Previous studies have shown that Rheum ribes (R. ribes) could be effective in controlling the blood glucose levels. This study was conducted to determine the effects of R. ribes supplementation on ...glycemic indices and apolipoproteins in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
In the present randomized double-blind controlled trial, 60 type 2 diabetic patients aged 30-60 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 20-30 kg/m
and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 6-8% were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 450 mg of aqueous R. ribes extract (AG), 450 mg of ethanolic R. ribes extract (EG), or placebo (PG) three times daily for 6 weeks. At the baseline and at the end of the study, blood glucose levels, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and the homeostatic model assessment of β-cell dysfunction (HOMA-B), as well as apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA1) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) were measured.
There was a significant decrease in the serum levels of insulin in AG and EG groups (P = 0.003 and P = 0.001, respectively), HOMA-IR (P = 0.01 and P = 0.001, respectively), HOMA-B (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively), ApoB (P = 0.006 and P = 0.03, respectively), ApoB/ApoA1 ratio (P = 0.016 and P = 0.04, respectively). However, a significant increase in ApoA1 (P = 0.08 and P = 0.05, respectively) with no significant changes in blood glucose, at the end of study compared to beginning values, were observed. None of the variables showed a significant change in PG. At the end of the study; while there were significant differences in insulin (P = 0.04), HOMA-IR (P = 0.03), HOMA-B (P = 0.01), ApoB (P = 0.02), and ApoB/ApoA1 ratio (P = 0.03) among the groups but ApoA1 had no significant change.
Consumption of R. ribes intake could have beneficial effects on insulin resistance and apolipoproteins in type 2 diabetic patients. (Registered at en.irct.ir, identification number: IRCT201410142709N31).
Opening the blood brain barrier (BBB) under imaging guidance may be useful for the treatment of many brain disorders. Rapidly applied magnetic fields have the potential to generate electric fields in ...brain tissue that, if properly timed, may enable safe and effective BBB opening. By tuning magnetic pulses generated by a novel electropermanent magnet (EPM) array, we demonstrate the opening of tight junctions in a BBB model culture in vitro, and show that induced monophasic electrical pulses are more effective than biphasic ones. We confirmed, with in vivo contrast-enhanced MRI, that the BBB can be opened with monophasic pulses. As electropermanent magnets have demonstrated efficacy at tuning B0 fields for magnetic resonance imaging studies, our results suggest the possibility of implementing an EPM-based hybrid theragnostic device that could both image the brain and enhance drug transport across the BBB in a single sitting.
In this study, we have invented a method of delivering drugs deep into articular cartilage with shaped dynamic magnetic fields acting on small metallic magnetic nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol ...coating and average diameter of 30 nm. It was shown that transport of magnetic nanoparticles through the entire thickness of bovine articular cartilage can be controlled by a combined alternating magnetic field at 100 Hz frequency and static magnetic field of 0.8 tesla (T) generated by 1" dia. x 2" thick permanent magnet. Magnetic nanoparticles transport through bovine articular cartilage samples was investigated at various settings of magnetic field and time durations. Combined application of an alternating magnetic field and the static field gradient resulted in a nearly 50 times increase in magnetic nanoparticles transport in bovine articular cartilage tissue as compared with static field conditions. This method can be applied to locally deliver therapeutic-loaded magnetic nanoparticles deep into articular cartilage to prevent cartilage degeneration and promote cartilage repair in osteoarthritis.
The properties of liquid crystal-magnetic nanoparticle composites have potential for sensing in the body. We study the response of a liquid crystal-magnetic nanoparticle (LC-MNP) composite to applied ...potentials of hundreds of volts per meter. Measuring samples using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and imaging composites using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we demonstrate that electric potentials applied across centimeter scale LC-MNP composite samples can be detected using XRD and MRI techniques.
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•The electrocatalytic ability of CeO2/CuO/Co3O4, CeO2/CuO and ceria was investigated for water splitting and glucose sensing.•The CeO2/CuO/Co3O4 nanoparticles displayed high HER and ...OER activity and stability in alkaline media.•The CeO2/CuO/Co3O4 and CeO2/CuO showed high sensitivity with excellent selectivity and stability for glucose detection.
Metal oxide nanoparticles have always been promising candidates for important catalytic processes such as water splitting and glucose detection. Herein, the electrocatalytic activity of CeO2/CuO/Co3O4 heterostructure is compared with CeO2/CuO and single ceria nanostructures in water splitting and glucose sensing processes. The CeO2/CuO/Co3O4 and CeO2/CuO heterostructures are synthesized using co-precipitation method and calcination at 650 °C. The obtained nanostructures are studied by several techniques. The CeO2/CuO/Co3O4 nanoparticles exhibit an excellent catalytic performance in alkaline OER and especially HER such that the overpotential is 110 mV vs. RHE for HER and 520 mV for OER deliver a current density of 10 mA cm−2, which is very low in the comparison of CeO2/CuO and single CeO2. In a summary, the low Tafel slope, significant reduction in semicircular diameter in Nyquist plots and high stability of CeO2/CuO/Co3O4 for a long time under bulk electrolysis in HER and OER confirm an enhancement in electrical transport, low charge transfer resistance and high durability of the electrocatalyst during water splitting. In addition, glucose sensing properties of the electrocatalysts was investigated. No significant sensitivity for glucose is seen in the presence of single ceria, but the modified electrodes by CeO2/CuO/Co3O4 and CeO2/CuO exhibit high sensitivity (70.90 and 184.4 μA mM−1cm−2), a low limit of detection (0.74 and 0.83 μM), a linear range (3–12 mM), and a short-response time (3 s), along with excellent selectivity, stability, and applicability for glucose detection in real analyte.
The application of force in surgical settings is typically accomplished via physical tethers to the surgical tool. While physical tethers are common and critical, some internal surgical procedures ...may benefit from a tetherless operation of needles, possibly reducing the number of ports in the patient or the amount of tissue damage caused by tools used to manipulate needles. Magnetic field gradients can dynamically apply kinetic forces to magnetizable objects free of such tethers, possibly enabling ultra-minimally invasive robotic surgical procedures. We demonstrate the untethered manipulation of a suture needle in vitro, exemplified by steering through narrow holes, as well as needle penetration through excised rat and human tissues. We present proof of principle manipulations for the fully untethered control of a minimally modified, standard stainless steel surgical suture needle.
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•The electrocatalytic role of different substituted MnII salophen complexes was investigated for water oxidation.•It was revealed that the studied complexes show excellent activity ...for OER.•The overpotential for the OER was in the range of 345–420 mV.•It was speculated that the OO bond formation occurs by oxidizing the active center of Mn complexes.•The MnII complexes catalyzed the OER as real electrocatalysts.
Developing robust and efficient water oxidation catalysts is an essential challenge in water splitting. In this work, the electrocatalytic behavior of the modified carbon paste electrodes with different substituted MnII salophen complexes, MnL1-MnL3, (H2L1 = N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-1,2-diaminobenzene, H2L2 = N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-4-bromo-1,2-diaminobenzene and H2L3 = N,N′-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzilidine)-1,2-diaminobenzene) was evaluated for water oxidation by electrochemical methods. All three complexes were found highly effective, stable, and robust catalysts for water oxidation. Electrochemical experiments, Field emission-scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analyses indicated that the studied MnII salophen complexes are molecular catalysts for water oxidation in origin. Cyclic voltammetry experiments in different pHs displayed that the OO bond formation probably occurs by oxidizing the active center of MnII complexes through proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET). The results showed that the nature of the substituent on the salophen ligand could not affect the stability of the complexes under applied electrochemical conditions. It was found that Mn oxide nanostructures obtained by the thermal decomposition of MnL1 can also effectively catalyze the reaction, but in comparison with MnL1, they have lower activity.
Background and aims: Domestic violence against women is a problem that might cause irreparable damage to women’s health. This study aims to review the studies on the strategies regarding domestic ...violence against women in Iran. Methods: This study is a narrative review of published articles on strategies to prevent domestic violence against women in Iran from 2009 to 2019. Two scholars on valid databases searched. Articles were selected based on the time and setting of studies, purpose, and research structure framework. The full text of the articles and the publication language were included in the study. The quality of the articles was assessed using the "checklist of original research articles," which comprises five sections; the structure of the abstract, the title and introduction, the review method, the results, the conclusion, and the keywords. The general opinion of the reviewer was also taken into consideration. Results: 13 eligible articles were reviewed, including 11 in Persian and 2 in English. The finding of the reviews indicated the interventions implemented to reduce and prevent domestic violence against women in Iran. These interventions focused on life skills in three categories (a) Communication and Interpersonal Skills (such as resilience based on spirituality, mindfulness techniques, motivational interview, and emotionally focused couple therapy), (b) decision-making and critical thinking skills, including problem-solving, decision-making, narrative exposure therapy, and conflict resolution related to domestic violence against women), and (c) coping and self-management skills (such as anger management, marital adjustment, and self-defense). Conclusion: The effective implementation of life skills can serve as practical methods to prevent domestic violence against women.
Soft, untethered microrobots composed of biocompatible materials for completing micromanipulation and drug delivery tasks in lab-on-a-chip and medical scenarios are currently being developed. ...Alginate holds significant potential in medical microrobotics due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and drug encapsulation capabilities. Here, we describe the synthesis of MANiACs-Magnetically Aligned Nanorods in Alginate Capsules-for use as untethered microrobotic surface tumblers, demonstrating magnetically guided lateral tumbling via rotating magnetic fields. MANiAC translation is demonstrated on tissue surfaces as well as inclined slopes. These alginate microrobots are capable of manipulating objects over millimeter-scale distances. Finally, we demonstrate payload release capabilities of MANiACs during translational tumbling motion.
Background and aim: According to increasing attention to the protective effects of saffron in liver disease and increasing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the present study ...aimed to investigate the mechanism effects of saffron consumption on treatment of NAFLD in a rat model. Materials and Methods: In this study 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied for 13 weeks. Rats were divided in 4 groups, including group 1 that was fed HFHS+ 250 mg/kg S, group 2 that was fed HFHS+ 125 mg/kg S, group 3 that was fed HFHS, and group 4 that was fed chow diet. Results: Saffron consumption in HFHS+ 250 mg/kg S group and in HFHS + 150 mg/kg S group led to a significant reduction in ALT, AST, blood glucose, insulin, and significant elevation in TAC versus HFHS group. Saffron consumption in HFHS+250, 150 mg/Kg S caused a significant reduction in TG and significant elevation in HDL serum levels. The difference between HFHS+250 mg/kg S and HFHS for PPARα gene expression was significant (p=0.01). SREBP 1-c gene expression reduction among groups was significant and there was a significant difference between HFHS+250 mg/kg S and HFHS (p=0.02 and 0.05, respectively). DGAT2 gene expression was decreased significantly among groups, and HFHS+125 mg/kg S and HFHS+250 mg/kg S versus to HFHS (p=0.05). Conclusions: This study showed that consumption of Saffron could treat NAFLD in Rats at least partially through modulation in gene expression of PPARα, SREBP 1-c, and DGAT2, liver enzymes, glycemic indices and TAC.
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