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Copyright of Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) 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 & Objective: The prevalence of cesarean section (C/S) has increased worldwide, as in Iran, in current years. This issue is more important for our country due to the change in the policy of family planning to increase population. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to determine the prevalence of C/S and its causes in Fasa in the year 2011. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, the data were collected from profiles of women who underwent C/S in Vali Asr hospital in Fasa University of Medical Sciences; Fars, Iran in the year 2011 by using a standard questionnaire containing socio-demographic data and its causes of C/S. The rates of Normal Vaginal Delivery (NVD) and C/S were obtained from vice-chancellor for health of Fasa University of Medical Sciences. The data were described by SPSS software version 16, prevalence and percentage indices. Results: There were 4376 deliveries in Fasa in the year 2011 that 2741 (62%) of them were cesarean section that 1540(56/7%) of them were rural and the rest of them (43.3%) were urban. The average age of them was 27.5 years. The most cause for C/S was previous section. Conclusion: The rate for cesarean section was four times more than the suggested rate by World Health Organization (WHO) (15%). This is also higher than the average rate of Iran that has increased during recent decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Identification of those at high and low risk of disease relapse is a major unmet need in the management of patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Precise stratification would allow tailoring of immunosuppressive medication. We profiled the autoantibody repertoire of AAV patients in remission to identify novel autoantibodies associated with relapse risk., Methods: Plasma samples collected from 246 AAV patients in remission were screened for novel autoantibodies using in-house generated protein arrays including 42 000 protein fragments representing 18 000 unique human proteins. Patients were categorized based on the occurrence and frequency of relapses. We modelled the association between these antibodies and relapse occurrence using descriptive and high dimensional regression approaches., Results: We observed nine autoantibodies at higher frequency in samples from AAV patients experiencing multiple relapses compared with patients in long-term remission off therapy (LTROT). LASSO analysis identified six autoantibodies that exhibited an association with relapse occurrence after sample collection. Antibodies targeting HFE and SYT5 were identified as associated with relapse in both analyses., Conclusion: Through a broad protein array-based autoantibody screening, we identified two novel autoantibodies directed against HFE and SYT5 as candidate biomarkers of relapse in AAV., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology.)

In this paper, we theoretically investigate the magnomechanically induced transparency (MIT) phenomenon and slow-fast light propagation in a microwave cavity-magnomechanical system which includes a levitated ferromagnetic sphere. Magnetic dipole interaction determines the interaction between the photon, magnon, and center of mass motion of the cavity-magnomechanical system. As a result, we find that apart from coupling strength, which has an important role in MIT, the levitated ferromagnetic sphere's position provides us a parameter to manipulate the width of the transparency window. In addition, the control field's frequency has crucial influences on the MIT. Also this hybrid magnonic system allows us to demonstrate MIT in both the strong coupling and intermediate coupling regimes. More interestingly, we demonstrate tunable slow and fast light in this hybrid magnonic system. In other words, we show that the group delay can be adjusted by varying the control field's frequency, the sphere position, and the magnon-photon coupling strength. These parameters have an influence on the transformation from slow to fast light propagation and vice versa. Based on the recent experimental advancements, our results provide the possibility to engineer hybrid magnonic systems with levitated particles for the light propagation, and the quantum measurements and sensing of physical quantities.

ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV) are rare autoimmune diseases causing inflammation and damage to small blood vessels. New autoantibody biomarkers are needed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of AAV patients. In this study, we aimed to profile the autoantibody repertoire of AAV patients using in-house developed antigen arrays to identify previously unreported antibodies linked to the disease per se, clinical subgroups, or clinical activity. A total of 1743 protein fragments representing 1561 unique proteins were screened in 229 serum samples collected from 137 AAV patients at presentation, remission, and relapse. Additionally, serum samples from healthy individuals and patients with other type of vasculitis and autoimmune-inflammatory conditions were included to evaluate the specificity of the autoantibodies identified in AAV. Autoreactivity against members of the kinesin protein family were identified in AAV patients, healthy volunteers, and disease controls. Anti-KIF4A antibodies were significantly more prevalent in AAV. We also observed possible associations between anti-kinesin antibodies and clinically relevant features within AAV patients. Further verification studies will be needed to confirm these findings.

This study aimed to develop a new bioactive wound dressing based on electrospun poly (L-lactide-co-D, L-lactide) (PLDLLA) nanofibers containing Lawsonia inermis (LI) for burn wounds. The SEM results showed that loading LI increased the average diameter of PLDLLA nanofibers to 528 nm with smooth and beadless morphology. The analysis of LI release from PLDLLA nanofibers and film samples was measured by UV-vis spectrophotometry, and the obtained results revealed that LI molecules could diffuse from the nanofibrous sample with higher rate than film during 48 h. In this regard, the PLDLLA nanofibrous sample as a drug carrier has advantages compared to the film. Moreover, the antibacterial results confirmed the positive influence of LI related to the bacteria which in turn the growth inhibition zones were increased from 6 to 22 mm for P. aeruginosa , and from 3 to 16 mm for S. aureus while the LI concentration was set at 1.4% (w/v). Finally, animal model studies demonstrated that PLDLLA-LI nanofibers accelerated burn wound closure remarkably; thereby decreasing the wound area approximately 90% during the treatment period of 19 days. The histological observations dedicated that the appearance of the epithelial layer was increased dramatically alongside the thickness of around 40% for the wound treated with PLDLLA-LI nanofibrous sample rather than that without LI. Besides the epithelialization, it has been found that the wound covered by PLDLLA-LI wound dressing has condensed collagen fibers with no necrosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune systemic disease that leads to decreased survival and quality of life due to fibrosis, inflammation, and vascular damage in the skin and/or vital organs. Early diagnosis is crucial for clinical benefit in SSc patients. Our study aimed to identify autoantibodies in the plasma of SSc patients that are associated with fibrosis in SSc. Initially, we performed a proteome-wide screening on sample pools from SSc patients by untargeted autoantibody screening on a planar antigen array (including 42,000 antigens representing 18,000 unique proteins). The selection was complemented with proteins reported in the literature in the context of SSc. A targeted antigen bead array was then generated with protein fragments representing the selected proteins and used to screen 55 SSc plasma samples and 52 matched controls. We found eleven autoantibodies with a higher prevalence in SSc patients than in controls, eight of which bound to proteins associated with fibrosis. Combining these autoantibodies in a panel could lead to the subgrouping of SSc patients with fibrosis. Anti-Phosphatidylinositol-5-phosphate 4-kinase type 2 beta (PIP4K2B)- and anti-AKT Serine/Threonine Kinase 3 (AKT3)-antibodies should be further explored to confirm their association with skin and lung fibrosis in SSc patients.

Background: Beta- thalassemia major causes the basic skeletal changes due to ineffective erythropoiesis in suffering patients. The aim of the study was to determine the frequency of maxillo-facial anomalies and the hemoglobin and ferritin levels in patients with beta-thalassemia major compared to the healthy control group., Methods: The present study was performed on 72 beta- thalassemia major patients and 70 healthy control group in Ahvaz, Southwest Iran, from Jan 2014 to Mar 2015. Panoramic radiographs were taken using a standard procedure. The frequency of abnormalities including enlargement of bone marrow spaces, small maxillary sinuses, thickness of inferior mandibular cortex, prominent antegonial notch, absence of inferior alveolar canal and thin lamina dura, were determined by two Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist. We also paid to identification of the relationship between abnormalities frequency and hemoglobin and ferritin levels during previous 6 months in thalassemia patients., Results: The mean age of case and control groups was 18.6±7.25 and 17 ± 6. 55 yr, respectively. The frequency of abnormalities in the case and control groups was as follows, enlargement of bone marrow spaces [69 (95.8%) vs 3 (4.3%)], small maxillary sinuses [45 (62.5%) vs 1(1.4%)], reduced thickness of inferior mandibular cortex [21(29.2%) vs 6 (8.6%)], prominent antegonial notch [10 (13.9%) vs 2 (2.9%)], absence of inferior alveolar canal [68(94.4%) vs 41(58.6%)] and thin lamina dura [40 (55.6%) vs 5 (7.1%)]., Conclusion: The all above mentioned abnormalities in patients with beta-thalassemia major was higher than the control group. Moreover, the frequency of maxillo-facial abnormalities decreased by increasing hemoglobin and decreasing ferritin., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Objective: To improve urotrauma care by describing veterans' current demographics and needs assessment during transitional care to the Veteran Health Administration (VHA) system., Methods: We utilized our previously identified cohorts obtained from the DoD Trauma Registry data for male service members injured in theater linked with VHA electronic health records. We included veterans who received care at VHA at least once from October 2001 through September 2011 for chart review. We investigate demographics, opportunities for care, combat-related trauma, disability, and associated mental health or urologic conditions specifically at the initial encounter with a VHA healthcare provider., Results: We queried 580 veterans' records in VHA from the linked databases. We idenfied that 141 (24.4%) veterans received addional care outside VHA and 17.1% (n = 99) of charts had insufficient data for injury validation. Reference to the urotrauma was mentioned in 72% of VHA initial visits (n = 416/580). The most common urotrauma occurred to the lower/external genitourinary injury (298, 51%). Of all the veterans identified with genitourinary trauma, approximately 28% (n = 160) were referred for urologic consultation, but only 14% were related to the original urotrauma. Ninety percent (522/580) of service members with urotrauma also had a mental health diagnosis, largely post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, 70.8%)., Conclusions: The majority of men with urotrauma did have contact with VHA, yet there is no systematic approach to baseline assessment or long-term care strategy. However, only a small proportion of DoD-documented urotrauma requires ongoing care. We identified that coordinating care with mental health pathways (PTSD/traumatic brain injury) may be an opportunity to evaluate the long-term effects of urotrauma., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2021. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.)

Background: Declining humoral immunity in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and possible reinfection have raised concern. Mucosal immunity, particularly salivary antibodies, may be short lived although long-term studies are lacking., Methods: Using a multiplex bead-based array platform, we investigated antibodies specific to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) proteins in 256 saliva samples from convalescent patients 1-9 months after symptomatic COVID-19 (n = 74, cohort 1), undiagnosed individuals with self-reported questionnaires (n = 147, cohort 2), and individuals sampled prepandemic (n = 35, cohort 3)., Results: Salivary IgG antibody responses in cohort 1 (mainly mild COVID-19) were detectable up to 9 months postrecovery, with high correlations between spike and nucleocapsid specificity. At 9 months, IgG remained in blood and saliva in most patients. Salivary IgA was rarely detected at this time point. In cohort 2, salivary IgG and IgA responses were significantly associated with recent history of COVID-19-like symptoms. Salivary IgG tolerated temperature and detergent pretreatments., Conclusions: Unlike SARS-CoV-2 salivary IgA that appeared short lived, specific saliva IgG appeared stable even after mild COVID-19, as for blood serology. This noninvasive saliva-based SARS-CoV-2 antibody test with home self-collection may be a complementary alternative to conventional blood serology., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Introduction We evaluate diagnostic radiology residents' perceptions of an ultrasound-guided and stereotactic breast biopsy simulator used at an academic medical center. This simulator is low-cost and easily reproducible. We aim to understand if this simulator improves residents' self-reported confidence in performing breast biopsy procedures on live patients. Methods Twenty-eight diagnostic radiology residents were instructed in how to perform ultrasound-guided breast biopsies and stereotactic breast biopsies using real biopsy and imaging equipment, but with tissue models in lieu of live persons. The hands-on experience was preceded by a didactic lecture. The ultrasound-guided tissue model was created with blueberries that were inserted in tofu, and the stereotactic tissue model was created by placing crushed calcium carbonate tablets into cored eggplant. Residents were asked to fill out a survey before and after participating in the simulation, where they self-reported their confidence level at performing ultrasound-guided and stereotactic breast biopsies. Results Twenty-eight diagnostic radiology residents participated in the simulation. All residents completed the pre-simulation survey and of these residents, twenty-one completed the post-simulation survey. Prior to the simulation residents reported a median confidence level of 3.5 out of 10 in performing ultrasound-guided breast biopsies, and a median confidence level of 1.0 out of 10 in performing stereotactic-guided breast biopsies. After the simulation, residents reported a median confidence level of 7.0 out of 10 in performing ultrasound-guided breast biopsies, and a median confidence level of 3.0 out of 10 in performing stereotactic-guided breast biopsies. Increases in resident confidence level were statistically significant for both biopsy types (p < 0.01).  Conclusion Simulated biopsies can increase the confidence of diagnostic radiology residents that are learning to perform breast biopsies before they perform real biopsies on live patients. Providing simulation training and thereby improving resident confidence may help reduce physician error and patient harm due to poor biopsy techniques., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Al Bayati et al.)

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic poses an immense need for accurate, sensitive and high-throughput clinical tests, and serological assays are needed for both overarching epidemiological studies and evaluating vaccines. Here, we present the development and validation of a high-throughput multiplex bead-based serological assay., Methods: More than 100 representations of SARS-CoV-2 proteins were included for initial evaluation, including antigens produced in bacterial and mammalian hosts as well as synthetic peptides. The five best-performing antigens, three representing the spike glycoprotein and two representing the nucleocapsid protein, were further evaluated for detection of IgG antibodies in samples from 331 COVID-19 patients and convalescents, and in 2090 negative controls sampled before 2020., Results: Three antigens were finally selected, represented by a soluble trimeric form and the S1-domain of the spike glycoprotein as well as by the C-terminal domain of the nucleocapsid. The sensitivity for these three antigens individually was found to be 99.7%, 99.1% and 99.7%, and the specificity was found to be 98.1%, 98.7% and 95.7%. The best assay performance was although achieved when utilising two antigens in combination, enabling a sensitivity of up to 99.7% combined with a specificity of 100%. Requiring any two of the three antigens resulted in a sensitivity of 99.7% and a specificity of 99.4%., Conclusion: These observations demonstrate that a serological test based on a combination of several SARS-CoV-2 antigens enables a highly specific and sensitive multiplex serological COVID-19 assay., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Clinical & Translational Immunology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology, Inc.)

Background and Purpose: The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) with phycocyanin on Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans biofilm formed on sandblasted, large-grit, and acid-etched (SLA) titanium discs., Materials and Methods: In this in vitro experimental study, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), sublethal dose of diode laser irradiation time, and sublethal dose of aPDT were first determined. Next, 30 SLA titanium discs with 8 mm diameter and 2 mm thickness were incubated with A. actinomycetemcomitans in order for the bacterial biofilm to form, and were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 6): (I) negative control with no treatment, (II) positive control, immersed in 0.2 % chlorhexidine (CHX) for 5 min, (III) phycocyanin alone with ×2 MIC concentration for 5 min, (IV) diode laser alone (635 nm wavelength, 220 mW power), and (V) PDT with diode laser and phycocyanin. The samples were then sonicated, and the number of colony-forming units (CFUs) on each disc was calculated. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, t-test, and a post-hoc test., Results: aPDT with 125 μg/mL phycocyanin and 4 min irradiation of 635 nm diode laser decreasedA. actinomycetemcomitans biofilm by 40.07 %. The lowest mean colony count (CFUs/mL) was noted in 0.2 % CHX group (0.0 × 10 5 CFU/mL) while the highest mean was observed in the negative control group (4.55 ± 0.08 × 10 5 CFUs/mL). Using phycocyanin alone significantly decreased the A. actinomycetemcomitans count by 27.54 % (3.29 ± 0.06 × 10 5 CFUs/mL) compared with the negative control group (P < 0.0001). Significant differences were noted between the negative control and other groups (P < 0.0001)., Conclusion: aPDT with phycocyanin and diode laser can decrease the A. actinomycetemcomitans biofilm on SLA titanium implant surfaces and can be used as a safe and non-invasive decontamination method for reduction of A. actinomycetemcomitans biofilm on implant surfaces., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

SARS-CoV-2 may pose an occupational health risk to healthcare workers. Here, we report the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, self-reported symptoms and occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers at a large acute care hospital in Sweden. The seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was 19.1% among the 2149 healthcare workers recruited between April 14th and May 8th 2020, which was higher than the reported regional seroprevalence during the same time period. Symptoms associated with seroprevalence were anosmia (odds ratio (OR) 28.4, 95% CI 20.6-39.5) and ageusia (OR 19.2, 95% CI 14.3-26.1). Seroprevalence was also associated with patient contact (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.9-4.5) and covid-19 patient contact (OR 3.3, 95% CI 2.2-5.3). These findings imply an occupational risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers. Continued measures are warranted to assure healthcare workers safety and reduce transmission from healthcare workers to patients and to the community.

Eradication failure of Helicobacter pylori infection could play a causal role in progression of gastric disorders. In this study, infection with H. pylori was followed in gastric biopsies of symptomatic adult patients at two phases during 1-year period. Analyses were done to show association of therapeutic regimens with the refractory infection, changes in sequence types (STs) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values, and progression of histopathological changes. Infection with H. pylori was confirmed in 32.3% (57/170) of the patients. Persistent infection with H. pylori was confirmed in 14 out of the 25 patients (56%) who participated at the second phase of the study. A difference between primary and secondary resistance rates to clarithromycin (49% vs 64.3%), metronidazole (76.36% vs 100%), and ciprofloxacin (45% vs 57.1%) was detected. Although the re-emerged strains in patients with refractory infection did not show alteration in STs, their MIC 50 values showed twofold increases for clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin. While ciprofloxacin containing regimens were more successful, failure of metronidazole containing regimens was detected in 77% of the patients. Consequently, inappropriate medication has an impact on refractory H. pylori infection, which could cause to a rise in resistance levels to antibiotics and progression of pathological disorders., (© 2019 APMIS. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

While a batch of efforts are fastened on synthesizing the novel targeted anti-cancer agents, recent investigations have achieved a breakthrough in identifying a favorable anti-tumor activity for some supportive drugs, which their safety have been confirmed thus far. The results of the present study highlighted the efficacy of Aprepitant, an oral antagonist of the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R), against both APL (NB4) and pre-B ALL (Nalm-6) cell lines; however, a differential sensitivity pattern was found in these cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the molecular mechanisms of resistance to Aprepitant have been investigated and, herein, we proposed that the effectiveness of Aprepitant could be overshadowed, at least partially, through over-activated nuclear factor-κB in Nalm-6 pre-B ALL cells. In contrast to Nalm-6, the cytotoxic property of Aprepitant in NB4 was divulged at the lower concentrations. Of particular interest, we found that the cytotoxicity of the inhibitor became even more evident in the synergistic experiments, where an enhanced reduction in viability was noted after treatment of NB4 cells with ATO-plus-Aprepitant. The stimulatory effect of NK1R inhibition on ATO cytotoxicity is probably mediated through up-regulation of p73, which can subsequently engage p21 and NF-κB pathway via transcriptional suppression of c-Myc. Taken together, the present study suggests that inhibition of NK1R using Aprepitant, either alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs, could be a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of acute leukemia, especially APL, that may be clinically accessible in the near future., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Genetic and laboratory studies have remodeled the conventional understanding of cancer pathogenesis by identifying different molecular alterations. Intrigued by the contribution of neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) network in cancer pathogenesis, we investigated the antileukemic effects of aprepitant, a nonpeptide antagonist of NK1R, in a panel of hematological cell lines. In this study, we found that aprepitant decreased the survival of all the tested cells; however, as compared with NB4, viability of the other cell lines was inhibited at higher concentrations. By increasing both p21 and p73 along with suppressing c-Myc and hTERT, aprepitant probably disordered cell distribution in the cell cycle, decreased DNA replication rate, and, thereby, impeded the proliferative capability of NB4 cells. Moreover, exposing cells to this agent led to activation of the caspase-3-dependent apoptotic pathway through altering the expression of apoptosis-related genes. Noteworthy, aprepitant also sensitized NB4 cells to the cytotoxic effects of arsenic trioxide and vincristine. Overall, it seems that pharmaceutical targeting of NK1R using aprepitant, either as a single agent or in combination, possesses novel promising potential for leukemia treatment strategies.

Pharmacy information system (PIS) is becoming vital in assisting pharmacists to do their responsibilities. The aim of this study was to identify the current PIS implications in teaching hospitals affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Science. This cross-sectional study was conducted in teaching hospitals affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Science over the year 2016. Data were collected by observing the PIS as well as interviewing its users based on the researcher-made checklist. The checklist was prepared based on reviewing the Persian and English literature and its content validity was approved by the experts. To determine the reliability of the checklist, inter-rater reliability was used. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 , and hospitals were clustered using SK-means method. In this study, the least conformity to the standards was shown in smart clinical features (4.54%), pharmaceutical companies' relationship (32.6%), and optimization of drug therapy (34.6%). In contrast, the highest conformity to the standards was shown in reporting capabilities (77.3%) and entry information and input (70.4%). Medication stock checking and optimization of drug therapy were effective features that have made a distinction between hospitals and lead to 95% variance between clusters. Based on the results, the current PIS design pays less attention to clinical features. Besides, clinical information for pharmacists and outside organization relationship were not provided by the current system. Thus, emphasis should be placed on the implementation of corrective actions to eliminate the current system's deficiencies., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Reelin is an extracellular glycoprotein which contributes to synaptic plasticity and function of memory in the adult brain. It has been indicated that the Reelin signaling cascade participates in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Besides the neurons, glial cells such as astrocytes also express Reelin protein. While functional loss of astrocytes has been reported to be associated with AD, dysfunction of astrocytic Reelin signaling pathway has not received much attention. Therefore, we investigated the effects of α-boswellic acid (ABA) as one of the major component of Boswellia serrata resin on primary fetal human astrocytes under a stress paradigm as a possible model for AD through study on Reelin cascade. For this aim, we used streptozotocin (STZ), in which from an outlook generates Alzheimer's hallmarks in astrocytes, and assayed Reelin expression, Tau and Akt phosphorylation as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and apoptosis in the presences of ABA. Our results indicated that while STZ (100 µM) down-regulated the expression of Reelin, ABA (25 µM) up-regulated its expression (p < 0.01) for 24 h. ABA efficiently reduced hyperphosphorylated Tau (Ser404) in STZ-treated astrocytes (p < 0.01). Furthermore, STZ-induced apoptosis by increasing cleaved caspase three (p < 0.01) and ROS generation (p < 0.01), a further pathological hallmark of Tauopathy. On the other hand, ABA decreased ROS generation and promoted proliferation of astrocytes through elevating Survivin expression (p < 0.01). These results showed that ABA could be considered as a potent therapeutic agent for prevention and decreasing the progression of Alzheimer's hallmarks in astrocytes; however, more in vivo studies would be needed.

The thermal responsive behavior of adsorbed layers of diblock copolymers of poly( N -isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAM) and poly((3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium chloride) (PAMPTMA(+)) with γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) at the solid/liquid interface has been investigated using three in situ techniques: null ellipsometry, quartz-crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, and neutron reflectometry. The measurements provided information about the adsorbed amounts, the layer thickness, hydration and viscoelastic properties, and the interfacial structure and composition. The copolymers adsorb to silica with the cationic PAMPTMA(+) blocks sitting as anchors in a flat conformation and the PNIPAAM chains extending into the solution. The copolymer system alone exhibits reversible collapse above the lower critical solution temperature of PNIPAAM. The addition of γ-CD to pre-adsorbed copolymer layers results in a highly extended conformation as well as some loss of copolymer from the surface, which we discuss in terms of the formation of surface-invoked lateral steric repulsion of formed inclusion complexes.