Aerial parts of Swertia longifolia Boiss. (Gentianaceae), which grows in the north of Iran, were screened for hepatoprotective activity against paracetamol (acetaminophen)‐induced hepatotoxicity in ...Swiss mice. Pretreatment with total plant extract and swerchirin, the major component of the plant, significantly reduced the elevation of biochemical parameters, AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and ALP (alkaline phosphatase), the enzymes that are increased by liver damage (P < 0.001). Our results indicated that total plant extract and swerchirin were hepatoprotective in the range of 6–50 mg kg−1 orally.
Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) commonly affects athletes and can lead to menstrual cycle changes in female athletes. This review highlights the existing literature on menstrual cycle ...changes post-TBI. TBI disrupts the hormonal regulation of the menstrual cycle, causing irregular or absent periods, hormonal imbalances, and related symptoms. These changes impact the physical and psychological well-being of athletes during recovery. However, research in this area is limited, necessitating further investigation into the mechanisms and implications of menstrual cycle changes in female athletes post-TBI. Healthcare providers and sports medicine professionals must be aware of these effects and provide appropriate care and support. Prioritizing overall health and well-being, including menstrual health, is crucial for female athletes post-TBI. This involves nutrition, stress management, and adjustments to training and competition schedules as necessary. Raising awareness and educating athletes, coaches, and stakeholders is vital for proper care and support. Additional research on menstrual cycle changes in female athletes post-TBI will inform clinical practice and enhance the health and performance outcomes of female athletes. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using databases including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus. The search strategy employed relevant keywords and MeSH terms to identify observational and experimental studies published from the inception of each database until the present day. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies involving female athletes diagnosed with a concussion, assessing the physiological or pathological changes during the menstrual cycle, and reporting data on hormone fluctuations, symptomatology, cognitive function, mood, neuroimaging, or biomarkers. Independent reviewers screened articles, extracted data, and resolved disagreements through consensus. Results: The initial search yielded 500 articles, and after applying inclusion criteria, 108 studies were included. Menstrual cycle disruptions were assessed through self-reporting and hormonal analysis. Findings indicated potential links between sports-related concussions and irregularities in cycle length, alterations in hormone levels, and changes in menstrual symptoms. However, heterogeneity among the studies and lack of standardized methodologies limited definitive conclusions. Conclusion: This systematic review underscores the need for further research to elucidate the relationship between sports-related concussions and menstrual cycle disturbances in female soccer players. Future studies should employ standardized methodologies, including objective measures and larger sample sizes. Understanding the impact of concussions on the menstrual cycle is vital for holistic care and optimal performance of female athletes in contact sports. Identifying underlying mechanisms will facilitate the development of targeted interventions and preventive strategies to ensure long-term reproductive health and overall well-being after head injuries in female soccer players.
In this paper, a novel triplexer antenna is employed to realize frequency diversity for highly isolated three-port. The proposed triplexer is designed with separated resonance frequencies to be used ...as multifunction antenna in several communication applications. The presented three-port antenna structure is analyzed using Finite Integration Technique (FIT) numerical method. The ports isolation is better than -20 dB. In addition, the triplexer antenna is achieved good impedance matching at each port through the operating frequency range without the need to extra matching circuits and thereby economizes the circuit size. The obtained gain at 3.58, 1.63, and 2.5 GHz is 5, 3.8 and 4 dB with high efficiency of 96%, 94% and 97% respectively. Furthermore, the proposed antenna has the advantages of simple design, reasonable compact size, wide bandwidth, good ports isolation and high efficiency.
Strong mutual coupling between closely spaced ports in compact antenna has been caused significant system performance degradation, such as reduction in gain and signal-to-noise ratio. In this paper, ...an efficient technique utilizing the Defected Ground Structure (DGS) has been employed to propose two-port Elliptical patch structure. The proposed DGS has been used to control and separate the resonant frequency of each port and reduce the coupling effect. The presented two-port antenna structure has been analyzed, investigated and optimized using Finite Integral Technique (FIT) numerical method. The designed antenna has a small overall size of 30 × 30mm 2 , and operates over the frequency ranges, 5.7-5.97 GHz, and 5.35-5.6 GHz suitable for WLAN and WiMAX applications. The first port operates at 5.8 GHz with efficiency 62% while second port operates at 5.43 GHz with efficiency 66%. Thus, the proposed DGS is simply representing built-in resonance and decoupling circuits with no additional cost. In addition, maximum VSWR value <; 1.5 have been achieved through the operating frequency range. The presented DGS pattern has been proved to be an excellent feature for designing and optimizing any two-port antenna configuration. Moreover, the proposed two-port microstrip antenna with separated resonance frequencies can be used as multifunction antenna in several communication applications. Good agreement has been obtained between simulated and measured parameters.
This study was performed to evaluate the analgesic activity and the toxicity of ketorolac in normal and fractionated (1.5 Gy/day/4 days) γ-irradiated animals. Determination of brain serotonin content ...and serum prostaglandin level were also undertaken. The analgesic activity was tested using formalin test, at three dose levels (15, 30 and 60 mg/kg) after 1 and 7 days post radiation exposure. LD50 determinations and assessment of liver and kidney function tests were performed. Our results indicated marked analgesic effects on the early and late phases of nociception. Double treatment with ketorolac and irradiation increased brain serotonin content. The acute LD50 of ketorolac was decreased in irradiated animals as compared to the LD50 of normal animals. Double treatment with ketorolac and irradiation induced an elevation of gastric mucin content, urea and BUN levels on the 1st day post irradiation, whereas, albumin level was lowered and globulin level was elevated after 7 days post irradiation. Depending on this study the dose of ketorolac used for treating cancer patients addressed to radiotherapy should be reduced, however, this requires further clinical confirmation.
Major Depression Disorder (MDD) is a common disorder with prevalence of 15% among men and up to 25% among women. In recent years the association of immune system alterations and MDD has been ...investigated. Assessments of immunologic and inflammatory responses in these patients enhance our knowledge of the etiology and pathogenesis of this disease.
To investigate the changes in immunoglobulin and cytokine serum levels and lymphocyte subsets in patients with MDD.
We studied 37 adult patients with MDD, diagnosed based on DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, and 15 healthy controls matched with the patients. Plasma concentration of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10, TNF alpha, and IFN gamma were measured by ELISA and serum immunoglobulins by SRID. Total number of NK cells (CD16 and CD56), B cells (CD19), and T cells (CD8, CD4, and CD3) were determined by flow cytometry.
We found no significant differences in plasma concentration of IL-4, IL-10, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and immunoglobulins as well as total number of NK cells, B cells, and T cells between major depressed patients and healthy control subjects.
We conclude that in our patients, there were no significant differences in immune system activity between MDD patients and controls.
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