The sesame lignan sesamin attenuates vascular dysfunction in streptozotocin diabetic rats: Involvement of nitric oxide and oxidative stress

The effect of chronic administration of sesamin was studied on aortic reactivity of streptozotocin diabetic rats. Male diabetic rats received sesamin for 7 weeks after diabetes induction. Contractile responses to KCl and phenylephrine and relaxation response to acetylcholine were obtained from aortic rings. Maximum contractile response of endothelium-intact rings to phenylephrine was significantly lower in sesamin-treated diabetic rats relative to untreated diabetics and endothelium removal abolished this difference. Meanwhile, endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was significantly higher in sesamin-treated diabetic rats as compared to diabetic ones and pretreatment of rings with nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester significantly attenuated the observed response. Two-month diabetes also resulted in an elevation of malondialdehyde and decreased superoxide dismutase activity and sesamin treatment significantly improved these changes. Therefore, chronic treatment of diabetic rats with sesamin could prevent some abnormal changes in vascular reactivity in diabetic rats through nitric oxide and via attenuation of oxidative stress and tissue integrity of endothelium is necessary for its beneficial effect.     

Do dietary amino acid ratios predict risk of incident hypertension among adults?

In the current study, we investigated the association between dietary amino acid ratios and the 3-year incidence of hypertension, conducted in the framework of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study with 4287 adults(41.9% men), aged 20–70?y. Dietary intakes of amino acids were assessed using a valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire and reported as percentage of protein. Then amino acid ratios including Leu.Ser/Thr.Trp, Leu/Trp, Leu/Thr, and Ser/Thr were calculated. We identified 429(10%) cases of hypertension during 3.1?y of follow up. The adjusted OR of the highest quartile of dietary Leu.Ser/Thr.Trp intake was 1.48 (95%CI:1.04–2.09, P for trend:0.02) compared with the lowest one. Furthermore, the OR of hypertension in the highest, compared with the lowest quartile of the leu/Thr ratio(2.19 vs 2.02) was 1.46(1.01–2.12), P for trend?=?0.07. Our findings suggest that high dietary intakes of Leu.Ser/Thr.Trp ratio were associated with higher risk of incident hypertension and BP levels.     

Support vector wavelet adaptation for pathological voice assessment

The presence of abnormalities in the vocal system affects the quality of the voice and changes its characteristics. Digital analysis of pathological voices can be an effective and non-invasive tool for the detection of such alterations. This paper proposes a wavelet-based method to distinguish between normal and disordered voices. Wavelet filter banks are used in conjunction with support vector machines, as feature extractors and classifiers, respectively. Orthogonal filter banks are implemented using a highly efficient structure known as “lattice” that parameterizes filter banks and produces a few parameters. The overall problem is to find these parameters such that perfect classification is achieved. To search for such parameters, a genetic algorithm with a fitness function corresponding to the classification result is applied. Simulation is done on the KAY database (a comprehensive database including 710 normal and pathological voice signals, developed by the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Voice and Speech Lab), and one additional test set. It is observed that a genetic algorithm is able to find the filter bank parameters such that a 100% correct classification rate is achieved in classifying normal and pathological voices when the test is performed on both databases.     

The effect of low-dose omega 3 fatty acids on the treatment of mild to moderate depression in the elderly: a double-blind,randomized, placebo-controlled study

Due to the rise in the social and economic costs of depression, new antidepressant medication with fewer side effects should be found. Several studies have shown that an association exists between ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) and depression. However, this association has not been clear enough in the elderly with mild to moderate depression. Sixty-six inhabitants of Kahrizak Charity Foundation participated in this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Each participant was ≥ 65 years of age, had a Mini Mental State Exam of ≥ 22, and had scores ranging from 5 to 11 on the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15). During the 6 months, the drug group was treated daily with one gram of fish oil capsule containing 300 mg of both eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. No significant differences were noted between the groups in regard to level of education, use of antidepressant drugs, alcohol, tobacco use, history of chronic diseases, age, body mass index (BMI), high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), total cholesterol, and GDS-15 scores at baseline. After adjusting for cholesterol, BMI, and history of thyroid dysfunctions, a statistically significant difference was seen in GDS-15 scores between both groups. Furthermore, treatment with ω-3 PUFAs was clinically more effective in treating depression in comparison with the placebo. In this study, low-dose ω-3 PUFAs had some efficacy in the treatment of mild to moderate depression in elderly participants.     

1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of Lodgepole Pine Wood Chips Affected by the Mountain Pine Beetle

In this study, wood-water interactions of mountain pine beetle affected lodgepole pine were found to vary with time since death. Based on an analysis of magnetization components and spin-spin relaxation times from ¹H NMR, it was determined that the mountain pine beetle attack does not affect the crystalline structure of the wood. Both the amorphous structure and the water components vary with time since death, which could be due to the fungi present after a mountain pine beetle attack, as well as the fact that wood from the grey-stage of attack cycles seasonally through adsorption and desorption in the stand.     

Endoglin (CD105): a review of its role in angiogenesis and tumor diagnosis, progression and therapy

Endoglin (CD105) is an accessory receptor for transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and its expression is up-regulated in actively proliferating endothelial cells. Endoglin has been suggested as an appropriate marker for tumor-related angiogenesis and neovascularization. Several studies demonstrate the potential of endoglin in tumor diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. This review details the structure and function of endoglin, and investigates the role of endoglin in angiogenesis and tumor diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.