the most measured structures in the specifications of the Iranian EFL writing skills test. Most of the measured structures included mode, evaluation and mechanics, respectively

Qualitative evaluation of filter function in brain SPECT [Persian]

Abstract Introduction: Filtering can greatly affect the quality of clinical images. Determining the best filter and the proper degree of smoothing can help to ensure the most accurate diagnosis. Methods: Forty five patient's data aquired during brain phantom SPECT studies were reconstructed using filtered back-projection technique. The ramp, Shepp-Logan, Cosine, Hamming, Hanning, Butterworth, Metz and Wiener filters were examined to find the optimum condition for each filter. For each slice image, 6200 reconstruction options were ..