Impact of L-carnitine and selenium treatment on testicular apoptosis in rats exposed to 2.45 GHz microwave energy

Objective: It has been suggested that electromagnetic radiation (EMR) by wireless devices (2.45 GHz) induces testicular apoptosis. We investigated if supplemental selenium (Se) and L-carnitine may reduce this adverse effect. Material: Twelve-week old maleWistar albino rats were used in this study. Twenty-four rats were equally divided into four groups which were named as: sham group, EMR-only, EMR+L-carnitine (1.5 mg L-carnitine/ kg/day) and EMR+Se (1.5 mg Se/kg/ every other day). Results: The level of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 and -8 were compared and a significant difference was found between the sham and EMR-only groups (p < 0.05), and Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 and -8 expressions increased in the EMR-only group. The level of Bcl-2, Bax, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), caspase- 3 and -8 were compared and a significant difference was found between the sham and EMR+L-carnitine groups (p < 0.05) and Bcl-2, Bax, TNF-α, caspase-3 and -8 expressions increased in the EMR+L-carnitine group. The level of Bcl-2, Bax, TNF-α, caspase-3 and -8 were compared and a significant difference was found between the sham and EMR+Se groups (p < 0.05) and Bcl-2, Bax, TNF-α, caspase-3 and -8 expressions increased in the EMR+Se group. When the expression of caspase-8 was compared, a significant difference was found between the EMR-only and EMR+Se groups (p < 0.05). Caspase-8 expression decreased in EMR+Se group compared with EMR-only group. Conclusion: Electromagnetic radiation exposure resulted in testicular apoptosis in rats, mainly by the intrinsic pathways by down-regulated expression of caspase-8. Reduction in the activation of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis was found higher with selenium administration compared with L-carnitine administration

A Simulation supported chimney design application for greener buildings

Exhaust gases emitted by heat sources must be discharged into the atmosphere in the most dependable manner possible without endangering human health. This is possible because the chimneys are connected to the heat source. There are some guidelines for locating chimneys in relation to existing structures, determining the minimum height, and calculating the chimney section. The performance of the heat source is also directly affected by the correct sizing of the chimneys. The large diameter of the chimney at a fixed height causes hot air inside the heat source to be thrown into the atmosphere more than necessary, resulting in incomplete combustion formation and additional cost. A small chimney diameter affects the device\u27s combustion performance and causes efficiency loss. The ideal chimney diameter should be chosen with the existing conditions in mind. There are numerous calculation programs available for checking chimney diameter on a computer. In this study, the performances of chimney building materials and chimney type alternatives that can be used for the most environmental chimney design in a planned building in Malatya province of Turkey were investigated. Boilers for the building are designed as solid fuel (coal). The calculations have been expanded so that the boiler capacities are between 100.000 kcal/h and 250.000 kcal/h, taking into account the variability of the usable energy amounts in the planned building. The analysis was carried out for comparison using the Kesa-aladin calculation program, which was accepted by Europ

Heterologous immunity of virus-specific T cells leading to alloreactivity: possible implications for solid organ transplantation

Exposure of the adaptive immune system to a pathogen can result in the activation and expansion of T cells capable of recognizing not only the specific antigen but also different unrelated antigens, a process which is commonly referred to as heterologous immunity. While such cross-reactivity is favourable in amplifying protective immune responses to pathogens, induction of T cell-mediated heterologous immune responses to allo-antigens in the setting of solid organ transplantation can potentially lead to allograft rejection. In this review, we provide an overview of murine and human studies investigating the incidence and functional properties of virus-specific memory T cells cross-reacting with allo-antigens and discuss their potential relevance in the context of solid organ transplantation.Transplantation and autoimmunit

HLA-specific memory B-cell detection in kidney transplantation: insights and future challenges

Humoral alloimmunity mediated by anti-human leucocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies is a major challenge in kidney transplantation and impairs the longevity of the transplanted organ. The immunological risk of an individual patient is currently mainly assessed by detection of HLA antibodies in the serum, which are produced by long-lived bone marrow-residing plasma cells. However, humoral alloimmunity is complex, and alloreactive memory B cells constitute an additional factor in the interplay of immune cells. These recirculating "silent" cells are responsible for the immunological recall response by differentiating into antibody-producing cells upon antigen re-encounter. Historically, due to the lack of appropriate and routinely applicable assays to determine the presence and HLA specificity of alloreactive memory B cells, their contribution to the humoral alloimmune response has clinically often been suspected but could not be determined. In this review, we give an overview of recent advances in techniques to detect alloreactive memory B cells and discuss their strengths and limitations. Furthermore, we summarize experiences with these techniques in alloimmunized individuals and transplant recipients, thereby emphasizing unmet needs to be addressed in future studies.Transplantation and autoimmunit

Selective Sweeps in Growing Microbial Colonies

Evolutionary experiments with microbes are a powerful tool to study mutations and natural selection. These experiments, however, are often limited to the well-mixed environments of a test tube or a chemostat. Since spatial organization can significantly affect evolutionary dynamics, the need is growing for evolutionary experiments in spatially structured environments. The surface of a Petri dish provides such an environment, but a more detailed understanding of microbial growth on Petri dishes is necessary to interpret such experiments. We formulate a simple deterministic reaction-diffusion model, which successfully predicts the spatial patterns created by two competing species during colony expansion. We also derive the shape of these patterns analytically without relying on microscopic details of the model. In particular, we find that the relative fitness of two microbial strains can be estimated from the logarithmic spirals created by selective sweeps. The theory is tested with strains of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, for spatial competitions with different initial conditions and for a range of relative fitnesses. The reaction-diffusion model also connects the microscopic parameters like growth rates and diffusion constants with macroscopic spatial patterns and predicts the relationship between fitness in liquid cultures and on Petri dishes, which we confirmed experimentally. Spatial sector patterns therefore provide an alternative fitness assay to the commonly used liquid culture fitness assays.Molecular and Cellular Biolog

A Market Research Of Obesity And Bariatric Surgery In Turkey And Tunisia

This article aims to discuss four topics according to the recent scientific data a) to overview the frequency of obese and overweight individuals among Tunisia and Turkey populations; b) to examine health technology assessment of bariatric surgery (BS) report (HTA) in Tunisia and Turkey; c) to evaluate the cost and cost reimbursements by social health systems for bariatric surgery in Turkey and Tunisia; d) to examine the total number of bariatric surgical procedures and their costs in state and private health organizations in Tunisia and Turkey. The OECD (2011-2017) Turkey report was included for the data for the frequency of obese and over-weighted people among the general population Turkey, while the WHO report of «Diabetes Prevalence and Diabetes Risk Factors» of 2016 was included for Tunisia