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Objective: To explore the effect of ethyl acetate gum resin extract of Boswellia serrata on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation and oxidative damage in hepatic and renal tissues of rats. Methods: The rats were divided into four groups: control, LPS, LPS+Boswellia serrata extracts (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg). LPS (1 mg/kg) and the extract (100 and 200 mg/kg, 30 min before LPS) were administered intraperitoneally for 3 weeks. The levels of liver enzymes, albumin, total protein, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), interleukin (IL)-6, malondialdehyde (MDA), and total thiol groups and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were measured. Results: The levels of liver enzymes, creatinine, and BUN, IL-6, MDA in the LPS group were markedly increased (P<0.001) while albumin, total protein, and total thiol concentration, as well as SOD and CAT activities, were decreased compared with the control group (P<0.05 or 0.01). Boswellia serrata extracts diminished the levels of liver enzymes, creatinine, BUN, IL-6, and MDA (P<0.01 and P<0.001), and elevated the concentration of total protein and total thiol and SOD and CAT activities (P<0.05 or 0.01). Conclusions: The ethyl acetate gum resin extract of Boswellia serrata reduces LPS-induced inflammatory reactions and oxidative damage, thus ameliorating hepatic and renal function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Changes of the bilateral hippocampus in ICH at three different time points. • No obvious change in volume was observed after ICH despite a reduction in cell counts. • Striatal ICH results in reduced hippocampal transient functional connectivity. • NF-kB is a marker for early detection of ICH before the onset of cognitive impairment. Changes in cognition and memory are common complications of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), although the exact cause of this phenomenon is still unknown. The objectives of our project were to assess the changes in long-term potentiation, inflammation, and cell damage in the bilateral hippocampus following striatal intracerebral hemorrhage at different time points. Unilateral ICH was induced in the striatum of 96 Wistar rats (6 control groups and 6 ICH groups). We measured changes in synaptic inputs in the bilateral hippocampus using the field potential recording method on days 3, 7, and 14 after ICH. After staining the section with hematoxylin, the volume and number of hippocampal cells were measured. The number of NF-κB positive cells was evaluated using the immunohistochemistry method. There was a significant change in the amplitude and slope of the hippocampal excitatory potential in the ICH group compared to the sham group, but only on the 7th day after surgery. Specifically, the ipsilateral hippocampus in the ICH-7 group showed an increase in stimulation recording in 90 minutes compared to the sham-7 group (p<0.0001), while the contralateral hippocampus in the ICH-7 group exhibited a decrease in potential recording compared to the sham-7 group (p<0.0001). By day 14, the ICH group had a lower cell density in both the ipsilateral (p<0.05) and contralateral hippocampus (p<0.05) compared to the sham group, but there was no significant change in the hippocampal volume between the groups at any time interval. Furthermore, our immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the number of NF-kB-positive cells in both hemispheres of the ICH groups was significantly greater than that of the sham groups across all time intervals. These findings suggest that striatal injury may lead to inflammation and cell death in the bilateral hippocampus, which can impair cognitive function after ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Conceptual study and sustainability evaluation of a new multi-generation process. • Solid waste-incineration power plant was integrated with a PTC-based solar field. • Reducing the heat loss rate employing the integration of a heat recovery process. • Process can achieve energetic and exergetic efficiencies of 21.72% and 16.94%. • Sustainability index and Levelized Cost of Energy were 1.72 and 0.072 USD/kWh. The current article develops a conceptual study and simulation of a multigeneration process based on the solid waste-incineration power plant coupled with a field of solar thermal system. The considered multi-generation layout is comprised of a municipal solid waste incineration unit, a steam cycle, the concentrating solar thermal collectors (based on the parabolic trough collectors), an organic steam cycle, a desalination unit (based on a reverse osmosis unit), and a hydrogen fuel production unit (based on the alkaline electrolyzer). The planned multi-generation process can produce electricity, thermal energy, hydrogen energy, and freshwater. The paper addresses a multi-generation process with a new structure, configuration and relationships between the units of the process. A comprehensive thermodynamic-conceptual, exergoeconomic and sustainability evaluations of the multi-generation process is developed. The findings indicated that the process can achieve energetic and exergetic efficiencies of 21.72% and 16.94%, respectively. Moreover, approximately 42.2 MW of the exergy is destroyed by the process. In such a context, the total cost and sustainability index of the proposed process were 653.03 USD/h and 1.72, respectively. It was also found that the Levelized Cost of Energy of the system was almost 0.072 USD/kWh. A parametric analysis is also provided to identify influencing factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Exercise-induced asthma is seen following vigorous or prolonged exercise or physical exertion. It has been suggested that climatic conditions have an influence on exercise-induced asthma. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the effect of two climatic conditions on exercise-induced deterioration of pulmonary function tests in 10–12 year old students. Two hundred and fifty six students were randomly chosen from two cities namely Kerman and Gorgan (128 subjects in each who were equally from both cities) including 62 girls and 66 boys of 10–12 years old. A questionnaire was used to obtain demographic information and to identify the prevalence of asthma symptoms. Each subject performed a seven-minute free run exercise with maximum effort and sufficient motivation until they reached 70–75% heart rate. Pulmonary function tests (PFT) including, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1 ), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and maximum expiratory flow at 50% of vital capacity (MEF 50 ) were measured before, at the beginning, and 7 and 20 min after physical activity. The prevalence of both asthma (28.12%) and exercise-induced asthma (20.31%) in Kerman students was higher than those of Gorgan students (21.09% and 17%, respectively). All PFT values declined 7 and 20 min post-exercise in both groups. Although all baselines PFT in Kerman students were higher than those of Gorgan students, the decline in PFT values in Kerman students was greater than those of Gorgan students. At 20 min post exercise, the decline in FEV 1 , PEF and MEF 50 in Kerman students was significantly higher than those of Gorgan students (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01). The results of the present study showed that prevalence of both asthma and exercise-induced asthma in a city with dry and cool climate such as Kerman was higher than in a city with humid climate such as Gorgan. In addition, the results showed that in a humid climate, post-exercise decline in PFT values was less than in a dry climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the wetting behaviour of a molten feldspathic glass-ceramic which is used as a veneering layer on dental Y-TZP cores. The grain size effect of the zirconia substrate on the wettability of the veneering material was also studied. It is suggested that the presence of a weak bond at the interface could be attributed to the poor wetting of ZrO2 surface by the molten veneer. Result of the sessile drop analysis showed high contact angles of more than 110˚ at the initial states of the test. The contact angles were affected by increasing the grain size. An about 6% increase in mean of the contact angles of micro Y-TZP was determined when compared to the nano-structured bodies. It is suggested that the fine microstructure which was observed in the nano Y-TZP body enhances the physical wetting behaviour due to a probable increase in surface energy which is considered as the driving force of wetting. The enhancement which was observed in wettability of the nano-sized Y-TZP at longer times may also be originated from a chemical wetting assisted by the diffusion of the atoms through the increased defects of surface such as grain boundaries and triple junctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Introduction: High prevalence of respiratory symptoms and bronchial hyper-responsiveness has been reported in professionals athletes, particularly in relation to climate and environment. However, the airway response to exercise in active population has been poorly investigated especially in women. The aim of this study was to examine pulmonary function test changes in physically fit female students of Kerman University. Methods: Sixty physically fit female students (19 ± 1.12 years old) were randomly selected out of 500 students. Each subject underwent the physical fitness test (Couper test) of the maximal distance running in 12 min. The exercise induced bronchospasm (EIB) symptoms including coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, dyspnea, previously diagnosed asthma and allergy, the use of anti-asthmatics medication and the family history of asthma were recorded using a questionnaire. Pulmonary function tests including; forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and maximal expiratory flow at 50% of the FVC (MEF50) were measured at rest (baseline), immediately, 5, and 15 min after an exercise test. Result: The result of this study showed that the prevalence of the symptoms of EIB was 40.0%. There was not any significant difference in baseline PFT values between symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects. However, All PFT values of symptomatic subjects were significantly lower than asymptomatic immediately after exercise (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01). In addition, PFT values were significantly reduced in all times intervals for the symptomatic subjects (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01). Conclusion: The results showed a high prevalence of respiratory symptoms and EIB in healthy female students. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]