Differential regulation of Th2 and Th1 lung inflammatory responses by protein kinase C theta

In vitro and recent in vivo studies have identified protein kinase Ctheta (PKCtheta) as an important intermediate in signaling pathways leading to T cell activation, proliferation, and cytokine production. However, the importance of PKCtheta to many T cell-driven inflammatory responses has not been demonstrated. In this study we show that although PKCtheta is required for the development of a robust lung inflammatory response controlled by Th2 cells, it plays a lesser role in the development of a similar lung inflammatory response controlled by Th1 cells. PKCtheta-deficient mice were strongly compromised in generating Th2 cells and exhibited reduced airway eosinophilia and Th2 cytokine production in lungs. PKCtheta was required for the initial development of Th1 cells, with these cells exhibiting delayed kinetics of differentiation and accumulation. However, with recall Ag challenge via the airways, this defect was overcome, and lung infiltration and Th1 cytokine production were largely unimpaired in PKCtheta-deficient animals. These data suggest that PKCtheta can play roles in aspects of both Th2 and Th1 responses, but lung inflammation induced by Th2 cells is more dependent on this protein kinase than lung inflammation induced by Th1 cells.     

Protective Effects of Curcumin against Sodium Fluoride-Induced Toxicity in Rat Kidneys

In the present study, the protective effect of curcumin against sodium fluoride-induced nephrotoxicity was evaluated in rats. Renal injury was induced by daily administration of 600 ppm sodium fluoride in drinking water for 1 week. One week before the administration of fluoride, the animals selected as study group were given curcumin (10 and 20 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally). After 1 week, lipid peroxidation level, activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and level of glutathione in kidney homogenate were measured. Blood serum samples were examined for creatinine, serum urea, and blood urea nitrogen levels. Another group of rats received vitamin C (10 mg/kg) as standard antioxidant. The results show that curcumin and vitamin C treatment prior to fluoride administration normalized the levels of serum creatinine, serum urea, and blood urea nitrogen. Moreover, curcumin and vitamin C administrations prevented the antioxidant enzyme decreasing and lipid peroxidation levels imbalance. In conclusion, curcumin treatment at the doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg (intraperitoneally) showed significant nephroprotective effects.     

Population ecological parameters and stock assessment of Russian sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedti Brandt & Ratzeburg, 1833 in the Southern Caspian Sea

Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedti Brandt & Ratzeburg, 1833) is one of the major commercial sturgeon species, but there is no adequate information and previous‐published about population dynamics and stock assessment of this species in the southern Caspian Sea. This paper examines the age structure, growth parameters, maturity, age at first capture, optimum length, natural and fishing mortality and amount of biomass in the southern Caspian Sea (Iranian waters), during a two decades time series period from 1990–1991 to 2008–2009. For a pooled data, the growth parameters were estimated as L_∞ = 214.0 cm, K = 0.054, t₀ = ?4.5 year. Size at fifty percent sexual maturity was at FL = 118 cm for females and 113 cm for males. The age at first capture (t_c) estimated to be 12.1 years. In the catch composition, bulk of the catch (75%) belonged to 13–17 years old. The instantaneous coefficient of natural mortality (M) was estimated as 0.120 year^?1 and the instantaneous coefficient of fishing mortality (F) varied during the 19‐year period between 0.130 to 0.505 year^?1. The biomass showed a descending trend from 1,941.2 mt in 1990–1991 collapsed to about 55 mt in 2004–2005, and then decreased to the lowest level and represented 18.5 mt in 2008–2009. The result revealed that, the stock of Russian sturgeon is being over‐fished. We concluded that to manage the sturgeons stocks, a coordinated regional and international effort are needed to provide immediate implementation of stock enhancement and management in the Caspian Sea.     

A model-free feature-based bi-planar RSA method for kinematic analysis of total knee arthroplasty

Fluoroscopic imaging is commonly used for assessing relative motions of orthopaedic implants. One limiting factor to in vivo model-based roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis of total knee arthroplasty is the need for 3D models of the implants.The 3D models of the implant components must be reverse-engineered, if not provided by the company, which makes this method impractical for a clinical study involving many types or sizes of implants. This study introduces a novel feature-based methodology that registers the features at the implant-bone or implant-cement interface of the components that have elementary shapes. These features include pegs with hemispherical heads, and straight, circular or curved edges located on flat faces of the box of the femoral component or the stem geometry of the tibial component. Software was developed to allow easy registration of these features through a graphical user interface. The accuracy and precision of registration for multiple flexion angles from 0 to 120 deg was determined with reference to registered poses of the implants through experiments on bone replica models and also on a cadaver specimen implanted with total knee prostheses. When compared to an equivalent bi-planar model-based registration, the results were comparable: The mean accuracy of this feature-based method was 1.45 deg and 1.03 mm (in comparison to 0.95 deg and 1.32 mm for the model-based approach), and the mean precision was 0.57 deg and 0.26 mm (in comparison to 0.42 deg and 0.44 mm for the model-based approach).The methodology and the developed software can easily accommodate different design of implants with various fixation features. This method can facilitate in vivo kinematic analysis of total knee arthroplasty by eliminating the need for 3D models of the implant components.     

Cadmium-Doping Slows Trap Emptying in Ambient-Air Blade-Coated Formamidinium Lead Iodide Perovskite Solar Cells

Formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI₃) in its α-phase is among the most desirable perovskite compositions for solar cells. However, because of its transition into the yellow δ-phase at room temperature, it is a challenge to process it in ambient air by scalable fabrication methods. Here the introduction of a trace amount of cadmium (in the form of CdI₂) to FAPbI₃ is reported and found that it enhances the stability of the perovskite's black α-phase polymorph, inhibits non-radiative recombination events, leads to pin-hole free compact surface morphology, and improves band energy alignment. The 0.6% Cd-doped FAPbI₃ solar cells show a champion efficiency of 22.7% for 0.049 cm² and 16.4% for cm²-scale pixels, which, to the best of the knowledge, are among the highest for air-ambient fully blade-coated pure FAPbI₃ solar cells with an n-i-p architecture. Transient absorption microscopy measurements reveal that Cd doping reduces the number of trapped charges and increases their lifetimes, promoting charge accumulation and a higher photovoltage. The study sheds light on the potential of cadmium as a homovalent dopant for the stabilization and performance enhancement of FAPbI₃ performance solar cells.     

A genetic variant of human erythrocyte glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase

Human erythrocyte G6PD activity was measured in more than 500 subjects in Isfahan, Iran, and the percent of enzyme deficiency for males and females are reported. Some properties of the abnormal enzyme is compared with its normal counterpart. Apparent Km values of glucose 6-phosphate for the variant and normal enzymes were 37 and 101 microM, respectively. The variant enzyme was less resistant to inhibition by 40 microM NADPH (72% inhibition) than the normal enzyme (48% inhibition). The mode of inhibition for both enzymes was competitive with NADP+. ATP at 1.5 mM concentration also inhibited normal and variant enzymes at 17% and 10%, respectively. The inhibition was competitive with glucose 6-phosphate. Polyacrylamide gel electrophores showed that normal enzyme has one major and another weak active bands, while the variant enzyme under identical conditions shows only one active band corresponding to the major band of the normal enzyme. Thermostability of variant G6PD was slightly lower that normal but no significant differences observed in their energy of activation. The activity pH profile of the variant enzyme was truncate.     

Serum selenium concentration in healthy children living in Tehran

INTRODUCTION: Selenium is one of the essential trace elements which is more notified in children in recent years. Reliable age-specific reference values for selenium in children in Iran are not clear and are important for the identification of selenium deficiency and some other researches that is the aim of this study. METHODS: Serum samples of 216 healthy children were analyzed by using hydride generation and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy to measured selenium level. RESULTS: The mean and standard deviation of serum selenium level in children 0-16 years old (mean: 39.83 months) was 72.14+/-16.80 microg/l. There was significant difference in serum selenium concentration between two sexes which was 76.78+/-15.24 microg/l and 69.56+/-17.09 microg/l in girls and boys respectively (P value=0.002). There was also a positive correlation between higher selenium serum concentration and age in both sexes. CONCLUSION: Essential trace element's normal ranges are fundamental data which could use in many studies. Serum selenium concentration in healthy Iranian children that found in this study is very close to serum concentration of European children. Our findings may reveal nutritional culture's similarity.