Group GI Research Articles

Effect of soft tissue thickness on accuracy of conventional and digital implant impression techniques

BackgroundPlacing implants deep sub-gingivally may affect the accuracy of implant impression techniques and the fit of final restoration.PurposeThe aim of this in-vitro study was to evaluate the effect of soft tissue thickness on accuracy of conventional and digital implant impression techniques.MethodsFour parallel implant analogues (A, B, C, D) placed in each of two epoxy resin models representing edentulous mandible covered by flexible polyurethane material with two different thickness two mm and four mm. A total of sixty impressions performed, thirty impressions for each model divided into four groups (n = 15 per group) GI (C2mm) open tray impression with two mm implant depth, GII (C4mm) open tray impression with four mm implant depth, GIII (D2mm) digital impression with two mm implant depth, GIV (D 4 mm) digital impression with four mm implant depth. Impressions from open tray technique were poured to get stone casts while impressions from digital scanning technique were printed as three-dimensional printed casts. The six inter-implant distances between analogues were measured using Co-ordinate measuring machine, deviations compared to reference models were calculated. Data was collected, tabulated and statistically analyzed using One-way ANOVA test to detect significances between groups.ResultsFor conventional impressions there was significant difference between C2mm/C4mm (P < 0.001) regarding interimplant distance, while in digital impressions there was no significant difference between D2mm/D4mm AB(p = 0.110), BC(p = 0.066), CD(p = 0.710), AD(p = 0.084), AC(p = 0.067) and BD(p = 0.072). There was significant difference between conventional and digital impression techniques C2mm/D2mm, C4mm/D4mm (P < 0.001).ConclusionWithin the limitations of this in-vitro study digital impressions provide more accurate outcomes with implants placed deeper subgingivally than conventional impressions.Trial registrationRetrospectively registered.

What has a year of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic influenced oral parafunctional habits and temporomandibular disorders? A case-control study.

Few studies investigated the influence of oral parafunctional habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since some studies have demonstrated that signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorder (TMD), as well as psychological alterations, increased during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the aim of this study was to investigate whether social isolation is a situation that increases the prevalence of oral parafunctional habits. This was an observational case-control study. An online survey with questions about TMD symptoms (Diagnostic Criteria Symptom Questionnaire) and oral parafunctional habits (Oral Behaviours Checklist [OBC]) was administered to Brazilian residents at two different times (2020 and 2021). The participants were divided according to social isolation practices into study groups (GI: 2020, n = 507; GIII: 2021, n = 282) and control groups (GII: 2020, n = 98; GIV: 2021, n = 202). In each group, we evaluated the association of the frequency of oral parafunctional habits with the symptoms of TMD, and we observed that individuals with a greater presence of painful TMD present a greater number of oral parafunctional habits. Despite the literature showing that individuals who practiced social isolation developed more oral parafunctional habits, when analysing the association of the OBC questions in Groups GI × GII and GIII × GIV, only 'sustained talking' (p = .0022) and 'hold telephone between your hand and shoulders' (p = .0124) showed a significant difference in GI × GII. Kendall's coefficient of concordance revealed that there was a very strong concordance (GI × GII 0.9515 (p = .0087) and GIII × GIV 0.9655 (p = .0074)) between the ranks of the analysed oral parafunctional habits in all groups. We can state that Individuals who practiced social isolation did not present more oral parafunctional habits than individuals who did not.

Unleashing the power of artificial neural networks: accurate estimation of monthly averaged daily wind power at Adama wind farm I, Ethiopia

Wind power plays a vital role in the electricity generation of many countries, including Ethiopia. It serves as a valuable complement to hydropower during the dry season, and its affordability is crucial for the growth of industrial centers. However, accurately estimating wind energy poses significant challenges due to its random nature, severe variability, and dependence on wind speed. Numerous techniques have been employed to tackle this problem, and recent research has shown that Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models excel in prediction accuracy. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of different ANN network types in estimating the monthly average daily wind power at Adama Wind Farm I. The collected data was divided into three sets: training (70%), testing (15%), and validation (15%). Four network types, namely Feedforward Backpropagation (FFBP), Cascade Feedforward Backpropagation (CFBP), Error Backpropagation (EBP), and Levenberg–Marquardt (LR), were utilized with seven input parameters for prediction. The performance of these networks was evaluated using Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and R-squared (R2). The EBP network type demonstrated exceptional performance in estimating wind power for all wind turbines in Groups GI, GII, and GIII. Additionally, all proposed network types achieved impressive accuracy levels with MAPE ranging from 0.0119 to 0.0489 and R2 values ranging from 0.982 to 0.9989. These results highlight the high predictive accuracy attained at the study site. Consequently, we can conclude that the ANN model’s network types were highly effective in predicting the monthly averaged daily wind power at Adama Wind Farm I. By leveraging the power of ANN models, this research contributes to improving wind energy estimation, thereby enabling more reliable and efficient utilization of wind resources. The findings of this study have practical implications for the wind energy industry and can guide decision-making processes regarding wind power generation and integration into the energy mix.

Investigation of the impact of Covid-19 pandemic in motor and visuomotor performance of Brazilian schoolchildren

Motor skills are important for building autonomy in daily life activities and school activities, being acquired through lived experiences and neurocognitive maturation. However, with the pandemic, there was a period of social restrictions. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazilian schoolchildren stopped attending school in person from March 2020 to July 2021. The effects of this change are still largely unknown, as the school is the main means of socialization, communication and to practice motor activities for many children. Therefore, this study aimed investigate, correlate and find predictors of gross and fine motor proficiencies and visual perception between pre- and post-pandemic schoolchildren. This was a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample. Forty schoolchildren participated in this study, being divided into groups GI (20 schoolchildren, from the 1st and 2nd grades, evaluated after remote teaching); GII (20 schoolchildren, paired with GI, in relation to sex and chronological age, being evaluated before the Pandemic). They underwent the procedures of motor Proficiency and visual perception development test. GI showed lower performance when compared to GII for motor and visual variables. No correlation was found between the motor and visual variables. Regression analysis explained 86.5% to 98.7% of the variance of motor performance. The visual variables of did not influence motor performance. Regression analysis explained between 75.8% and 96.7% of the variance of the visual performance. GI showed lower performance when compared to GII for motor and visual variables. The presence of several predictors for the classification of motor and visual performance suggests the presence of neurodevelopmental delay, which might be aggravated by social isolation resulting from the Pandemic, which must be seen as a warning sign for speech therapists and pedagogues.

Atividade da lactato desidrogenase e proteína total como marcadores diagnósticos de efusões cavitárias e identificação de efusões neoplásicas em cães e gatos

ABSTRACT: The analysis and classification of cavitary effusions play a crucial role in determining a patient’s diagnosis and prognosis. This prospective study assed ed the activity of Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) and the concentration of Total Protein (TP) in serum, pleural, and peritoneal effusions in dogs and cats. Effusions were categorized into three groups: GI (low protein transudate), GII (high protein transudate), and GIII (exudate) following conventional classification. These groups, irrespective of species, were further divided into NPG (neoplastic) and NNG (non-neoplastic) groups. In dogs, significant differences were observed among groups GI, GII, and GIII in terms of effusion LDH activity/serum LDH (LDHR), effusion LDH activity, serum TP/effusion TP (TPR), and effusion TP. Increased LDH activity in effusion was associated with the presence of neoplasia. The groups organized based on the etiopathogenesis of the effusion exhibited varying values of serum TP, TPR, LDHR, effusion TP, and LDH activity in the effusion. Conversely, statistical analysis of the data from cats showed no differences between the groups for the parameters evaluated in this study. Compared to conventional classification, Light’s criteria demonstrated greater sensitivity in distinguishing between transudates and exudates and higher specificity in identifying transudates. We propose the use of established biochemical analyses to discern the mechanism of cavitary effusion formation and advocate for LDH activity measurement in effusions as a complementary diagnostic tool for cavitary neoplasms, especially in cases where cytological analysis of the effusion yields inconclusive results.

Influence of Immediate and Delayed Dentin Sealing on Bonding Strength of Lithium Disilicate Glass Ceramic: An in vitro Study

Objective: To investigate the influence of immediate and delayed dentin sealing technique on shear bonding strength (SBS) of the lithium disilicate glass-ceramic on tooth structure with different depths.&#x0D; Methods: The buccal surfaces of 40 maxillary first premolars were prepared with two different depths (1mm and 1.5 mm) and two different timings for bonding (immediate and delayed dentin sealing). G1 (1 mm preparation) and G2 (1.5 mm preparation) were treated with bonding (Tetric N-Bond Universal, Ivoclar,2021, Schaan/Liechtenstein) two weeks after preparation, before cementation to the ceramic block with delayed dentin sealing (DDS), while G3 (1 mm preparation) and G4 (1.5 mm preparation) were treated immediately after preparation with bonding and immediate dentin sealing (IDS). All specimens were stored in artificial saliva (Biotene dry mouth, GSK goupe, Canada) for two weeks at 24℃. Forty lithium disilicate glass-ceramic rectangular blocks (Rosetta SM) (HASSBIO, Korea) with dimensions of (2 mm height, 2mm width and 3 mm thickness) were prepared. After preparation of the tooth surfaces, all prepared blocks were cemented to the prepared teeth in groups GI and G2 with phosphoric acid 37% for 15 seconds, and all ceramic fitting surfaces were treated with 10% hydroflouric acid for 20 seconds and coupling agent monobond, then aging was performed for 5000 cycles in artificial saliva from 5-55 °C for all specimens. A universal test machine was used to test the shear bond strength (SBS). The statistical analysis was done using a one-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey's post hoc test (p&lt;0.05).&#x0D; Results: The result revealed that IDS and minimum preparation depth had significantly higher bonding strength than DDS. Bonding strength in sequence was 15.50 ± 3.873 MPa in G3 and G4 8.25 ± 3.344 MPa, while for delayed dentin sealing the bonding strength was 7.75 ± 2.993 in G1 and 6.25 ± 2.125 MPa in G2.&#x0D; Conclusions: Teeth treated with IDS immediately after preparation showed significantly higher bonding strength than those treated with DDS for indirect ceramic restoration. Also, increase in the depth of the preparation toward the dentin led to a decrease in the bonding strength of the restoration.

The developmental changes in the morphology of the otolith of the mullet Chelon auratus (Risso, 1810) (Mugiliformes, Mugilidae) collected from Köyceğiz Lagoon, Aegean Sea, Türkiye

ABSTRACT Nineteen traits were described to define the shapes of the otoliths. The outcomes of this study display ontogenetic variations for different age groups based on the recorded shapes. Otoliths of the young individuals belonging to fish length groups GI and GII have shown differences in the otolith shape from those of the older individuals of the remaining seven length groups examined. A comparison with earlier published otolith description on C. auratus collected from other areas showed some interspecific variation across larger geographic distances, making some characters useless for diagnostic purposes. Other otolith features were shown to be consistent in otoliths from different length groups and such characteristics could be considered for species identification purposes. These characteristics are otolith width, depth, shape of the mesial and the lateral surfaces, shape of the sulcus acusticus, shape of the ostium and cauda and shape of the ostio-caudal differentiation.

Effect of Huangdisan grain on improving cognitive impairment in VD rats and its mechanism in immune inflammatory response.

Vascular dementia (VD) is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although the incidence rate is very high, there is no definitive treatment for VD. And it has serious impact on the quality of life of VD patients. In recent years, more and more studies about the clinical efficacy and pharmacological effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of VD have been conducted. And Huangdisan grain has been used to treat VD patients with a good curative effect in clinic. This study was designed to investigate the effect of Huangdisan grain on the inflammatory response and cognitive function of VD rats modeled by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO), that aimed to improve the treatment methods for VD. 8-week-old healthy SPF male Wistar rats (280±20g) were randomly divided into the normal group (Gn, n=10), sham operated group (Gs, n=10), and operated group (Go, n=35). The VD rat models in Go group were established by BCCAO. 8weeks after surgery, the operated rats were screened by the hidden platform trail of Morris Water Maze (MWM), and the rats with cognitive dysfunction were further randomly divided into the impaired group (Gi, n=10) and TCM group (Gm, n=10). The VD rats in Gm group were given the intragastric administration of Huangdisan grain decoction once a day for 8weeks, and the other groups were given intragastric administration of normal saline. Then the cognitive ability of rats in each group was detected by the MWM Test. The lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood and hippocampus of rats were measured by flow cytometry. The levels of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α, INF-γ, MIP-2, COX-2, iNOS) in peripheral blood and hippocampus were measured by ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay). The number of Iba-1+ CD68+ co-positive cells in the CA1 region of hippocampus was measured by immunofluorescence. Compared with the Gn group, the escape latencies of the Gi group were prolonged (P<0.01), the time spent in the former platform quadrant was shortened (P<0.01), and the number of times of crossing over the former platform location was reduced (P<0.05). But compared with the Gi group, the escape latencies of Gm group were shortened (P<0.01), the time spent in the former platform quadrant was prolonged (P<0.05), and the number of times of crossing over the former platform location was increased (P<0.05). The number of Iba-1+ CD68+ co-positive cells in the CA1 region of hippocampus of VD rats in Gi group was increased (P<0.01) compared with the Gn group. And the proportions of T Cells, CD4+ T Cells, CD8+ T Cells in the hippocampus were increased (P<0.01). The level of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus was increased significantly, such as IL-1β (P<0.01), IL-2 (P<0.01), TNF-α (P<0.05), IFN-γ (P<0.01), COX-2 (P<0.01), MIP-2 (P<0.01) and iNOS (P<0.05). And the level of IL-10 (P<0.01), a kind of anti-inflammatory cytokine, was decreased. The proportions of T Cells (P<0.05), CD4+ T Cells (P<0.01) and NK Cells (P<0.05) in the peripheral blood of the VD rats in Gi group were decreased, and the level of IL-1β, IL-2, TNF-α, IFN-γ, COX-2, MIP-2 and iNOS was increased significantly (P<0.01) compared with the Gn group. Meanwhile, the level of IL-4 and IL-10 was decreased (P<0.01). Huangdisan grain could reduce the number of Iba-1+ CD68+ co-positive cells in the CA1 region of hippocampus (P<0.01), decrease the proportions of T Cells, CD4+ T Cells, CD8+ T Cells and the level of IL-1β, MIP-2 in hippocampus (P<0.01) of VD rats. Moreover, it could rise the proportion of NK Cells (P<0.01) and the level of IL-4 (P<0.05), IL-10 (P<0.05), and decrease the level of IL-1β (P<0.01), IL-2 (P<0.05), TNF-α (P<0.01), IFN-γ (P<0.01), COX-2 (P<0.01) and MIP-2 (P<0.01) in peripheral blood of VD rats. This study indicated that Huangdisan grain could decrease the activation of microglia/macrophages, regulate the proportions of lymphocyte subsets and the level of cytokines, which could adjust the immunologic abnormalities of VD rats, and ultimately improve cognitive function.

Isolation and Genetic Characterization of a Bovine Coronavirus KBR-1 Strain from Calf Feces in South Korea.

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) causes severe diarrhea in neonatal calves, winter dysentery in adult cattle, and respiratory disease in feedlot cattle, resulting in economic losses. A total of 16/140 calf diarrheic feces samples collected in South Korea between 2017 and 2018 were positive for BCoV. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete spike and hemagglutinin/esterase genes revealed that the 16 Korean BCoV strains belonged to group GIIa along with Korean strains isolated after 2000, whereas Korean BCoV strains isolated before 2000 belonged to group GI. Mice and goats inoculated with an inactivated KBR-1 strain (isolated from this study) generated higher antibody titers (96 ± 13.49 and 73 ± 13.49, respectively) when mixed with the Montanide01 adjuvant than when mixed with the Carbopol or IMS1313 adjuvants. Viral antigens were detected in the large intestine, jejunum, and ileum of calves inoculated with inactivated KBR-1 vaccine (104.0 TCID50/mL) at 14 days of post-challenge (DPC). However, no viral antigens were detected in calves vaccinated with a higher dose of inactivated KBR-1 strain (106.0 TCID50/mL) at 14 DPC, and they had high antibody titers and stable diarrhea scores. Currently, the group GIIa is prevalent in cows in South Korea, and although further research is needed in the future, the recently isolated KBR-1 strain has potential value as a new vaccine candidate.

Impact of Platform Switched Implants on Marginal Bone Level in Mandibular Overdentures: A Six-Year Follow-Up Longitudinal Study.

PurposeTo evaluate the impact of the platform-switched implant on marginal bone loss (MBL) and the probing pocket depth (PPD) in patients wearing mandibular overdenture.Patients and MethodsThis longitudinal study included 40 completely edentulous patients aged 51–64 years. All patients received complete dentures and were distributed into two groups randomly; 20 patients each. The first group GI received two platform switched implants; however, the 2nd group GII received two platform matched implants (3.6 × 11.5 mm) in the canine region of the mandible. The radiographic evaluations were carried out every year for six years, whereas probing pocket depth was evaluated every six months for 72 months for both groups. The data were analyzed by repeated ANOVA, Friedman’s, and Student’s t-test.ResultsThis study included 36 patients; 56 ± 3.6 years was the mean age; 17 females (47%) and 19 males (53%) completed the study. Statistically significant differences were observed in MBL and PPD in each of GI and GII after 6 years, p ≤ 0.05. Between GI and GII after 6 years, a statistically insignificant difference was detected in MBL or PPD, p ≥ 0.05, except in PPD at loading, 2 and 6 years, p ≤ 0.05.ConclusionTime positively affected MBL and PPD in platform switched and matched implants retained mandibular overdentures. Platform switching influences probing pocket depth in implants retained mandibular overdentures.

Equivariant sheaves for profinite groups

We study equivariant sheaves over profinite spaces, where the group is also taken to be profinite. We resolve a serious deficit in the existing theory by constructing a good notion of equivariant presheaves, with a suitable equivariant sheafification functor. Using equivariant sheafification, we develop the general theory of equivariant sheaves of modules over a ring, give explicit constructions of infinite products and introduce an equivariant analogue of skyscraper sheaves.These results underlie recent work by the authors which proves that there is an algebraic model for rational G-spectra in terms of equivariant sheaves over profinite spaces. That model is constructed in terms of Weyl-G-sheaves over the space of closed subgroups of G, where the term Weyl indicates that the stalk over H is H-fixed. In this paper, we prove that Weyl-G-sheaves of R-modules form an abelian category with enough injectives and is a coreflective subcategory of equivariant sheaves of R-modules.We end the paper with a structural result that provides another way to conveniently build equivariant sheaves from simpler data. We prove that a G-equivariant sheaf over a profinite base space X is a colimit of equivariant sheaves over finite discrete spaces Xi with actions of finite groups Gi, where X is the limit of the Xi and G is the limit of the Gi.

Preventive role of spirulina on the some biomarkers in heart aging induced by D- galactose on the male rabbits

The aim of this study is to investigate the preventive role of food supplementation with Spirulina powder in the heart aging. Twenty male rabbits randomly and equally divided into four groups, normal as control group GI, animals received 150 mg/kg BW S/C daily of D-galactos as GII, animals were received 500mg/kg BW orally of Spirulina as GIII while GIV group was recived 150 mg/kg BW daily S/C administration of D-galactos with 500mg/kg BW orally of Spirulina for four weeks. The results of the study showed a significant decrease in Cardiac troponin I and Peroxynitrate with a significant increase in Nitric oxide and Glutathione in group received Spirulina compared with aging group GII. Conclusion, our result indicate the feed supplement of Spirulina powder caused preventive role against heart aging.

Estimation of Cytokines (IL-1&amp;IL-22) in Wounds Infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Albino Rat

Wound infection is described as the occurrence of microorganisms in sufficient numbers or with sufficient virulence in a wound environment to stimulate an immune system response locally, systemically, or both. The present study focused on assessing the immune response by measuring cytokine levels ( IL-1, IL-22 ) in the serum of rats that induced wound infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Thirty-six female Albino rats were used, divided into 3 groups GI (infected group), GII (wound without infection group), and GIII (healthy control group). An excision wound was made on the rat’s back and then contaminated the wound region with a bacterial solution that contain 2.5 ×106 CFU of P. aeruginosa. Following that, blood samples were taken at predetermined time periods (24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours) following infection to evaluate immunological response during wound infection. We found that the cytokines (IL-1) were detectable at all times ( 24, 48, 72 ) hours and observed in all studied groups while a significantly elevated level of IL-22 ( 0.77 ± 0.08 ) pg/ml was recorded in 24 hours in the infection group and then decreased at 72 hours.

Ionômero de vidro aquecido ou não para identificação de defeitos ósseos criados em calvárias de ratos

Abstract Introduction Some experimental models have been used to evaluate the use of biomaterials in bone regeneration. Among them are the critical size defects (CSD) created in rat calvaria. An experimental model has been described in the literature, in which “L” markings are performed on the margins of the bone defects in order to assist in the precise identification of these defects during laboratory processing and analysis of the results. In the proposed model, the “L” markings are filled with amalgam. Objective The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the amalgam replacement of an experimental bony defect model in rat calvaria by heated or unheated glass ionomer. Material and method 24 rats were used. A 5 mm CSD was created at each animal calvaria. Two “L” shaped markings were made 2 mm from the margins of the bone defect, filled with amalgam (Group AM), heated glass ionomer cement (Group GIh) or not (Group GI). The animals were euthanized 15 days postoperatively. The areas of the surgical defect and the L-shaped marking were histomorphometrically analyzed and the data were analyzed statistically (p &lt;0.05). Result There were no significant clinical, histological or methodological differences among the experimental groups. Conclusion It can be concluded that GI can replace AM in the proposed experimental model and GI heating did not promote additional benefits.

Ameliorative efficacy of polyherbal formulation in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

The aim of the present study was to determine the anti-diabetic activity of a polyherbal formulation in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. The methanolic extracts of Achyranthes aspera, Catharanthus roseus and Momordica charantia were used in 3:1:1 w/w/w ratio for polyherbal formulation (PHF) preparation. Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups (GI, GII, GIII, T1 and T2) based on body weight. The high fat diet treated rats of four groups (GII, GIII, T1 and T2) were injected with 45 mg/kg body weight of streptozotocin intra peritoneally to induce diabetes. Rats of group GI, GII were kept as normal and diabetic control respectively and GIII as standard control, were administrated with glibenclamide (2.5 mg/kg, orally for 60 days); and group T1 and T2 were administered with PHF daily at a dose of 375 mg/kg and 750 mg/kg body weight respectively for a period of 60 days. Administration of PHF showed dose dependent reduction in the blood glucose level on 30th and 60th days, which was comparable to that of standard drug glibenclamide. Significant decrease in body weight and increase in serum glucose level were observed in diabetic control, which was partially restored upon administration of PHF. Altered biochemical enzymes like AST, ALT and antioxidant enzymes (SOD) were normalized by administration of PHF in diabetic rats. Also, mean values of total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDLcholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in rats treated with PHF were restored. The study indicated that PHF at higher dose showed significant decline (p&lt;0.001) in blood glucose level.

Non-invasive Monitoring of Antioxidants and Stress in Captive Indian Leopards

Background: Captive Indian leopards are exposed to different kind of stresses part of which can be alleviated through supplementation of carotenoids. However, invasive monitoring of antioxidants is often pro-act as a stressor itself. Hence, use of non-invasive monitoring of antioxidants and stress would be desirable. However, before recommendation, such non-invasive procedures must be compared with conventional ones. Hence, this experiment was designed to compare the cortisol and total antioxidants (TAA) status measured either in serum or faecal samples. Methods: Three diets were tested on twelve adult leopards (7 M and 5 F, BW ranging from 45-63 kg) in an experiment based on replicated Latin square design comprising of three treatments, three periods and three sequences and four animals in each sequence. The ratio of buffalo meat: chicken carcass was 100:0, 90:10 and 80:10 in groups CON, GI and GII, respectively. Result: Intake and absolute quantity of carotenoids absorbed increased (P less than 0.01) with increased level of chicken carcass; however, efficiency of absorption was lower (P less than 0.05) in GII as compared to other two groups. Faecal concentrations of cortisol decreased (P less than 0.0001) and TAA increased (P less than 0.0001) with increased level of carotenoids in the diet. Irrespective of the dietary treatments, concentration of cortisol was lower (P less than 0.0001) and TAA was higher in faecal as compared to serum samples. Regression analysis revealed positive relationship between serum and faecal sample assay with respect to both TAA and cortisol. Thus, faecal samples could be used to monitor cortisol and antioxidant status in Indian leopards. Assay of faecal samples indicated that replacement of buffalo meat with chicken at 20% in the diet improved the antioxidants and alleviated stress in captive leopards.

New constructions of strongly regular Cayley graphs on abelian non p-groups

Davis and Jedwab (1997) established a great construction theory unifying many previously known constructions of difference sets, relative difference sets and divisible difference sets. They introduced the concept of building blocks, which played an important role in the theory. On the other hand, Polhill (2010) gave a construction of Paley type partial difference sets (conference graphs) based on a special system of building blocks, called a covering extended building set, and proved that there exists a Paley type partial difference set in an abelian group of order 9iv4 for any odd positive integer v>1 and any i=0,1. His result covers all orders of abelian non p-groups in which Paley type partial difference sets exist. In this paper, we give new constructions of strongly regular Cayley graphs on abelian groups by extending the theory of building blocks. The constructions are large generalizations of Polhill's construction. In particular, we show that for a positive integer m and elementary abelian groups Gi, i=1,2,…,s, of order qi4 such that 2m|qi+1, there exists a decomposition of the complete graph on the abelian group G=G1×G2×⋯×Gs by strongly regular Cayley graphs with negative Latin square type parameters (u2,c(u+1),−u+c2+3c,c2+c), where u=q12q22⋯qs2 and c=(u−1)/m. Such strongly regular decompositions were previously known only when m=2 or G is a p-group. Moreover, we find one more new infinite family of decompositions of the complete graphs by Latin square type strongly regular Cayley graphs. Thus, we obtain many strongly regular graphs with new parameters.

Acupuncture Can Regulate the Peripheral Immune Cell Spectrum and Inflammatory Environment of the Vascular Dementia Rat, and Improve the Cognitive Dysfunction of the Rats.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to analyze the effects of acupuncture on peripheral immune function, inflammation, and cognitive impairment in vascular dementia (VD) rats.MethodsIn this study, 2-month-old healthy male Wistar rats (260–280 g) were assigned to the groups as follows: normal group (Gn, n = 10), sham-operated group (Gs, n = 10), and operated group (Go, n = 45). The Go group was established by permanent, bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO). Two months after operation, the operated rats were screened by hidden platform trial and the rats with cognitive dysfunction were further randomly divided into impaired group (Gi), acupoint group (Ga), and non-acupoint group (Gna) with 10 rats in each group. The Ga group was given acupuncture treatment for 14 days with a rest for every 7 days. After treatment, the Morris water maze (MWM) test was performed to evaluate the spatial learning and memory abilities of rats. The lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood and spleen of rats were measured by flow cytometry. The levels of cytokines [i.e., interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (INF-γ)], chemokines (i.e., macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2)), and other inflammatory mediators (i.e., cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)) in peripheral blood and hippocampus were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).ResultsCompared with the Gn group, the Gi rats presented long escape latencies to find the platform. After acupuncture treatment, the escape latencies of the Ga group were rescued markedly when compared with the Gi group (P < 0.05). The proportion of CD4 + T lymphocytes in both spleen and peripheral blood in the Ga group increased (P < 0.05) in comparison with the Gi group. There is an obvious reduction in IL-1β (P < 0.05), IL-2 (P < 0.05), TNF-α (P < 0.01), INF-γ (P < 0.01), MIP-2 (P < 0.05), and iNOS (P < 0.01), coming along with the increased levels of IL-4 and IL-10 (P < 0.01) in the Ga group when compared with the Gi group. In addition, the hippocampus proinflammatory factors IL-1β (P < 0.01), IL-2 (P < 0.01), TNF-α (P < 0.05), INF-γ (P < 0.05), MIP-2 (P < 0.05), iNOS (P < 0.01), and COX-2 decreased in the Ga group, whereas the anti-inflammatory factors IL-4 and IL-10 (P < 0.01) increased.ConclusionThere are abnormal immune function and peripheral inflammation in VD rats. Acupuncture can regulate the peripheral immune function and inflammation of the VD rats and can improve the cognitive dysfunction of the rats.

English

Okra has significant area under cultivation in Africa and Asia, despite it has been considered as a minor crop and not much attention has been given to okra improvement in international research program. Niger produced during 2008, 2794 t of okra in 5288 ha with mean productivity of 0.39 t.ha-1. This poor average productivity is far below than the mean productivity of East Africa (6.2 t.ha-1) and North (8.8 t.ha-1). Non-availability of varieties resistant to local biotic stresses is one of the major reasons for such a low productivity. Root-knot nematode disease is one of the constraints of commercial okra cultivation in region and cause of poor productivity. Durable host plant resistance/tolerance is considered as better option than the management tactic solely based on insecticide spray alone. The major objective of this study initited by AVRDC is to screening okra germplasm against root knot nematode in order to identify resistant lines. A total of 48 lines belonging to two species (A. esculentus and A. caillei) originated from different countries were screened following the protocol developed during this study. The results showed that after five weeks of inoculation, infestation of nematode is very fatal for susceptible okra genotypes. Cluster analysis using various parameters revealed that groups GI, GV and GII represented lines which are showing less gall index and poor reproduction rate of nematode, whereas GIII and GIV represented lines with more gall index with higher reproduction rate. The lines showing reaction towards resistance can be used in the breeding program. Key words: Abelmoschus species, okra germplasm, Meloidogyne species, root knot, nematode, screening.

Intestinal Parasitic Infections Among Egyptian Patients With Chronic Liver Diseases At Zagazig University Hospital

Background and study aim: Regarding the increased number of chronic liver diseases (CLD) patients suffering from ‎many manifestations e.g. diarrhea, this withdrew our attention to try to find a relation ‎between CLD and parasitic infections in those patients‎. Patients and Methods: A case-control study was performed on 190 participants suffering from gastrointestinal ‎complaints especially diarrhea attending Gastroenterology and Hepatology Outpatient ‎Clinics at Zagazig University Hospital, divided into 2 groups GI: 95 CLD patients. GII: 95 ‎non-CLD Control group patients. Cases underwent clinical, abdominal ultrasonographic, ‎and laboratory liver function assessments. Also, collected patients’ stool samples were ‎microscopically examined using iodine, Trichrome and Modified Ziehl-Neelsen stains. To ‎confirm accurate diagnosis to parasitic infections causing diarrhea, RIDA-ELISA for ‎Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia lamblia copro-antigens detections was performed. Results: Parasitic infections among both studied groups were (47%), comprising (58%) in CLD and ‎‎(36%) in non-CLD as follow: Cryptosporidium (28%, 14%), Giardia (15%, 12%), mixed ‎‎(5%, 3%), E.histolytica spp. (5%, 4%), Blastocystis hominis (3%, 1%) and H. nana (1%, ‎‎2%) respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPP and accuracy of ELISA regarding ‎Giardia and Cryptosporidium infections were (100% and 89.6%, 97.5% and 100%, 87.9% ‎and 100%, 100% and 96.6%, 97.9% and 98.4%) respectively. In GI, most giardial cases ‎had normal ALT and AST levels (74%, 63%), but elevated in cryptosporidial infection ‎‎(59%, 66%) respectively, with statistically significant difference‎. Conclusion: Presence of intestinal parasitic infections; mainly Cryptosporidia and Giardia protozoa ‎among CLD patients was striking when compared to diarrheic non-CLD control group and ‎this may be attributed to impaired immune status.