In fish, a complex set of mechanisms deal with environmental stresses including hypoxia. In order to probe the hypothesis that hypoxia-induced stress could be manifested in varieties of pathways, a model species, mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio), were chronically exposed to hypoxic condition (dissolved oxygen level: 1.80±0.6mg/l) for 21 days and subsequently allowed to recover under normoxic condition (dissolved oxygen level: 8.2±0.5mg/l) for 7 days. At the end of these exposure periods, an integrated approach was applied to evaluate several endpoints at different levels of biological organisation. These included determination of (i) oxidative damage to DNA in erythrocytes (using modified comet assay), (ii) lipid peroxidation in liver samples by measuring the malondialdehyde production using the 2-thiobarbituric acid [i.e. thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay] and (iii) histopathological changes in gills. In addition, transcriptional expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 α (HIF-1α) and genes involved in the repair of oxidative damage to DNA (i.e. ogg1) and base excision repair (i.e. xrcc1) using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in liver samples were also determined. The results suggested significantly enhanced expression of these genes in response to hypoxia compared to concurrent normoxic controls. While the expression of HIF-1α reverted to control values within 7 days exposure to normoxic condition (P < 0.05), the transcriptional expression of the two genes involved in DNA repair process remained significantly high under the recovery period, which complemented the induction of oxidative damage to DNA. Hypoxic groups showed significantly increased values for TBARS level (~2-fold) and histopathological changes in gill tissues compared to both normoxic and recovery groups. Overall, oxidative damage to DNA determined by modified comet assay reflected the observed biological responses in other tissues of the fish. Along with other parameters, this integrated experimental design further strengthens the applications of the comet assay as an important technique to assess stress-induced DNA damage in ecotoxicological studies. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the UK Environmental Mutagen Society.
The studies on unbonded post-tensioned concrete members strengthened with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) are limited and the effect of strengthening on the strain of unbonded pre-stressed steel is not well characterized. Estimating the flexural capacity of unbound post-tensioned members using the design methodology specified in the design guidelines for FRP strengthening techniques of bonded post-tensioned members does not provide a reliable evaluation. This study investigates the behavior of unbonded post-tensioned concrete members with partial strand damage (14.3% and 28.6% damage) and strengthened with CFRP laminates using a near-surface mounted technique with and without U-wrap anchorages. The experimental results show
... Show MoreThe current study was conducted for studying the impact of cold plasma on the expression level of three genes that participate in the biosynthesis of the phenylpropanoid pathway in Ocimum basilicum. These studied genes were cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (c4h), 4-coumarate CoA ligase (4cl), and eugenol O-methyl transferase (eomt). Also, the cold plasma impact was studied on the essential oil components and their relation with the gene expression level. The results demonstrated that cold plasma seeds germination of the treated groups 2 (initially for 3 minutes and 3 minutes after 7 days) ,and group 3(initially for 5 minutes and 3 minutes after 7 days) were faster than the control group. Also, the height average of the mature plants of
... Show MoreAsthma is a chronic respiratory disease highly prevalent worldwide. Recent studies have suggested a role for microbiome-associated gut–lung axis in asthma development. In the current study, we investigated if Resveratrol (RES), a plant-based polyphenol, can attenuate ovalbumin (OVA)-induced murine allergic asthma, and if so, the role of microbiome in the gut–lung axis in this process. We found that RES attenuated allergic asthma with significant improvements in pulmonary functions in OVA-exposed mice when tested using plethysmography for frequency (F), mean volume (MV), specific airway resistance (sRaw), and delay time(dT). RES treatment also suppressed inflammatory cytokines in the lungs. RES modulated lung microbiota and cause
... Show MoreThe way artists deal with body in their artistic works has had so many forms and methods, whether as an object for their drawings or as a material to create live artistic performances that relate to the idea of correspondence and interaction between different artistic categories such as: drama, dance, and painting as it is the case of the artist Marina Abramovic who has always used her body as an artistic unit to generate meaning and to perform her lively shows.
To go deeper into her career, our work was divided into 3 sections:
The first section was devoted to follow the main artistic stages that her body had gone through, starting with paintings she performed using concepts based on acting, simulation and nudity and ending wi
Analyzing plantar pressure trajectories is crucial for assessing foot behavior in dynamic gait stability. We propose the identification of foot symmetry and the detection of deformities by analyzing the trajectories of the center of pressure (CoP) and peak pressure (PP). First, using a foot pressure mapping system, plantar pressure data are acquired during a normal gait cycle. After the data have been acquired, post processing extracts both the CoP and PP trajectories over the spatiotemporal domain of foot motion for each foot independently. For this purpose, we used the optical flow technique which accurately estimates the direction of foot motion. The extracted trajectories of each foot are then segmented into, the medial and lateral regi
... Show MoreBackground: Transplantation has revolutionized
treatment of end- stage renal disease (ESRD) by proving
more cost effective than hemodialysis, with a lower
morbidity and improved quality of life.
Objective: To evaluate the development of these
complications in the first month postoperatively and
correlate their development to the type of donation
whether related or unrelated.
Methods: Fifty (50) patients aged (15-62) years, with a
mean age (34.46 ± 12.4 SD) years with (ESRD), who
underwent renal transplantation from September 2000 to
October 2002, were followed-up for one month
postoperatively clinically and by assessment of renal
function tests, sonographic and Doppler examinations.
Ureteral obs
This study examines patterns of exposure of Iraqi university students to selective daily Iraqi newspapers and the motives of this exposure, as well as its associated factors that affect the average exposure. It tries to answer several questions, including those related to the levels of exposure of Iraqi university students to daily Iraqi newspapers and classification of patterns of selective exposure to daily Iraqi newspapers and the most prominent Iraqi daily newspapers that are selectively exposed by Iraqi university students. It also examines the motives of this selective exposure and factors that increase the degree of exposure to the daily Iraqi newspapers, and the most prominent stages in which Iraqi university students find their
... Show MoreIraq is considered one of the countries most susceptible to the negative impacts of climate change. According to international reports, it is classified as among the top five most affected by climate change in the world, leading to economic resource shortages and an increase in water scarcity, which exposes societal stability in Iraq to a threat. This may result in social disintegration and civil conflicts, so climate changes are considered one of the most dangerous crises affecting societal stability in Iraq during this stage. In this context, the research attempts to trace the causes of climate change and their effects on societal stability in Iraq and suggest some necessary measures to confront them in the future. The resea
... Show MoreSome structures such as tall buildings, offshore platforms, and bridge bents are subjected to lateral loads of considerable magnitude due to wind and wave actions, ship impacts, or high-speed vehicles. Significant torsional forces can be transferred to the foundation piles by virtue of eccentric lateral loading. The testing program of this study includes one group consists of 3 piles, four percentages of allowable vertical load were used (0%, 25%, 50%, and 100%) with two L/D ratios 20 and 30, vertical allowable load 110 N for L/D = 20 and 156 N for L/D = 30. The results obtained indicate that the torsional capacity for pile group increases with increasing the percentage of allowable vertical load, when the percentage of allowable vertica
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