Instructional guidelines and group discussion effects on new nurses' competency regarding nursing care of preterm infants.

Background: Premature birth was once one of the leading causes of infant mortality. Premature infants require improved medical and nursing skills from a highly competent nursing team. Purpose: This investigation aimed to assess the effects of instructional guidelines and group discussion on new nurses' competency in preterm infants caring at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Methods: A single-anonymized, two-group pre-test and post-test study design was accompanied in 2022. The study was accompanied for 50 newly graduated nurses concerned with competence in nursing management of preterm infants at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in two hospitals: Al-Namas General Hospital, KSA, and the Pediatric Hospital of Assiut University, Egypt. Two groups were randomly selected from among the nurses to be trained on preterm infant nursing care competence either through an instructional guideline or group discussion. Nursing attitudes and practices were measured before and after training using questionnaires and checklists. Results: There was no significant difference between the instructional guideline group and the group discussion in the mean total score of attitudes (11.72 and 14.65, P = 0.455) and practices (14.36 and 14.80, P = 0.494) towards caring for preterm infants before intervention. While mean nurses' attitude and practice scores increased significantly in both groups after the intervention, in the discussion group, nurses' practice scores increased significantly (p = 0.001). Still, there were no significant changes in the instructional guideline group (P = 0.202). Conclusion: Both methods were effective on the newly graduated nurses' attitude; however, the instructional guidelines did not affect their practice regard nursing care of preterm infants. However, group discussion training techniques can effectively improve the nurses' attitude and practice toward nursing care of preterm infants. Relevance to clinical practice: The group discussion training method should be the approved and proven method for hospitals to train new nurses to increase clinical practices, especially during nursing care for premature infants, because this method has proven its worth in increasing the skill of nurses. It enables a group to talk about a specific subject and exchange personal stories. This approach involves a group leader facilitating communication and interaction between participants.

Impact of different forms of selenium supplementation on growth and physiological performance of New Zealand white rabbits.

Forty-eight weaned male New Zealand White rabbits aged 6 weeks with an initial body weight of (709.67 ± 13 g) were randomly divided into six experimental groups (8 rabbits each) for 6-14 weeks of age experimental periods. The present study was planned to evaluate the effect of using different forms of Selenium element (inorganic, nanoparticles and organic) as dietary supplementation on productive performance of rabbits. Six experimental groups in completely randomized design were used. The first group (G1, control) was fed the basal diet to cover maintenance and production allowances. Rabbits in the other groups G2, G3, G4 and G5 were fed the basal diet supplemented with Nano- Se at 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05 mg/kg diet, respectively. The 6th group (G6) was fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.1 mg/kg diet of salinized yeast (Se-yeast) as organic form. The results indicated that the highest values of nitrogen free extract (NFE) and crude fiber (CF) digestibility, live body weight, daily weight gain, hot carcass weight and dressing percentage were observed with those supplemented with Nano-Se at all levels compared with other treatments. However, feed conversion, net revenue and economic efficiency values were improved with Nano-Se groups followed by organic Se group in comparisons with the control group. Conclusively, the Nano-Se in rabbit's diet has a positive effect in improving rabbit's performance and economic efficiency compared to the inorganic Selenium.

Growth performance, plasma metabolites, meat quality, and meat and lipid health indices of New Zealand White rabbits as affected by dietary dried tomato pomace powder supplementation during the summer season.

One hundred and twenty New Zealand White rabbits (NZW) (5-week-old; 735.27 ± 27.23 g) were kept in an open-sided house during the summer season. The experiment aims to evaluate the impacts of dried tomato pomace powder (DTPP) supplementation on rabbits' performance, blood metabolites, carcass traits, meat quality, and lipid and health indices of NZW rabbits during 5-13 weeks of age. The four treatments were a standard rabbit feed (control) and the control diet supplemented with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% DTPP, respectively. Rabbits fed a diet containing 1.5% DTPP showed the highest growth rate through weeks 9-13 of age despite having the lowest feed intake spanning 5-13 weeks. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded in rabbits fed with 1.5% DTPP-supplemented diet for 5-13 weeks. Diets supplemented with 0.5 or 1.0% DTPP enhanced markedly dressing %, total edible flesh, saturated (SFAs), monounsaturated (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) contents, as well as the ∑n - 6/∑n - 3 ratio and the total n - 6 of meat. Dietary supplementation with DTPP decreased kidney, abdominal, and back fat. Diets supplemented with DTTP decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides, and very low-density lipoprotein (vLDL) concentrations. The greatest levels of linoleic acid, arachidonic and water-holding capacity in meat were observed in rabbits fed 1.5% DTPP-supplemented diets. Diets containing 1 and 1.5% DTPP improved meats' atherogenic and thrombogenic indices, meat lipid quality desired fatty acids/undesired fatty acids ratio, and meat health index. Conclusively, DTPP up to 1.5% maintained the growth performance of rabbits, boosted meat quality through increasing vitamin E, reduced fat deposition, modified fatty acid composition, and improved atherogenic, thrombogenic, and hypocholesterolemic indices of rabbit meat.

Advancements in Wearable EEG Technology for Improved Home-Based Sleep Monitoring and Assessment: A Review.

Sleep is a fundamental aspect of daily life, profoundly impacting mental and emotional well-being. Optimal sleep quality is vital for overall health and quality of life, yet many individuals struggle with sleep-related difficulties. In the past, polysomnography (PSG) has served as the gold standard for assessing sleep, but its bulky nature, cost, and the need for expertise has made it cumbersome for widespread use. By recognizing the need for a more accessible and user-friendly approach, wearable home monitoring systems have emerged. EEG technology plays a pivotal role in sleep monitoring, as it captures crucial brain activity data during sleep and serves as a primary indicator of sleep stages and disorders. This review provides an overview of the most recent advancements in wearable sleep monitoring leveraging EEG technology. We summarize the latest EEG devices and systems available in the scientific literature, highlighting their design, form factors, materials, and methods of sleep assessment. By exploring these developments, we aim to offer insights into cutting-edge technologies, shedding light on wearable EEG sensors for advanced at-home sleep monitoring and assessment. This comprehensive review contributes to a broader perspective on enhancing sleep quality and overall health using wearable EEG sensors.

Tablet-Based Wearable Patch Sensor Design for Continuous Cardiovascular System Monitoring in Postoperative Settings.

Meticulous monitoring for cardiovascular systems is important for postoperative patients in postanesthesia or the intensive care unit. The continuous auscultation of heart and lung sounds can provide a valuable information for patient safety. Although numerous research projects have proposed the design of continuous cardiopulmonary monitoring devices, they primarily focused on the auscultation of heart and lung sounds and mostly served as screening tools. However, there is a lack of devices that could continuously display and monitor the derived cardiopulmonary parameters. This study presents a novel approach to address this need by proposing a bedside monitoring system that utilizes a lightweight and wearable patch sensor for continuous cardiovascular system monitoring. The heart and lung sounds were collected using a chest stethoscope and microphones, and a developed adaptive noise cancellation algorithm was implemented to remove the background noise corrupted with those sounds. Additionally, a short-distance ECG signal was acquired using electrodes and a high precision analog front end. A high-speed processing microcontroller was used to allow real-time data acquisition, processing, and display. A dedicated tablet-based software was developed to display the acquired signal waveforms and the processed cardiovascular parameters. A significant contribution of this work is the seamless integration of continuous auscultation and ECG signal acquisition, thereby enabling the real-time monitoring of cardiovascular parameters. The wearability and lightweight design of the system were achieved through the use of rigid-flex PCBs, which ensured patient comfort and ease of use. The system provides a high-quality signal acquisition and real-time monitoring of the cardiovascular parameters, thus proving its potential as a health monitoring tool.

Dietary zinc-chitosan nanoparticles addition influences on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility, carcass indices, and immune function in weaned rabbits.

The aim of this study was to study the effect of zinc oxide-chitosan nanoparticles (Zn-CNPs) on growth performance, plasma constituents, carcass indices, and immune function in rabbit diets. Eighty weaned V-line males rabbits at 5 weeks of age were divided into four dietary groups of control diet; 50 Zn-CNPs; 75 Zn-CNPs;100 Zn-CNPs. Supplementation of Zn-CNPs did not affect final live body weight and average daily weight gain. 100 ppm Zn-CNPs recorded (p < 0.05) higher digestibility of DM, OM, CP, EE, and NFE. Dietary groups of 75 and 100 ppm were higher (p < 0.05) in DCP, TDN (%), and DE (kcal/kg). Zn-CNPs supplementation was higher (p < 0.05) in hot carcass and spleen weights %. The addition of Zn-CNPs in diets promoted dressing%. Significant increases (p < 0.05) in plasma total protein and albumin levels for 75 and 100 Zn-CNPs. Zn-CNPs decreased (p < 0.05) glucose, total cholesterol, LDL concentrations and increased (p < 0.05) plasma zinc levels, IgG, IgM. Plasma HDL level increased (p < 0.05) with 75 and 100 ppm Zn-CNPs. In conclusion, Zn-CNPs supplementations can use safely as a zinc source in rabbits diets without any detrimental effects on growth performance, plasma constituents, and carcass indices. Moreover, 50, 75, and 100 ppm Zn-CNPs enhanced the immune functions.

Investigation the effect of different ionic liquids based-aryl imidazole on the onset precipitation of asphaltene.

Precipitation and deposition of asphaltene are considered as catastrophic issues facing the petroleum industry. Asphaltene deposition mainly occurs at variety places such as formation pore spaces, pumps, pipelines, wellbore, wellhead, tubing, surface facilities and safety valves causing operational problems, production deficiencies and enormous economic losses. This work aims to study the effect of series of synthesized aryl ionic liquids (ILs) containing different alkyl chains, named as R8-IL, R10-IL, R12-IL, and R14-IL, on the onset precipitation point of asphaltene in crude oil. R8-IL, R10-IL, R12-IL, and R14-IL were synthesized with high yields (the yield varied between 82 and 88%) and characterized via different tools of analysis (FTIR, 1H NMR, and Elemental Analysis). Their Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) was investigated and showed a reasonable degree of stability. It was found that R8-IL (short alkyl chain) has the highest stability, while R14-IL (long alkyl chain) is the lowest one. Quantum chemical calculations were conducted to study the reactivity and geometry of their electronic structures. Moreover, surface and interfacial tension of them were studied. It was found that the efficiency of the surface active parameters increased by increasing the length of the alkyl chain. The ILs were evaluated to delay the onset precipitation point of asphaltene using to different methods; the kinematic viscosity and the refractive index. Results from the two methods showed delaying of onset precipitation after the addition of the prepared ILs. The asphaltene aggregates was dispersed due to the π-π* interactions and hydrogen bonds formation with the ILs.

Green synthesis of chitosan/erythritol/graphene oxide composites for simultaneous removal of some toxic species from simulated solution.

In this study, chitosan (Ch) is adapted via green methodology including sonication induced crosslinking with different weight ratios of erythritol (Er) from (Ch-Er)1 to (Ch-Er)4. The products were casted in the form of thin films. The chemical modification was proved via FTIR spectroscopy. Then, the modified products were verified via an atomic force microscopy (AFM) investigation for their topography and surface properties. The data revealed that the optimized sample was (Ch-Er)3. This sample was further modified by different weight ratios of graphene oxide 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 wt./wt. (symbolized as (Ch-Er)3GO1, (Ch-Er)3GO2, (Ch-Er)3GO4, and (Ch-Er)3GO8 respectively). The prepared samples were investigated by different analytical tools. Then, the adjusted sample (Ch-Er)3GO2 was irradiated by electron beam (e-beam) at 10 and 20 kGy of irradiation doses to give samples (Ch-Er)3GO2R10 and (Ch-Er)3GO2R20, respectively. The AFM data of the irradiated samples showed that the pore size decreases, and surface roughness increases at higher energy e-beam due to the formation of more crosslinking points. The optimum samples of the prepared formulations were tested as sorbent materials for simultaneous elimination of methylene blue (MB) dye and mercury cation (Hg2+) from simulated solutions. The maximum removal of both MB dye and Hg2+ cation was achieved by (Ch-Er)3GO2R10 (186.23 mg g-1 and 205 mg g-1) respectively.

Parental awareness, knowledge, and attitude about shaken baby syndrome in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is an abusive head trauma inflicted on infants and young children. Injuries induced by shaking can result in death or permanent neurologic disability. It is difficult to know the exact number of SBS cases per year because many cases of SBS are not reported and/or never receive a diagnosis. From a public health perspective, creating greater awareness about SBS is important. Previous studies have revealed poor awareness and knowledge about shaken baby syndrome. In this study our aims to investigate the awareness, knowledge level, and attitude regarding shaken baby syndrome and to highlight the sources and factors associated with SBS knowledge among parents of the pediatric population in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2021 and September 2021. A validated electronic questionnaire was distributed among parents of the pediatric population in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia using the convenient random sampling method; SPSS version 22 was used to analyze the collected data. Results: the study involved 577 participants; 59.8% were mothers and 96.5% were Saudis. A total of 32.1% had previously heard about SBS. The overall knowledge mean score was low (2.95 + 1.74), and attitude was positive among 82.5% of the participants. The factors significantly associated with knowledge level were gender, marital status, and occupation. Conclusion: the participants had poor knowledge and awareness about SBS, but, despite that, they expressed a positive attitude toward learning more about it. This should prompt health authorities to increase efforts to improve public awareness and knowledge about SBS.

Artificial Intelligence Technique of Synthesis and Characterizations for Measurement of Optical Particles in Medical Devices.

The aim of this study is to demonstrate the effect of particle size on semiconductor properties; artificial intelligence is being used for the research methods. As a result, we picked cadmium sulfide (CdS), which is a unique semiconductor material that is employed in a broad variety of current applications. Given that CdS has distinct electrical and optical characteristics, it may be employed in the production of solar cells, for example. Solar cells, as is also well known, have become an essential source of energy in the world. Within the visible range (500-700 nm), we create one layer of bulk CdS and one layer of nano-CdS air bulk CdS air and air nano-CdS air. We used a number of instrumentation methods to investigate the naked CdS nanoparticles, including XRD, SEM-EDX, UV-Vis spectroscopy, TEM, XPS, and PL spectroscopy, among others. The results show that for bulk CdS at normal incidence, the transmittance is T = 45, and for nano-CdS with particle size 3 nm, the transmittance is T = 85.8, with transverse-electric (S-polarized) and transverse-magnetic (P-polarized) transmittances of TE = 75 and TM = 80, respectively.

Comparative study between two techniques for artificial shrinkage of blastocysts prior to vitrification: LASER pulse versus micro-needle technique in increasing chemical, clinical pregnancy and live birth rates after ICSI, a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: This work investigates ICSI outcome between LASER Artificial Shrinkage (LAS) and Micro-Needle Artificial Shrinkage (MNAS) before vitrification. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Four hundred and nine women were included in the study; which were randomly divided into two groups according to the technique used for artificial shrinkage step of the blastocyst before vitrification: in the first group, Laser beam was used while in the second group the micro-needle was used. Ovarian stimulation was done before the ICSI procedure either by long, short or antagonist protocol. RESULTS: The statistical analysis of our study revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding age, number of cases, AMH, Basal FSH, BMI, male factor, usage ovarian stimulation protocol, high quality blastocysts, the mean number of transferred embryos. While, there was a statistically significant difference between two groups after thawing with p-value < .001 in favor of the LAS method regarding the morphology of originally high quality blastocysts, blastocysts healthiness (not degenerated), pregnancy rate, the implantation rates. CONCLUSION: LASER artificial shrinkage of human blastocysts is a promising technology that could be implemented on a wider basis to improve ART practice, as our study revealed that the usage of LASER pulse for artificial shrinkage of blastocysts before vitrification has better implantation rate as well as better chemical and clinical pregnancy rate in comparison to the usage of micro-needle artificial shrinkage of blastocysts before vitrification. There is a statistically significant difference regarding live birth rate being more in the LASER group as compared to needle group, also the number of twins ether identical or non-identical are larger in laser group than in needle group but with no statistically significant difference. Clinical trials.gov ID: NCT04125017.

Development of an Integrated EEG/fNIRS Brain Function Monitoring System.

In this study, a fully integrated electroencephalogram/functional near-infrared spectroscopy (EEG/fNIRS) brain monitoring system was designed to fulfill the demand for a miniaturized, light-weight, low-power-consumption, and low-cost brain monitoring system as a potential tool with which to screen for brain diseases. The system is based on the ADS1298IPAG Analog Front-End (AFE) and can simultaneously acquire two-channel EEG signals with a sampling rate of 250 SPS and six-channel fNIRS signals with a sampling rate of 8 SPS. AFE is controlled by Teensy 3.2 and powered by a lithium polymer battery connected to two protection circuits and regulators. The acquired EEG and fNIRS signals are monitored and stored using a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The system was evaluated by implementing several tests to verify its ability to simultaneously acquire EEG and fNIRS signals. The implemented system can acquire EEG and fNIRS signals with a CMRR of -115 dB, power consumption of 0.75 mW/ch, system weight of 70.5 g, probe weight of 3.1 g, and a total cost of USD 130. The results proved that this system can be qualified as a low-cost, light-weight, low-power-consumption, and fully integrated EEG/fNIRS brain monitoring system.

Heart and Lung Sound Measurement Using an Esophageal Stethoscope with Adaptive Noise Cancellation.

In surgeries where general anesthesia is required, the auscultation of heart and lung sounds is essential to provide information on the patient's cardiorespiratory system. Heart and lung sounds can be recorded using an esophageal stethoscope; however, there is huge background noise when this device is used in an operating room. In this study, a digital esophageal stethoscope system was designed. A 3D-printed case filled with Polydimethylsiloxane material was designed to hold two electret-type microphones. One of the microphones was placed inside the printed case to collect the heart and lung sound signals coming out from the patient through the esophageal catheter, the other was mounted on the surface of the case to collect the operating room sounds. A developed adaptive noise canceling algorithm was implemented to remove the operating room noise corrupted with the main heart and lung sound signals and the output signal was displayed on software application developed especially for this study. Using the designed case, the noise level of the signal was reduced to some extent, and by adding the adaptive filter, further noise reduction was achieved. The designed system is lightweight and can provide noise-free heart and lung sound signals.

Zinc and/or Selenium Enriched Spirulina as Antioxidants in Growing Rabbit Diets to Alleviate the Deleterious Impacts of Heat Stress during Summer Season.

Effects of dietary supplemental zinc and/ or selenium enriched spirulina (Zn-Sp, Se-Sp and Zn-Se-Sp, respectively) as antioxidants on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, plasma biochemicals and antioxidant status of growing rabbits under summer conditions were evaluated. A total of 160 New Zealand White male rabbits at six-weeks-old were randomly assigned to four groups. The first group received untreated diet (control). The other groups received diet supplemented with 100 mg Zn-Sp/kg diet, 0.5 mg Se-Sp/kg diet or 100 mg Zn-Sp+ 0.5 mg Se-Sp, respectively. The findings showed that the supplemented diets enhanced growth performance of rabbits at marketing. Rabbits fed Zn-Sp exhibited high dry and organic matter digestibilities while those fed Zn-Sp and Zn-Se-Sp diet supplemented achieved high crude protein digestibility. Rabbits fed diet supplemented with Zn-Se-Sp gave the highest hot carcass weight when competed with their counterparts. Zn-Sp and Zn-Se-Sp supplemented diets tended to promote dressing percentage. Low concentrations of plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol were recorded by Se-Sp and Zn-Se-Sp groups. Rabbits fed Se-Sp, Zn-Se-Sp had the greatest HDL, plasma TAC and catalase and the lowest TBARs. Conclusively, dietary supplementation of 100 mg Zn-Sp, 0.5 mg Se-Sp or their combination could improve growth performance, nutrients digestibility and antioxidant status of heat stressed growing rabbits.

Efficacy and safety of Nd:YAG laser alone compared with combined Nd:YAG laser with intralesional steroid or botulinum toxin A in the treatment of hypertrophic scars.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Nd:YAG laser alone or in combination with intralesional injection of botulinum toxin type A or intralesional injection of steroid in treatment of hypertrophic scars. This study included 45 patients with hypertrophic scars who were randomly divided into three equal groups. All participants received 4 sessions of Nd:YAG laser at 4-week intervals. Immediately after the laser treatment, patients in group II were assigned to intralesional triamcinolone acetonide, and those in group III were assigned to intralesional botulinum toxin type A. All patients were followed up monthly for 3 months after the last session for any recurrence, or side effects. Clinical evaluation of the cases was done by Vancouver Scar Scale. Hypertrophic scars in the three groups showed a significant improvement (p < 0.001) compared with before treatment in all variables (except for pigmentation) and also a significant improvement in pruritus, pain, and patient relief. The highest percentage of improvements was seen in patients treated with Nd:YAG laser combined with intralesional steroid in all variables according to Vancouver Scar Scale. The degree of improvement was negatively correlated with the patients' age. The three treatment modalities were effective, safe with minimal side effects. Nd:YAG laser followed by intralesional injection of Triamcinolone acetonide had the highest percentage of Vancouver Scar Scale reduction. Combination therapy of Nd:YAG laser with intralesional injection of either Triamcinolone acetonide or Botox revealed better results than using Nd:YAG as a single therapeutic modality for HTS.

l-Amino acid oxidase from Cerastes vipera snake venom: Isolation, characterization and biological effects on bacteria and tumor cell lines.

A homodimeric l-amino acid oxidase enzyme (Cv-LAAOI) was isolated from the venom of Cerastes vipera (Egyptian Sand viper) using gel filtration followed by anion exchange chromatography. The molecular mass of Cv-LAAO is 120 kDa in its native form and 60 kDa in its monomeric form. The optimum enzyme activity was achieved on l-Leucine as a substrate in 50 mM buffer pH 7.5 at 50 °C. The Cv-LAAOI activity was significantly reduced by increasing the temperature over 40 °C, lost 75% of its activity at 60 °C and inhibited completely at 80 °C. The Cv-LAAOI attains the highest substrate specificity towards L-Met. The results have also indicated that Mn2+ enhances the enzyme activity by 10%, while Cu2+, Hg2+, Ni2+, Co2+ have suppressive effects on the Cv-LAAOI activity. On the other hand, EDTA has no significant effect on the enzyme activity. The kinetic parameters of Cv-LAAOI activity (Km, Kcat and Vmax) estimated on l-Leucine at pH 8 and 37 °C were found to be 2 mM, 12 S-1 and 16.7 µmol/min/ml, respectively. In addition, the results have shown that Cv-LAAOI exhibits a significant bactericidal activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with MIC values of 20 µg/ml. Moreover, Cv-LAAOI has exhibited a considerable cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) with IC50 value 2.75 ±â€¯0.38 µg/ml compared with different tumor cell lines (liver HepG2, lung A549, colon HCT116 and prostate PC3). Furthermore, Cv-LAAOI has triggered antiproliferative activity via extensive H2O2 generation as indicated by the increase in H2O2 and TBARS levels accompanied by the depletion in the catalase activity (CAT) in MCF-7 treated cells compared to the untreated ones. Thus, these findings clearly indicate that Cv-LAAOI has a selective cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cell line, demonstrating a great prospective for future use in cancer therapy.

Radioprotective role of α-tocotrienol against oxidative damage in γ-irradiated human blood cultures / Papel radioprotectivo do α-tocotrienol contra danos oxidantes nas culturas de sangue humano γ-irradiadas

Tocotrienols are members of the natural vitamin E family which is considered one of important fat soluble vitamins. The tocotrienols react with free radicals, which are the main cause of oxidation damage to cell membranes, without formation of other free radicals in the process. All natural forms of tocotrienols have the ability to regulate peroxidation reactions and to control free radicals production within the body. This study aimed to assess the antimutagenic and antioxidant ability of y-tocotrienol at a working dose (0.04 mg/ ml) through cytogenetic (Micronucleus test) study and biochemical analysis including Caspase -3, Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) activities and Nitric Oxide (NO) concentration in y-irradiated human blood cultures. The treatment time was 72 hrs post-irradiation with gamma rays at dose of 3 Gy. Triple blood cultures for each blood sample were set up. Ionizing irradiation induces a significant increase in micronuclei (MNi) frequencies, and nucleuplasmic bridge (N bridge) accompanied by a significant rise in Caspase-3 activity and NO concentration. Furthermore, SOD and CAT activities showed significant decrease. y- tocotrienol treatment results into a decrease of MNi and N bridges numbers, enhancement of SOD and CAT activities and improvement of both NO and Caspase-3 levels, compared to irradiated cells which not treated with -tocotrienol. The present results reveal the antimutagenic and the anti-oxidant effects of y-tocotrienol against y- irradiation.

Os tocotrienóis são membros da família natural de vitamina E, que é considerada uma das vitaminas importantes solúveis em gordura. Os tocotrienóis reagem com os radicais livres, que são a principal causa do dano de oxidação das membranas celulares, sem formação de outros radicais livres no processo. Todas as formas naturais de tocotrienóis têm a capacidade de regular as reações de peroxidação e controlar a produção de radicais livres dentro do corpo. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a capacidade antimutagênica e antioxidante do y-tocotrienol em uma dose de trabalho (0,04 mg/ml) através de estudo citogenético (Teste dos Micronúcleos) e análise bioquímica incluindo atividades de Caspase 3, Superóxido Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) e concentração de óxido nítrico (NO) em culturas sanguíneas humanas irradiadas com y-. O tempo de tratamento foi de 72 horas pós-irradiação com raios gama na dose de 3 Gy. Foram estabelecidas culturas de sangue triplas para cada amostra de sangue. A irradiação ionizante induz um aumento significativo nas freqüências de micronúcleos (MNi) e ponte nucleoplasmática (ponte N), acompanhada por um aumento significativo da atividade da Caspase 3 e da concentração de NO. Além disso, as atividades de SOD e CAT mostraram queda significativa. O tratamento com -tocotrienol resulta em uma diminuição do número de pontes MNi e N, aumento das atividades de SOD e CAT e melhora dos níveis de NO e Caspase 3, em comparação com células irradiadas que não foram tratadas com -tocotrienol. Os presentes resultados revelam os efeitos antimutagênicos e antioxidantes do y- tocotrienol contra a irradiação y-.

On avoided words, absent words, and their application to biological sequence analysis.

BACKGROUND: The deviation of the observed frequency of a word w from its expected frequency in a given sequence x is used to determine whether or not the word is avoided. This concept is particularly useful in DNA linguistic analysis. The value of the deviation of w, denoted by [Formula: see text], effectively characterises the extent of a word by its edge contrast in the context in which it occurs. A word w of length [Formula: see text] is a [Formula: see text]-avoided word in x if [Formula: see text], for a given threshold [Formula: see text]. Notice that such a word may be completely absent from x. Hence, computing all such words naïvely can be a very time-consuming procedure, in particular for large k. RESULTS: In this article, we propose an [Formula: see text]-time and [Formula: see text]-space algorithm to compute all [Formula: see text]-avoided words of length k in a given sequence of length n over a fixed-sized alphabet. We also present a time-optimal [Formula: see text]-time algorithm to compute all [Formula: see text]-avoided words (of any length) in a sequence of length n over an integer alphabet of size [Formula: see text]. In addition, we provide a tight asymptotic upper bound for the number of [Formula: see text]-avoided words over an integer alphabet and the expected length of the longest one. We make available an implementation of our algorithm. Experimental results, using both real and synthetic data, show the efficiency and applicability of our implementation in biological sequence analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The systematic search for avoided words is particularly useful for biological sequence analysis. We present a linear-time and linear-space algorithm for the computation of avoided words of length k in a given sequence x. We suggest a modification to this algorithm so that it computes all avoided words of x, irrespective of their length, within the same time complexity. We also present combinatorial results with regards to avoided words and absent words.

Effect of different doses of nandrolone decanoate on lipid peroxidation, DNA fragmentation, sperm abnormality and histopathology of testes of male Wister rats.

The present study aims of to investigate the effects of low and high doses of nandrolone decanoate (ND) on histopathology and apoptosis of the spermatogenic cells as well as lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzyme activities, sperm abnormality and DNA fragmentation. Eighteen animals were divided into three groups each group contain six animals. The rats were divided into three groups as following: Group 1 was administered saline (control). Group 2, received nandrolone decanoate (3 mg/kg/weekly) (low dose) with intramuscular injection. Group 3, received intramuscular injection dose of nandrolone decanoate (10 mg/kg/weekly) (high dose). After 8 weeks, caspase-3 assay was used to determine the apoptotic cells. The sperm parameters, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzyme activities and testosterone concentration were also investigated in the experimental groups of both low and high dose compared to the control groups. Treated group with high dose showed degenerated germinal epithelial cells sloughed in the lumina of seminiferous tubules, where almost seminiferous tubules were devoid of spermatids and spermatozoa compared to control and group treated with low dose. Also, a significant increase of lipid peroxidation levels and heat shock proteins was observed in two groups administrated with two different doses of ND while, antioxidant enzyme activities, and testosterone concentration was significantly decreased in two treated group when compared with control. Administration of ND at high and low doses leads to deteriorated sperm parameters, DNA fragmentation and testicular apoptosis. In conclusion, the administration ND at high doses more effective on lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzyme activities, sperm abnormality, histopathology, apoptotic and DNA changes compared to low dose group and to control group.

Blink reflex in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE: An evaluation of the extent of damage of the central nervous system in diabetes mellitus is of high value in current research. Electrophysiological abnormalities are frequently present in asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus. Diabetic cranial neuropathy is one of the complications of the disease. Blink reflex is used to diagnose subclinical cranial neuropathy. The objective is to test the utility of blink reflex in detecting subclinical cranial nerve involvement in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Forty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, aged from 30 to 60 years examined clinically and neurologically. Blink reflex and nerve conduction studies for the upper and lower limbs were performed and compared with 20 matched normal controls. RESULTS: Diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy showed significant prolonged distal latency and reduced amplitudes of the R2C response compared with the control, patients without peripheral neuropathy showed insignificant changes. Alteration of R2 correlated with the type of treatment and the duration of the disease. In patients without peripheral neuropathy, ulnar sensory distal latencies showed significant positive correlation with R2I latency, whereas its Conduction Velocity (CV) showed significant positive correlation with R2C amplitudes and negative correlation with R2C latency. CONCLUSIONS: R2C is the most sensitive parameter in the blink reflex, which can help in the diagnosis of subclinical diabetic cranial neuropathy.