Antioxidant and antihemolytic activities of methanol extract of Hyssopus angustifolius

This study was designed to evaluate antioxidant and antihemolytic activities of Hyssopus angustifolius flower, stem and leaf methanol extracts by employing various in vitro assays. The leaf extract showed the best activity in DPPH (63.2 ± 2.3 μg mL-1) and H2O2  (55.6 ± 2.6 μg mL-1) models compared to the other extracts. However, flower extract exhibited the highest Fe2+ chelating activity (131.4 ± 4.4 μg mL-1). The extracts exhibited good antioxidant activity in linoleic acid peroxidation and reducing power assays, but were not comparable to vitamin C. The stem (23.58 ± 0.7 μg mL-1) and leaf (26.21 ± 1 μg mL-1) extracts showed highest level of antihemolytic activity than the flower extract

Antioxidant and Antihaemolytic Activities of the Leaves of Kefe cumin (Laser trilobum L) Umbelliferae

Purpose: To investigate the antioxidant and antihaemolytic properties of the leaves of Laser trilubum grown in Gaduk, Iran. Methods: The antioxidant and antihaemolytic activities of the hydroalcohol extract of L. trilobum L. leaf were investigated by haemoglobin-induced linoleic acid peroxidation, scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide, as well as by assessment of reducing power and Fe2+ chelating activity, using standard methods. Phenol and flavonoid contents were determined as gallic acid and quercetin equivalents, respectively. Results: The extract showed antioxidant activity in some models, with 50 % inhibitory concentration (IC50) for DPPH radical-scavenging activity being 147.1 ± 7.5 μg ml-1. The extract showed good nitric oxide-scavenging activity of between 0.1 and 1.6 mg ml-1 (IC50 = 517.7 ± 23.1 vs. 20 ± 0.01 μg ml-1 for quercetin), weak Fe2+ chelating ability (IC50, 906.9 ± 37.8 μg ml-1), and low antioxidant activity in haemoglobin-induced linoleic acid system. However, it was capable of scavenging hydrogen peroxide in a concentration-dependent manner while also exhibiting potent antihaemolytic activity against H2O2 - induced haemolysis (IC50, 169.6 ± 6.9 μg ml-1). Total phenolic content was 75 ± 3 mg gallic acid equivalent/g and total flavonoid content 59.2 ± 2.1 mg quercetin equivalent/g. The amounts of gallic acid, quercetin and rutin were 0.99 ± 0.04, 0.63 ± 0.01 and < 0.10 μg/mg, respectively. Conclusion: L. trilobum exhibited good but varying levels of antioxidant and antihaemolytic activities in nearly all the models studied, when compared with controls.Keywords: Antioxidant activity, Laser trilobum, Antihaemolytic, Flavonoids, Kefe cumi

Some conditions implying normality of operators

Let $T\in\mathbb{B}(\mathscr{H})$ and $T=U|T|$ be its polar decomposition. We proved that (i) if $T$ is log-hyponormal or $p$-hyponormal and $U^n=U^\ast$ for some $n$, then $T$ is normal; (ii) if the spectrum of $U$ is contained in some open semicircle, then $T$ is normal if and only if so is its Aluthge transform $\widetilde{T}=|T|^{1\over2}U|T|^{1\over2}$

The Study of Bureaucratic Characteristics in the Administrative Organizations of Iran: The Case of Personnel of Governmental Organizations in Ahvaz City

This paper represents an attempt to study bureaucracy in the administrative organizations of Iran as a developing country. Therefore, it aims to explore how the bureaucratic characteristics are in the governmental organizations of Iran.This study was carried out through the survey method. The data research have been collected by survey from a sample 400 person taken from the staffs population of  30 governmental organizations of Ahvaz-capital of Khuzestan, a province in south west of Iran- through stratified  cluster sampling.The results showed that bureaucracy in the administrative organizations of Iran couldn’t be considered as an unitary concept. Six bureaucratic characteristics formed two high-order factors that were inversely correlated together. First factor was control including Hierarchy of authority, rule observation and formality in relationships(Impersonality). Second factor was expertise including job codification, technical competence and division of labor.In conclusion, bureaucracy in the administrative organizations of Iran is multidimensional. Also, it seems that the internal relations among bureaucratic characteristics in Iran’s governmental organizations are rather different than the results of western studies. Keywords: Bureaucracy, bureaucratic characteristics, Control, Expertise, Administrative organizations of Iran

Impaired aortic distensibility measured by computed tomography is associated with the severity of coronary artery disease.

Impaired aortic distensibility index (ADI) is associated with cardiovascular risk factors. This study evaluates the relation of ADI measured by computed tomographic angiography (CTA) with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis in subjects with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Two hundred and twenty-nine subjects,age 63 ± 9 years, 42% female, underwent coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning and CTA, and their ADI and Framingham risk score (FRS) were measured. End-systolic and end-diastolic (ED) cross-sectional-area(CSA) of ascending-aorta (AAo) was measured 15-mm above the left-main coronary ostium. ADI was defined as: [(Δlumen-CSA)/(lumen-CSA in ED × systemic-pulse-pressure) × 10(3)]. ADI measured by 2D-trans-thoracic echocardiography (TTE) was compared with CTA-measured ADI in 26 subjects without CAC. CAC was defined as 0, 1-100, 101-400 and 400+. CAD was defined as luminal stenosis 0, 1-49% and 50%+. There was an excellent correlation between CTA- and TTE-measured ADI (r(2)=0.94, P=0.0001). ADI decreased from CAC 0 to CAC 400+; similarly from FRS 1-9% to FRS 20% + (P&lt;0.05). After adjustment for risk factors, the relative risk for each standard deviation decrease in ADI was 1.66 for CAC 1-100, 2.26 for CAC 101-400 and 2.32 for CAC 400+ as compared to CAC 0; similarly, 2.36 for non-obstructive CAD and 2.67 for obstructive CAD as compared to normal coronaries. The area under the ROC-curve to predict significant CAD was 0.68 for FRS, 0.75 for ADI, 0.81 for CAC and 0.86 for the combination (P&lt;0.05). Impaired aortic distensibility strongly correlates with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis. Addition of ADI to CAC and traditional risk factors provides incremental value to predict at-risk individuals

The effect of marine fish cage culture on benthic communities using BOPA index in Ghazale Creek

The present work has been carried out to investigate the probable effects of fish cage culture on benthic communities as a pollution and stress indicator and to evaluate the biotic health condition using BOPA index, in Ghazale Creek (Khowre-Mussa - Persian Gulf). Monthly sampling from 4 stations was carried out from June 2007 to March 2008 (during nine months). Stations were selected from under the cage to 400 m distant (as control site) in Ghazale Creek. Three samples were taken at each station for macrobenthos and one for sediment grain size and total organic matter (TOM), using a 0.0125 m2 van veen grab. Also physical-chemical parameters sampling from three stations was done (during nine months). Stations were under cage station, 50 m and 400 m far from cages in Ghazale Creek.The percentage of total organic matter (TOM) in sediment ranged from 6.11 to 23.26 and the range of silty-clay percentage was from 4.76 to 97.47. The dominant macrobenthos groups were Polychaets (60.62%), Mulluska (19.67%), Crustacea (16.49%). Macrobenthic abundance, biomass and diversity index values in the under cage station were less than that in the control station. Comparing the results of BOPA with the guidelines shows that all stations had bad environmental conditions. The under cage station was more polluted than the control station. The range of physical-chemical parameters in water were: DO ­(6.5-11.43) ppm,­ BOD ­(1.5-10.9) ppm, Salinity (43-45.6) ppt, NO2- (0.006-0.29) ppb, NO3- (3.98-32.2) ppm, Turbidity (14-70)­ NTU temperature (11.8-32.5) ° C