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Objectives: Endometriosis (EM) is the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. This study aimed to examine the effects of quince gel and hesperidin treatment on uterine tissue in an experimental endometriosis model. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two rats were categorized into four groups as sham, EM, EM+quince gel (QG), and EM+QG+Hesperidin (HES). The endometriosis (EM) model was induced with surgical intervention. Estradiol benzoate (EB) was used to induce endometrial hyperplasia. In the EM group, EB was given to rats for 7 days. The EM+QG group received 2 cc QG for 21 days. HES treatment was given for 21 days after EM induction. At the end of the experiment, blood was taken from the animals and the serum total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS) values were studied. Uterine tissues were dissected and processed for histological paraffin embedding. Tissues were fixed in 4% glutaraldehyde solution and processed for ultrastructural analysis. Results: After EM, QG and HES treatment significantly increased the TAS and decreased the TOS value. EM caused epithelial and glandular degeneration, thinning of the basal membranes, and vascular dilatation with increased fibrosis and edema. QG+HES restored the pathology and showed protective effects in uterine tissues. Caspase-3 expression was increased in the epithelium, glands, and muscle layers of the EM group. In EM+QG+HES, hesperidin protected cell survival and decreased Caspase-3 expression in uterine tissues. TNF-α expression was intense in inflammatory cells and the muscle layer in the EM group. HES reduced inflammation by decreasing the TNF-α expression. MAPK expression was increased after EM induction in epithelial, glandular, and inflammatory cells in the EM group. After HES treatment, MAPK expression was mainly negative in cells of uterine tissue in the EM+QG+HES group. Ultrastructurally, in the EM group, organelles were disrupted and dilated and degenerated after EM induction. QG and HES treatment improved cellular organelles. Conclusion: Local vaginal applications can be an alternative treatment method in the endometriosis model via QG+HES treatment promoting cell proliferation and angiogenesis and preventing cell death.

Adverse drug reactions are the most common cause of drug withdrawal in chronic treatment settings. Tuberculosis (TB) has been considered a recurrent and relapsing disease that needs long-term therapy. Most patients suffer from the adverse effects of TB therapy. Hence, various remedies were used to tackle these adverse effects including antioxidant vitamins, herbal remedies, and others. The present intervention study aims to investigate the role of propolis in protecting the animal model against oxidant/antioxidant induced by TB therapy together with the propolis role in modulation of metabolic profile as part of lipid peroxidation context. To do so, serum was collected from rats exposed to rifampicin/isoniazid with or without propolis therapy alongside the control placebo group for comparison. The results have shown a significant (p<0.05) reduction of malondialdehyde and significant (p<0.05) elevation of total antioxidant status. Lipid profile positively improved indicated by significantly reduced total cholesterol, triglyceride, and elevated high-density lipoprotein. In conclusion, our study confirmed that propolis provides protection against redox and metabolic derangement induced by rifampicin/isoniazid medications which are in current TB therapy, therefore, we do advise the use of propolis as an adjunct therapy for patients on such medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Humanities & Tourism Research (JoHUT) is the property of Journal of Humanities & Tourism Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The effects of toxic substance in soil matrices are evaluated by assessing adult worm survival and reproduction. Throughout the test, hundreds of juvenile potworms can be found. The current method for Enchytraeus crypticus quantification in soil samples is a laborious and time-consuming procedure that involves manual counting. The present work proposes a method for quick and reliable counting of E. crypticus by using an automated image analysis algorithm applied to soil images. Comparisons between automated and manual methods conducted in double-blind trials involving a large, routine batch of tropical artificial soil samples revealed no statistically significant differences for a wide range of worm densities. The proposed method overcomes time-consuming counts in manual methods and is suited to be deployed routinely for soil toxicity studies involving large batches of samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kocatepe Veterinary Journal / Kocatepe Veteriner Dergisi is the property of Afyon Kocatepe University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: For foamy virus, the transactivator of spumaretrovirus (Tas) could bind directly to target DNA sequences termed as Tas responsive elements and trigger the viral internal promoter (IP) and long terminal repeat (LTR) promoters. The cellular endogenous factors also play an important role in viral gene expressions. We hypothesized that except the viral transcription factor Tas, the cellular endogenous factors also affect the viral gene expression. Methods: The full length of the prototype foamy virus (PFV) genome (U21247) was used to predict the potential binding sites of the transcription factors by online software JASPAR (http://jaspar.genereg.net) and Softberry (http://linux1.softberry.com/berry.phtml?topic=index&group=programs&subgroup=promoter). The Dual-Luciferase® Reporter Assay System (Promega, USA) was used to confirm the relative luciferase activities of the test groups. The different representative activating agents or inhibitors of each canonical signal pathway were used to identify the impact of these pathways on PFV 5′LTR and IP promoters. Results: The results showed different cellular endogenous factors might have respective effects on PFV 5′LTR and IP. It is worth mentioning that activator protein-1 and BCL2-associated athanogene 3, 2 kinds of vital proteins associated with NF-κB and PKC pathways, could activate the basal activity of 5′LTR and IP promoters but inhibit the Tas-regulated activity of both promoters. Furthermore, PFV Tas was identified to trigger the transcription of the NF-κB promoter. Conclusion: NF-κB had a negative effect on PFV 5′LTR and IP promoter activities, the PKC pathway might upregulate 5′LTR and IP promoter activities, and the JNK and NF-AT signal pathway could increase the Tas-regulated promoter activity of PFV 5′LTR. This study sheds light on the interaction between PFV and the host cell and may help utilize the viral promoters in retroviral vectors designed for gene transfer experiments.

Abstract Background Daxocox® [Ecuphar/Animalcare Group] contains the selective COX-2 inhibitor enflicoxib, approved in the EU for the treatment of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis in dogs. The safety of Daxocox® was evaluated in a target animal safety study: Groups of 4 dogs per sex each were treated once weekly with placebo or Daxocox tablets at 1-, 3- and 5-times (1X, 3X and 5X) the maximum recommended therapeutic dose of enflicoxib (0, 4, 12 or 20 mg/kg, respectively). After an initial loading dose, dogs in the placebo control, 1X and 3X groups were administered for 32 weeks, and those in the 5X group were administered for 13 weeks. Dogs were subjected to daily food consumption measurements and clinical and dose observations. Body weight measurements, physical examinations, clinical pathology, urinalysis, faecal occult blood (FOB) and electrocardiographic (ECG) and blood pressure measurements, buccal mucosal bleeding time (BMBT), ophthalmology and gastroduodenal endoscopy examinations were conducted throughout the study. At study completion, all dogs were subjected to gross necropsy. Histopathology was performed on selected tissues from all animals in all groups. Results No clinical signs were noted, and no toxicologically relevant dose-associated effects were observed. Conclusions Results show that Daxocox® is well-tolerated and has a broad safety margin when administered as directed in dogs.

This case study aims at describing how transformative agreements (TAs) have affected our profession with new tasks and workflows at two university libraries in Sweden, namely Karolinska Institutet University Library and Södertörn University Library. TAs are one of the mechanisms by which scientific publications are made open access; they involve moving libraries’ contracts with publishers from payment to read toward payment to publish. We will summarize the status and progress of open access in Sweden, in particular the significant growth of TAs over a short time span. We will then focus on describing how TAs have affected our everyday work and what new tasks they have imposed. We will share our experiences and point out things we find challenging, for example, we will explore questions about eligibility, the verification process, publication types and title changes during the contract period. We will also give some recommendations on how we would prefer the workflows surrounding the TAs to be. Finally, we will share our conclusions and comments about the impact of TAs on the publishing landscape and speculate about what will happen next.

This study presents various research methods and results analysis of the total antioxidant status (TAS), polyphenols content (PC) and vitamin C content in selected plant materials (vegetables) subjected to various technological processes, including sous-vide. The analysis included 22 vegetables (cauliflower white rose, romanesco type cauliflower, broccoli, grelo, col cabdell cv. pastoret, col lllombarda cv. pastoret, brussels sprouts, kale cv. crispa–leaves, kale cv. crispa–stem, toscana black cabbage, artichokes, green beans, asparagus, pumpkin, green peas, carrot, root parsley, brown teff, white teff, white cardoon stalks, red cardoon stalks and spinach) from 18 research papers published in 2017 to 2022. The results after processing by various methods such as conventional, steaming and sous-vide cooking were compared to the raw vegetable results. The antioxidant status was mainly determined by the radical DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods, the polyphenol content by the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent and the vitamin C content using dichlorophenolindophenol and liquid chromatography methods. The study results were very diverse, but in most studies, the cooking techniques contributed to reducing TAS, PC and vitamin C content, with the sous-vide process being most beneficial. However, future studies should focus on vegetables for which discrepancies in the results were noted depending on the author, as well as lack of clarity regarding the analytical methods used, e.g., cauliflower white rose or broccoli.

Background: This study aims to compare serum HMGB-1, 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), TAS, TOS, and OSI levels in Wettype Age-Related Macular Degeneration (wAMD) patients and healthy controls to determine the correlation of these parameters with each other. Methods: Thirty patients with Wet-type Age-Related Macular Degeneration (wAMD) and 27 healthy adults, as controls were enrolled in the study. We determined the TAS and TOS levels in serum samples of both groups using commercial kits on a microplate reader. Serum HMGB-1 and 3-NT levels were measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Results: HMGB-1 levels were significantly higher in the patient group (137.51 pg/mL, p=0.001), while there was no difference between the two groups in serum 3-NT levels (p = 0.428). A statistically significant difference found in the levels of TOS and OSI (p = 0.001 and p = 0.045, respectively) between the patients and controls, however, no significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of TAS levels (p = 0.228). Conclusions: Oxidative stress and HMGB-1 levels were increased in wAMD patients and enhanced oxidative stress may be associated with increased tissue necrosis and inflammation. Thus administration of antioxidant treatment in addition to routine therapy should be considered in wAMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article revolves around the recent judgment of the Swiss Federal Tribunal, which has resulted in the dismissal of the challenge filed against one of CAS arbitrators in the Marco Polo del Nero v. FIFA case. The ruling assesses, among others, the requisites of independence and impartiality of arbitrators during CAS proceedings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of COPD by interfering with the protease/antiprotease and oxidant/antioxidant balance. There is no adequate data about the relationship between oxidative stress biomarkers and FEV1 values in stable COPD patients. Prospective cohort study, designed in tertiary care chest disease hospitals' outpatient clinic. COPD patients were approved informed consent were included in the study. The total antioxidant status (TAS,), total oxidant status (TOS), total thiol (TT), native thiol (NT), IL1 IL6, and TNFα levels were measured. The mean age of 33 COPD patients who joined the study was 61±9,32 years, while their average body mass index (BMI) was 27±4,31 kg/m2. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of age, gender, weight, smoking status and comorbidities. According to the results of the analysis, there was a statistically significant difference in TOS, TAS, oxidative stress index (OSI), TT, NT, DIS, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα between the control and COPD patient groups (p<0.001 for all variables). Compared to healthy controls, COPD patients had greater TOS, OSI, disulfide (DIS), IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα levels. Healthy controls, had considerably higher TAS, TT, and NT values than the COPD group. No significant correlation was detected between the pulmonary function test results and oxidative stress markers. In conclusion, no significant correlation was detected between the pulmonary function test results and oxidative stress markers besides TOS was increased while TAS was decreased, in accordance with the pathophysiology of COPD, oxidative stress markers can also be utilized in COPD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Foamy viruses (FVs) are complex retroviruses belonging to the Spumaretrovirinae subfamily of the Retroviridae family. In contrast to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), another member of the Retroviridae family, FVs are nonpathogenic in their natural hosts or in experimentally infected animals. Prototype foamy virus (PFV) is the only foamy virus that can infect humans through cross-species transmission and does not show any pathogenicity after infection. Consequently, PFV is considered a safe and efficient gene transfer vector. Understanding the host proteins involved in the replication of PFV and the mechanism of interaction between the host and the virus might lead to studies to improve the efficiency of gene transfer. To date, only a few host factors have been identified that affect PFV replication. In the present study, we report that PFV infection enhances the promoter activity of SGK1 (encoding serum/glucocorticoid regulated kinase 1) via the Tas protein signaling pathway, and then upregulates the mRNA and protein levels of SGK1. Overexpression of SGK1 reduced PFV replication, whereas its depletion using small interfering RNA increased PFV replication. SGK1 inhibits PFV replication by impairing the function of the PFV Tas activation domain in a kinase-independent manner and reducing the stability of the Gag protein in a kinase-dependent manner. In addition, both human and bovine SGK1 proteins inhibit the replication of bovine foamy virus (BFV) and PFV. These findings not only improved our understanding of the function of SGK1 and its relationship with foamy viruses, but also contributed to determining the antiviral mechanism of the host. IMPORTANCE Foamy viruses can integrate into the host chromosome and are nonpathogenic in natural hosts or in experimentally infected animals. Therefore, foamy viruses are considered to be safe and efficient gene transfer vectors. Persistent infection of foamy viruses is partly caused by the restrictive effect of host factors on the virus. However, only a few cellular proteins are known to influence the replication of foamy viruses. In this study, we report that SGK1 inhibits the replication of prototype foamy virus by affecting the function of the transcription activator, Tas, and reducing the stability of the structural protein, Gag. These results will increase our understanding of the interaction between the virus and host factors, deepening our perception of host antiviral defenses and the function of SGK1, and could improve the gene transfer efficiency of foamy viruses.

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends Transmission Assessment Surveys (TAS) to determine when an evaluation unit (EU) (a designated population survey area) has achieved elimination of transmission of the vector-borne macroparasitic disease Lymphatic Filariasis (LF). These determinations are based on combining data from multiple survey units within an EU; it is unclear how underlying cluster-level variation influences the outcome of the TAS at EU level. We simulate LF infection distribution in an EU and compare three methods for assessing whether LF elimination has occurred based on currently recommended decision thresholds and sampling methods. Methods: We simulate an EU divided into clusters of varying size and disease prevalence. We produce 1000 samples according to LF TAS examples and WHO guidelines and compare three decision-making approaches: lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) (recommended by WHO), one-sided interval estimate (CI), and nth order statistic (MAX). Summary statistics demonstrating the “pass” rate for the EU under different disease transmission conditions are generated using a versatile SAS® macro. Results: As the prevalence of LF decreases, the LQAS and CI approaches produce increased likelihood of a pass outcome for an EU while some cluster units may still have a high likelihood of transmission. The MAX provides an alternative that increases the likelihood of determining a pass only once the whole area has a low likelihood of transmission. LQAS and CI approaches designed to estimate the LF prevalence in the EU miss hotspots that will continue to transmit infection while the MAX approach focuses on identifying clusters with high risk of transmission. Conclusions: The current TAS methodology has a flaw that may result in false predictions of LF transmission interruption throughout an EU. Modifying the TAS methodology to address results from extreme clusters rather than being based on mean prevalence over an EU will result in greater success for global elimination of LF.

Vitiligo, the most widespread hypopigmentary syndrome, is considered to be a multifactorial disease in which the active melanocytes are lost. Vitiligo has been studied in a variety of ways, and several genes have been implicated. In this study we focused on investigating biomarker levels of TNF-α, MDA and TAS by using ELISA, and along with that mRNA expression levels of MIF, NLRP1 and FoxP3 genes were quantified with qRT-PCR. In expression studies, Non-segmental Generalized Vitiligo (NSV) subjects had a substantial (P <.05) fold change in MIF gene expression compared to healthy subjects, with a 0.7 change in expression level. In FoxP3 and NLRP1, however, there was just an 0.3-fold change in expression. However, there was a substantial increase (P <.01) in TNF-α and (P <.0005) in TAS levels, but no difference in Malondialdehyde levels (MDA). The current study is a baseline study suggesting that MIF, with a 0.7-fold change, may play a key role in the pathogenesis of active NSV subjects, while changes in NLRP1 and FoxP3 mRNA expression levels were weaker. We also found a significant increase (P <.01) in TNF-α and (P <.0005) in TAS levels, which may be noted as a key feature in Vitiligo subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behcets disease is known as a chronic and inflammatory vasculitis with multiple system and organ involvement. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between BD and oxidative stress by evaluating the total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) in healthy control group and patients with Behcets disease (BD). Materials and Methods: Study groups were composed of BD patients (n = 57) and healthy controls (n = 54). Serum total TAS, TOS, (OSI) and serum lipid levels were measured by photometric method. All measurements were made on Beckman Coulter AU5800 Series (Japan). OSI was determined by the TOS / TAS ratio. Serum TAS levels in BD were lower than the healthy controls (p = 0.039). Serum levels of TOS, OSI and lipids did not differ significantly in BD patients compared to healthy controls. Also, the sensitivity of TAS for BD was high (0.825). Low TAS levels can play an important role in the etiopathology of BD. Increasing serum TAS levels may be beneficial for the clinical process. More studies are needed in this regard. [Med-Science 2020; 9(3.000): 625-8]

Yüce Allah Kur'ân-ı Kerîm’de kullarına hitâben çeşitli hakikâtleri beyan buyururken onların idrâklerini de dikkâte almakta, zikrettiği hakikâtlerin kulların zihin dünyalarında somut birer sahneye dönüşmesini sağlamaktadır. Belâgat ilminde mecâz olarak adlandırılan bu üslup Kur'ân-ı Kerîm’in en önemli anlatım özelliklerinden birisidir. Normalde beşerin algısına belki çok kapalı gelecek konular bu sayede daha kolay ve açık bir şekilde anlaşılabilmektedir. Kur’ân’ın mecaz yoluyla ifade etmiş olduğu hakikâtlerden biri de Bakara Suresinin 74. âyetinde dile getirilen, kâfirlerin kalplerinin katılığı hakkındadır. Allah Teâlâ söz konusu âyette onların kalplerinin ne kadar katı ve sert olduğunu, zikretmiş olduğu taş temsiliyle anlatmakta, hatta onların kalplerinin taşlardan bile daha katı olduğunu beyan etmektedir. Taşların katı yapılarına rağmen kendilerinden ırmakların kaynayıp suların fışkırması yahut da Allah korkusuyla bulundukları yerden düşmeleri gibi güzel vasıfları bulunduğuna, ancak katı kalpli o kâfirlerin kalplerinde ise hiçbir olumlu nitelik olmadığına işâret etmektedir. Cansız birer varlık olmalarına rağmen âyette taşların Allah korkusuyla anılmaları dikkati çeken bir husustur. Bu cihetle, çalışmanın ana odağında söz konusu durumun mahiyetini klasik tefsirlerin yanı sıra bilhassa tasavvufî tefsirler ışığında ortaya koymaya çalışmak olacaktır.

Sanat üretiminin bir bileşeni olan süslemenin temel amacı o sanat eserinin izleyici üzerinde etki yaratmasıdır. Mimari yapılarda ana malzeme olarak yüzyıllardır kullanılan taş, coğrafi etkenlerin ve dayanıklılığın yanında kişisel beğeni sonucunda da tercih edilmiştir. Mimaride süslemenin malzemeye göre çeşitlendiğini, kullanılan malzemenin yüzeyine uygulanan müdahaleyle tekniklerin ortaya çıktığını söyleyebiliriz. Mimaride taş süslemede kabartma, oyma, kafes oyma, kakma, kazıma, boyama teknikleri ile renkli taş kullanımından söz edilebilir. Çalışmamıza konu olan kakma tekniği, ana inşa malzemesi üzerine farklı renkteki malzemenin kakılması ile oluşturulan bir tekniktir. Bu çalışmada, Mardin’in İslami Dönem tarihi yapılarından taş kakma tekniği süslemeye sahip Latifiye Camii, Hamza-i Kebir Camii, Zinciriye Medresesi ve Kasımiye Medresesi’nin kısaca tarihi ve mimari özellikleri verildikten sonra bu süslemelerin yapıların hangi bölümlerinde kullanıldığı, desen ve motif detaylarıyla açıklanmıştır.

We aimed to determine the potential damage mechanisms of exposure to widely used sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and the effects of Thymus vulgaris on this exposure. Rats were divided into six groups: control, T. vulgaris, 4% NaOCl, 4% NaOCl + T. vulgaris, 15% NaOCl, and 15% NaOCl + T. vulgaris. Serum and lung tissue samples were taken after applying NaOCl and T. vulgaris by inhalation twice a day for 30 min for four weeks. The samples were examined biochemically (TAS/TOS), histopathologically, and immunohistochemically (TNF-α). In serum TOS values, the mean of 15% NaOCl was significantly higher than in 15% NaOCl + T. vulgaris. This was the opposite in terms of serum TAS values. Histopathologically, there was a significant increase in lung injury in 15% NaOCl; significant improvement was observed in 15% NaOCl + T. vulgaris. Immunohistochemically, there was a significant increase in TNF-α expression in both 4% NaOCl and 15% NaOCl; significant decreases were observed in both 4% NaOCl + T. vulgaris and 15% NaOCl + T. vulgaris. The use of sodium hypochlorite, which is harmful to the lungs and is widely used in homes and industries, should be limited. In addition, using T. vulgaris essential oil by inhalation may protect against the harmful effects of sodium hypochlorite.

In this paper, we study the physical layer security of a downlink multi-input single-output non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) system, in which transmit antenna selection (TAS) scheme, users' quality of service (QoS) requirements, Nakagami-m fading channel, and user selection solution are considered for secure NOMA transmission. Specifically, we investigate the scenario that a base station (BS) (source) communicates with two legitimate user (LU) clusters with different priority depending on their QoS requirements in the presence of multiple passive eavesdroppers over Nakagami-m fading. To enhance the secrecy performance, we examine a TAS scheme and a user selection method. In this context, prior to transmission, a transmit antenna and a user in high-priority LU cluster are jointly selected to maximize the channel quality of the link from the BS to the selected user. Furthermore, together with the selected high-priority user, a user in low-priority LU cluster, which has the best channel condition, is chosen for performing two-user NOMA. In order to evaluate the secrecy performance, tight and asymptotic closed-form expressions of secrecy outage probability for selected LUs and overall system are derived. Our theoretical results confirmed by Monte–Carlo simulation show that in QoS-based NOMA system, high-priority users cause the higher effects on the overall secrecy performance in comparison with low-priority users. Finally, these results also indicate that our proposed communication protocol achieves the secrecy performance greater than conventional protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has created great problems in healthcare systems throughout the world. Although, just like other respiratory tract viral infections, it is a disease with pathophysiological processes associated in general with cytokine production, inflammation, cell death, and redox imbalance or oxidative stress, very little is known about the pathology. Also, in recent studies, the effect of asprosin, which has an important and complex role on metabolism, on COVID-19 is unknown. The aim of this study is to determine the level of asprosin, a new hormone that has the potential to affect many metabolic pathways such as glucose metabolism, in COVID-19 patients. In addition, it is to determine whether asprosin is associated with oxidative stress in COVID-19 patients. Methods: Blood samples were taken from 30 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 confirmed with RT-PCR test and 30 healthy control subjects. The serum asprosin level was analyzed with ELISA, and total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS) levels with colorimetric analysis. Results: The asprosin and TAS levels were determined to be statistically significantly decreased in the COVID-19 patients, and the TOS and OSI levels were significantly increased. Conclusions: It can be thought that a decrease in asprosin level in COVID-19 patients causes a decrease in metabolic activity, prevents sufficient energy production in patients, and therefore oxidative stress increases in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prototype foamy virus (PFV) is nonpathogenic complex retroviruses that express a transcriptional transactivator Tas, which is essential for the activity of viral long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter and internal promoter (IP). Tripartite motif-containing protein 28 (Trim28) is well known as a scaffold protein normally enriched in gene promoter region to repress transcription. We sought to determine if whether Trim28 could be enriched in PFV promoter region to participate the establishment of PFV latency infection. Results: In this study, we show that Trim28 restricts Tas-dependent transactivation activity of PFV promoter and negatively regulates PFV replication. Trim28 was found to be enriched in LTR instead of IP promoter regions of PFV genome and contribute to the maintenance of histone H3K9me3 marks on the LTR promoter. Furthermore, Trim28 interacts with Tas and colocalizes with Tas in the nucleus. Besides, we found that Trim28, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, binds directly to and promotes Tas for ubiquitination and degradation. And the RBCC domain of Trim28 is required for the ubiquitination and degradation of Tas. Conclusions: Collectively, our findings not only identify a host factor Trim28 negatively inhibits PFV replication by acting as transcriptional restriction factor enriched in viral LTR promoter through modulating H3K9me3 mark here, but also reveal that Trim28 mediated ubiquitin proteasome degradation of Tas as a mechanism underlying Trim28 restricts Tas-dependent transcription activity of PFV promoter and PFV replication. These findings provide new insights into the process of PFV latency establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Iron overload, common in patients with hematological disorders, is a key target in drug development. This study investigated the effects of curcumin on iron overload in rats. Methods: Forty male Wistar rats weighing 139.78 ± 11.95 gm (Mean ± SD) were divided into three equal groups: (i) controls; (ii) iron overload group that received six doses of iron dextran 1000 mg/kg--1 by intraperitoneal injections (i.p.); and (iii) iron overload curcumin group that received six doses of curcumin (1000 mg/kg BW by i.p.). In addition to six doses of iron dextran 1000 mg/kg--1 by i.p., we studied the effects of curcumin on liver function enzymes (alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and aspartate aminotransferase [AST]); antioxidant enzymes (malondialdehyde [MDA], total oxidant status [TOS], total antioxidant status [TAS]); hematological parameters (hemoglobin [Hb], hematocrit [Hct], red blood cells [RBC], white blood cells [WBC], mean corpus volume [MCV], mean corpuscular hemoglobin [MCH], mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration [MCHC]); and iron parameters (serum iron profile, transferrin, total iron-binding capacity [TIBC], ferritin, and transferrin saturation [TS%]). Results: Curcumin caused a significant decrease in the Hct and Hb concentrations in Group III (P < 0.05). It also significantly reduced the serum levels of ALT (52.45 ± 4.51 vs 89.58 ± 4.65 U/L) and AST (148.03 ± 6.47 vs 265.27 ± 13.02 U/L) at the end of the study (P < 0.05). The TIBC, transferrin levels, and TS significantly decreased when the rats were administered curcumin serum iron (P < 0.05). The TAS level significantly increased in Group III in comparison to Group I (the control group) (P < 0.05). At the end of the study, curcumin significantly reduced the serum levels of TOS (12.03 ± 2.8 vs 16.95 ± 5.05 mmol H2O2/L) while the TAS (1.98 ± 0.42 vs 1.06 ± 0.33 mmol Trolox equiv./L) was increased. Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest the therapeutic potential of curcumin against iron overload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Changes in oxidative stress and thiol / disulfide balance are thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Our study investigates total oxidant level (TOS), total antioxidant level (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI) levels and thiol / disulfide balance in pediatric patients with acute and chronic ITP. Methods. Thirty four patients with acute ITP, eighteen patients with chronic ITP and thirty three healthy children (control) were included. TOS, TAS, OSI, thiol / disulfide balance were analyzed. Results. In acute ITP, TAS levels were lower than chronic ITP and control, TOS and OSI levels were higher than control, and native thiol level was lower than chronic ITP (p <0.05). In acute ITP; disulfide level, disulfide / native thiol and disulfide / total thiol ratios were higher than chronic ITP and control, and native thiol / total thiol ratio was lower than chronic ITP and control group (p = 0.038, p = 0.018, respectively). TOS and OSI levels of the chronic ITP were higher than the control group (p <0.05). Conclusions. The results of this study have shown that oxidative stress increases in children with acute ITP and chronic ITP, that thiol / disulfide balance is disrupted in favor of disulfide in acute ITP, and that thiol / disulfide balance isn't disrupted in chronic ITP patients whose platelet count is close to normal and who don't require treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible protective effects of low and high dose pregabalin that was administered in rat in a spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) study model. Material and Method: We used 24 Wistar albino rats as subjects in our study. They were divided into 4 groups; randomized Control (C group), I/R (I/R group), I/R-low dose (30 mg/kg) pregabalin (I/R-LP group) and I/R-high dose (200 mg/kg) pregabalin (I/R-HP group). All groups have undergone a laparotomy intervention under anesthesia. In I/R group, a cross clamp was placed in the abdominal aorta just after the laparotomy for 120 minutes (to cause spinal cord ischemia injury) and then reperfusion was achieved by opening the vascular clamp. At the end of the study, kidney tissue was obtained for determining total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels, histochemical and immunohistochemical determination. Results: Total Oxidative Status (TOS) enzyme activity was significantly higher in I/R group when compared to the control, I/R-LP and I/R-HP groups. Likewise, Total Antioxidant Status (TAS) enzyme activity was remarkably higher in I/R group when compared with the C, I/R-LP and I/R-HP groups. VEGF staining has yielded no expression in renal tissues. In microscopical analysis of the tissue slides which were immunohistochemically stained with p53 antibody, some crucial findings have been established as follows: As p53-expressing cells were not detected in the control group, the presence of p53-expressing cells were clearly identified at different intensities in several bowman capsules in the I/R group. However, no expression was detected in general tubules. Interestingly, p53 expression levels were prominently lower in low-dose pregabalin given group and considerably higher in the 200 mg/kg pregabalin administered group, which was more pronounced than the I/R group. Conclusion: Results established from the current study suggest that pregabalin given at different doses may have a partial protective effect in kidney tissues of rats undergone experimental spinal cord IR injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Art History / Sanat Tarihi Dergisi is the property of Ege University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of MN Opthalmology / MN Oftalmoloji is the property of Medical Network and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This research explored how seven primary school teaching assistants (TAs) experienced their role in supporting children's mental health. Interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The participants believed that they supported children's mental health and particularly referenced the close relationships that they formed with children. Throughout their accounts of supporting children, the TAs referenced helpful factors (e.g. support from other staff) and challenges (e.g. hierarchy) within the school system. Supporting children's mental health was an emotional experience for the TAs; they discussed the rewarding element, however, the topic also elicited fear. The findings provide several implications for school staff and external professionals about how TAs can be supported in their role. These include involving TAs in training opportunities, providing TAs with supervision, considering communication systems in schools, and introducing a mental health policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the performance of a device-to-device (D2D) multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) communications using an amplify-and-forward relaying for various energy-efficient modulation schemes. For analysis, transmit antenna selection strategy is employed at the transmitter to select the best transmit antenna which maximizes the received signal power. In the analysis, we optimized the relay location to obtain the lowest outage probability possible and derived the generalized upper-bound average symbol error rate expressions of energy-efficient futuristic modulation schemes such as square quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), rectangular QAM, cross QAM, and hexagonal QAM for D2D network. Further, we have derived the ergodic capacity expression to calculate the achievable rates. Comparative analysis of different QAM schemes for various constellation orders is also presented. Furthermore, the impact of the relative position of relay, path loss, and the number of antennas are also highlighted. Finally, the derived analytical results are verified through Monte-Carlo simulations.

Bitkilerden elde edilen ekstrelerin birçoğunun biyolojik etkileri ve etki mekanizmaları hakkındaki bilimsel veriler hala yetersiz olmakla birlikte bu konuya olan ilgi her geçen gün artmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Rumex crispus (Evelik) bitkisi mevsiminde Sivas yöresinden toplanarak kurutulmuş ve sonrasında yapraklı kısımlarından etanol, metanol ve su ekstraksiyonları elde edilmiştir. Çalışmanın amacı, elde edilen her bir ekstrenin bazı mikroorganizmalar üzerindeki antimikrobiyal aktivitelerinin değerlendirilmesi, toplam antioksidan seviyesi (TAS), toplam oksidan seviyesi (TOS), oksidatif stres indeksi (OSI) değerlerinin ve çeşitli hücre hatları üzerindeki anti-kanserojen niteliklerinin ortaya konulmasıdır. TAS, TOS ve OSI değerlerini tespit etmek için Rel Assay Diagnostics kitler kullanılmıştır. Bitki ekstrelerinin mikroorganizmalara karşı minimum inhibisyon konsantrasyonunu (MIC) belirlemek amacıyla mikrodilüsyon broth yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Çalışmada antimikrobiyal aktivite analizleri, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Bacillus cereus (ATCC 11778), Klebsiella pneumonia (ATCC 13883), Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) ve Candida tropicalis (DSM 11953) mikroorganizmaları kullanılarak yapılmıştır. Normal fare fibroblast hücre hattı ve 3 farklı insan kanser hücre hattında MTT yöntemi ile bitki özütlerinin sitotoksik aktivitesi belirlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak, evelik bitkisinin etanol, metanol ve su ekstraklarının denendiği mikroorganizmalar üzerinde antimikrobiyal aktivitesinin bulunmadığı, yüksek düzeyde antioksidan aktiviteye sahip olduğu ve bazı hücre kültürlerinde sitotoksik aktivitesinin olduğu tespit edilmiştir.

Amaç: Üriner sistem taş hastalığı hem çocuk hem de erişkin yaş grubunda dünya genelinde artan bir insidansa sahiptir ve Türkiye gibi endemik ülkelerde önemli bir morbidite sebebidir. Bu çalışmada üriner sistem taş hastalığı tanısı ile takip edilen çocukların klinik özellikleri ve metabolik risk faktörleri incelenmiştir.Gereç ve Yöntem: Üriner sistem taş hastalığı tanısı almış hasta dosyaları geriye dönük incelendi. Hasta bilgileri, görüntüleme yöntemleri ve laboratuar sonuçları eksiksiz olan hastalar çalışmaya dâhil edildi. Ultrasonografi US ve varsa kontrassız BT sonuçlarından taş lokalizasyonu ve boyutları kaydedildi. Metabolik değerlendirme tuvalet eğitimi olmayan çocuklarda spot idrarda, daha büyük çocuklarda ise 24 saatlik idrarda okzalat, sitrat, sistin, kalsiyum, ürik asit, kreatinin düzeyleri ölçülerek yapıldı.Bulgular: Çalışmaya 107’si erkek, 100’ü kız olmak üzere toplam 207 hasta dâhil edildi. Erkek/kız oranı 1,1:1 iken, ortanca yaş 1,6 yıl 2 ay16,1 yıl olarak bulundu. En sık görülen başvuru şikâyeti İYE %25,1 olurken bunu sırasıyla, karın/yan ağrısı %18,4 , huzursuzluk %17,4 ile mikroskobik ve/veya makroskobik hematüri %15,5 takip etti. Metabolik anormallik 150 hastada %72,5 saptanırken, en sık görülen anormallikler hipositratüri 51 hasta, %24,6 ve hiperkalsiüri 40 hasta, %19,3 idi.Sonuç: Konya bölgesinde pediatrik üriner sistem taş hastalığı olgularında altta yatan en sık metabolik anormallik hipositratüridir. Metabolik anormallikleri tespit edebilmek için her hastada gerekli inceleme yapılmalı ve erken dönemde uygun tedavi ile renal hasar riski en aza indirilmelidir

Adinarayanan Srividya, Swaminathan Subramanian, Purushothaman Jambulingam, Balakrishnan Vijayakumar, Jeyapal Dinesh RajaDivision of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Operations Research, ICMR – Vector Control Research Centre, Puducherry, IndiaAbstract: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is targeted for elimination by the year 2020. The Global Programme for Elimination of LF (GPELF) aims to achieve elimination by interrupting transmission through annual mass drug administration (MDA) of albendazole with ivermectin or diethylcarbamazine. The program has successfully eliminated the disease in 11 of the 72 endemic countries, putting in enormous efforts on systematic planning and implementation of the strategy. Mapping areas endemic for LF is a pre-requisite for implementing MDA, monitoring and evaluation are the components of programme implementation. This review was undertaken to assess how the mapping and impact monitoring activities have evolved to become more robust over the years and steered the LF elimination programme towards its goal. The findings showed that the WHO recommended mapping strategy aided 17 countries to delimit, plan and implement MDA in only those areas endemic for LF thereby saving resources. Availability of serological tools for detecting infection in humans (antigen/antibody assays) and molecular xenomonitoring (MX) in vectors greatly facilitated programme monitoring and evaluation in endemic countries. Results of this review are discussed on how these existing mapping and monitoring procedures can be used for re-mapping of unsurveyed and uncertain areas to ensure there is no resurgence during post-MDA surveillance. Further the appropriateness of the tests (Microfilaria (Mf)/antigenemia (Ag)/antibody(Ab) surveys in humans or MX of vectors for infection) used currently for post-MDA surveillance and their role in the development of a monitoring and evaluation strategy for the recently WHO recommended triple drug regimen in MDA for accelerated LF elimination are discussed.Keywords: lymphatic filariasis, mass drug administration, mapping, monitoring, elimination, xenomonitoring, TAS (transmission-assessment survey)

Background: Ovarian torsion is an important gynecological emergency and various agents are used in the experimental phase to prevent ovarian injury. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) use on ischemia/reperfusion injury in torsion/detorsion model of rat ovary. Methods: Twenty-eight Wistar-albino rats were randomly divided into four groups. The first group was designated as the sham group, and torsion/detorsion was applied to the remaining three groups. The third group was given saline and the fourth group was given G-CSF before detorsion. The total antioxidant and oxidant status, oxidative stress index, catalase, malondialdehyde and total thiol values were measured in rat ovaries, and after torsion/detorsion the follicles numbers of rat ovary were determined by histopathological examination. Results: There was no significant difference between groups in oxidative stress markers. However, the primary and secondary follicle numbers in the G-CSF group were significantly higher than the other torsion/detorsion groups (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Although the use of G-CSF in the rat ovary torsion/detorsion model was histopathologically protective in terms of the number of primary and secondary follicles, no difference was found in biochemical markers associated with reperfusion injury.

This study was planned to investigate the protective effect of Allium schoenoprasum L. (Sirmo) against acrylamide toxicity. Thirty-two Wistar-Albino rats were used as the study animal material. Rats were divided into 4 groups. No application was made to the first group. The second group received 25 mg / kg Acrylamide gastric gavage daily. The third group received 200 mg / kg Allium schoenoprasum L. (Sirmo) ethanol extract by gastric gavage. Fourth group received 25 mg / kg Acrylamide and 200 mg / kg Allium schoenoprasum L. ethanol extract at by gastric gavage. The study period was planned as 15 days. On the 16th day, all rats were sacrificed by high blood collection. As a result of the analysis, TAS levels were decreased and TOS levels were increased in acrylamide group. Allium schoenoprasum L. groups showed increased TAS levels and decreased TOS levels. BUN and HDL levels were decreased in the acrylamide and sirmo group. Zn, Mn and Cu heavy metal levels were decreased in all groups compared to control group. As a result, it was observed that Allium schoenoprasum L. has benefits against oxidative stress caused by acrylamide toxicity. However, ALT and AST levels were increased in groups where this plant was given. In the same groups, BUN levels decreased compared to the control group. These parameters are important indicators showing adverse conditions in the liver. These results are important in the long term, since the plant we use may have harmful effects on the liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article revolves around the recent pronunciation of the Swiss Federal Tribunal regarding an arbitrator bias during the proceeding before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which has resulted in the annulment of the eight years ineligibility sanction for the Chinese swimmer Sun Yang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the ways videogames become animated by looking at gaming practices that subvert traditional notions of play: specifically tool-assisted speedruns (TAS). A TAS is a playthrough of a videogame that is preprogrammed by a human so that the inputs can be automatically played back in full without a human operator. This practice requires an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of gaming systems, often to the point of productively breaking the games through glitches and exploits. These extreme practices give a unique insight into the ways animation occurs within videogames and reveals games to be animated in a variety of ways that are often not primarily directed towards the visual nor humans. This article outlines four of these modes of animation separating them into multi-tiered 'layers of animation': sensory output, game states, code, material, and operator. TASs help to demonstrate these layers are actually discrete forms of animation that do not necessarily impact one another from becoming individually animated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Daxocox® [Ecuphar/Animalcare Group] contains the selective COX-2 inhibitor enflicoxib, approved in the EU for the treatment of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis in dogs. The safety of Daxocox® was evaluated in a target animal safety study: Groups of 4 dogs per sex each were treated once weekly with placebo or Daxocox tablets at 1-, 3- and 5-times (1X, 3X and 5X) the maximum recommended therapeutic dose of enflicoxib (0, 4, 12 or 20 mg/kg, respectively). After an initial loading dose, dogs in the placebo control, 1X and 3X groups were administered for 32 weeks, and those in the 5X group were administered for 13 weeks. Dogs were subjected to daily food consumption measurements and clinical and dose observations. Body weight measurements, physical examinations, clinical pathology, urinalysis, faecal occult blood (FOB) and electrocardiographic (ECG) and blood pressure measurements, buccal mucosal bleeding time (BMBT), ophthalmology and gastroduodenal endoscopy examinations were conducted throughout the study. At study completion, all dogs were subjected to gross necropsy. Histopathology was performed on selected tissues from all animals in all groups. Results: No clinical signs were noted, and no toxicologically relevant dose-associated effects were observed. Conclusions: Results show that Daxocox® is well-tolerated and has a broad safety margin when administered as directed in dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to test different doses of L-glutamine and trehalose in the canine semen diluent while determining their protective effects on spermatological and biochemical indices of the thawed samples. Semen samples were collected from three fertile dogs using the digital manipulation method. The mixed ejaculates were divided into five portions at 37 °C and diluted with additives. Five study groups were formed with L-glutamine (10 and 20 mM), trehalose (25 and 50 mM), and no additives (control). After the dilution, the semen samples were cooled for 1.5 h at 5 °C and frozen (-110 to -120 °C) in liquid nitrogen vapor. Then, they were stored at -196 °C. For spermatological evaluations, samples were thawed at 38 °C for 30 s. L-glutamine (20 mM) was found to be significantly different (P < 0.05) and led to higher percentages of motility, membrane integrity, and acrosome integrity compared to the control group. Considering the total oxidant status (TOS) assay, the lower values were determined in all the antioxidant groups compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Supplementing the semen extender with L-glutamine showed a higher total antioxidant status (TAS) concentration compared to the control group (P < 0.05). As a result of this study, a higher protective effect was found in all the spermatological evaluations after thawing the frozen semen samples, especially in the group containing L-glutamine (20 mM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An international islamic finance system has been established in order to bring the funds owned by Muslims, who refuse interest due to their religious sensibilities, to the economy. Islamic banking system that is Islamic finance rules based and allows the investors alternative forms of finance, has become an important part of the finance sector in the World and so in Turkey in recent years. As a result of this increasing importance, based on Islamic Finance Standards that are applied in many Islamic countries, Islamic Finance Accounting Standards (IFAS) are published by Public Oversight Accounting and Auditing Standards Authority (POA) on 21.05.2019 in Turkey. The standards consist of 1 conceptual framework and 22 accounting standards. In this study, it is analyzed that the situation of IFAS against the current Turkey Financial Reporting Standards (TAS/TFRS), as guidance for practices into the Islamic finance instutations and facilitate compliance with these new standards. The amendments brought by IFAS have been put forward in the matters that are equivalent in TAS / TFRS and the similarities and differences between the standard sets are explained. Due to matters such as interest and the time value of money, significant differences are determined between the two sets of standards, affecting accounting practices and financial statement results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, women with habitual abortus (HA) and healthy control groups were determined for zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), potassium (K), retinol, cholecalciferol, α-tocopherol, phylloquinone, total antioxidant (TAS) and total oxidation status (TOS) levels, also, and the relationships of these variables with HA were evaluated.Material and Methods: The study included 39 women with HA and 39 healthy control subjects. In this study, trace element and mineral analyses by ICP-OES and vitamin analyses were determined using HPLC method.Results: Statistical analysis found that in the HA group was significantly lower than the control group with regarding cholecalciferol, phylloquinone, TAS, Se, Zn, Cu, Mg, K and Na levels (p < .05, p < .01, p < .01, p < .001, p < .05, p < .05, p < .01, p < .01 and p < .05). However, HA group was also significantly higher than control group regards to TOS, OSI and Ca⁄Mg levels (p < .05, p < .001, p < .05). In the HA group, significantly positive correlations were observed between phylloquinone and Ca (r = 0.495; p = .027), also, indicates negative significant correlation between cholecalciferol and Co (r = -0.598; p = .031).Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the results could be helpful in the monitoring of women with HA in terms of deficiency. It is important that in terms of the evaluation of phylloquinone, cholecalciferol Se, Zn, Cu, Mg and Ca/Mg ratio is required to consider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Celtis tournefortii fruit extract (Ct) against copper-induced liver damage in rats. Thirty-two Wistar Albino rats were divided into four equal groups (n = 8): Control, Copper (Cu), Copper + C. tournefortii (Cu+Ct), and C. tournefortii (Ct). Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) activities, glutathione (GSH) concentration, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS) were analysed in the liver tissues. Liver histopathology was also evaluated. Alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase significantly decreased in the Cu+Ct group compared with the Cu group. Oxidative stress parameters MDA and TOS significantly increased with copper administration, whereas they decreased with C. tournefortii co-treatment compared to Cu group. GSH concentration and TAS showed significant decreases with copper administration. Celtis tournefortii co-supplementation with copper significantly enhanced antioxidant parameters such as TAS, SOD, and GPx. Celtis tournefortii remarkably attenuated degenerative and necrotic changes caused by the oral exposure of copper in the liver tissue of rats. Celtis tournefortii may provide amelioration of the antioxidant status and moderation of severity of liver damage against copper toxicity. The therapeutic use of C. tournefortii may exhibit protective effects in liver injury treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wearable technology for objective, continuous, and reliable alcohol monitoring has been developed. These are known as transdermal alcohol sensors (TASs). They can be worn on the wrist or ankle with the sensor pressed against the skin and can measure sweat vapors being emitted from the skin, to record transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC). Previous studies have investigated the accuracy and acceptability of the available TAS brands, but there has been little research into their use in people with alcohol use disorders (AUD)., Objective: This feasibility randomized controlled trial aims to explore the feasibility, strengths, and limitations of using a TAS to monitor alcohol consumption in individuals in treatment for AUD with or without contingency management (CM) to promote abstinence or low-level alcohol consumption., Methods: The target sample size is 30 (15 randomized to each group). Participants will be recruited through poster adverts at alcohol services. Both groups (control and CM) will wear the TAS (BACtrack Skyn) for 2 weeks in the context of their usual treatment, meeting with the researcher every other weekday. In the last meeting, the participants will complete a postwear survey on their experience of wearing the TAS. The CM group will also receive small financial incentives for low or no alcohol consumption, as measured by the TAS. On days where the TAC peak is below a set threshold (<115.660 g/L), CM group participants will be rewarded with a £5 (US $6.38) voucher. There are financial bonuses if this target is achieved on consecutive days. The researcher will monitor TAC for each day of the study at each research visit and allocate financial incentives to participants according to a set reinforcement schedule., Results: The first participant was enrolled in June 2023, and the last in December 2023. Data analysis is underway and is estimated to be completed by June 2024. A total of 32 participants were enrolled., Conclusions: Most TAS brands have had limited application in clinical settings, and most studies have included healthy adults rather than people with AUD. TAS has the potential to enhance treatment outcomes in clinical alcohol treatment. The accuracy, acceptability, and feasibility of TAS for people with AUD in clinical settings need to be investigated. This is the first study to use TAS in specialized alcohol services with diagnosed AUD individuals currently receiving treatment from a south London alcohol service., Trial Registration: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN46845361; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN46845361., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/57653., (©Eileen Brobbin, Paolo Deluca, Stephen Parkin, Colin Drummond. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 31.07.2024.)

A novel 4,4-difuoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) copolymer with diethynylbenzene has been synthesised, and its ability to act as a photosensitiser for the photocatalytic generation of hydrogen was investigated by time-resolved spectroscopic techniques spanning the ps- to ns-timescales. Both transient absorption and time-resolved infrared spectroscopy were used to probe the excited state dynamics of this photosensitising unit in a variety of solvents. These studies indicated how environmental factors can influence the photophysics of the BODIPY polymer. A homogeneous photocatalytic hydrogen evolution system has been developed using the BODIPY copolymer and cobaloxime which provides hydrogen evolution rates of 319 μmol h−1 g−1 after 24 h of visible irradiation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends Transmission Assessment Surveys (TAS) to determine when an evaluation unit (EU) (a designated population survey area) has achieved elimination of transmission of the vector-borne macroparasitic disease Lymphatic Filariasis (LF). These determinations are based on combining data from multiple survey units within an EU; it is unclear how underlying cluster-level variation influences the outcome of the TAS at EU level. We simulate LF infection distribution in an EU and compare three methods for assessing whether LF elimination has occurred based on currently recommended decision thresholds and sampling methods. We simulate an EU divided into clusters of varying size and disease prevalence. We produce 1000 samples according to LF TAS examples and WHO guidelines and compare three decision-making approaches: lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) (recommended by WHO), one-sided interval estimate (CI), and n th order statistic (MAX). Summary statistics demonstrating the "pass" rate for the EU under different disease transmission conditions are generated using a versatile SAS® macro. As the prevalence of LF decreases, the LQAS and CI approaches produce increased likelihood of a pass outcome for an EU while some cluster units may still have a high likelihood of transmission. The MAX provides an alternative that increases the likelihood of determining a pass only once the whole area has a low likelihood of transmission. LQAS and CI approaches designed to estimate the LF prevalence in the EU miss hotspots that will continue to transmit infection while the MAX approach focuses on identifying clusters with high risk of transmission. The current TAS methodology has a flaw that may result in false predictions of LF transmission interruption throughout an EU. Modifying the TAS methodology to address results from extreme clusters rather than being based on mean prevalence over an EU will result in greater success for global elimination of LF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anatolia / Anadolu is the property of Ankara University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Newborn calf diarrhea causes significant economic losses. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the effect of adding probiotics on Total Antioxidant (TAS) and Total Oxidant (TOS) levels in routine treatment of calf diarrhea. Material-Method: The material of the study consisted of 12 calves, routine treatment (Group 1, n=6 calves) and probiotic group. (Group 2; n=6 calves). Results: TAS values increased statistically after treatment (P <0.05) in group 2 compared to pretreatment. Comparison of the groups after treatment revealed that TAS significantly increased (P <0.05) in group 2. While there was no statistical difference in TOS values between the groups a statistically significant increase (P <0.05) was detected after treatment compared to pretreatment. Conclusion: It was concluded that adding probiotics may be useful in addition to routine treatment in newborn calf diarrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]