Histopathological and immunohistochemical profiles of pulp tissues in immature dogs' teeth to two recently introduced pulpotomy materials.

OBJECTIVE: The pulpal response to Hoffmann's Pulpine mineral (PMIN) and Pulpine NE (PNE) was compared to mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) when used as pulpotomy materials in immature permanent teeth in dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immature premolars were randomly divided according to the observation period into three equal groups (n = 24) (10 days, 30 days, and 90 days) then furtherly subdivided into 3 subgroups according to the material used. Histopathological analysis regarding inflammatory cell infiltration and dentin bridge (DB) formation was done. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using osteopontin marker. RESULTS: The results showed that after 90 days, both MTA and PMIN subgroups had 100% complete thick DB without inflammation in 87.5% of the samples, while the PNE subgroup failed to form DB in 37.5% of the samples and 50% of samples showed thin initial DB with heavy inflammation in 62.5% of the samples. There was no significant difference between MTA and PMIN, while there was a statistically significant difference between PNE and the two other subgroups in DB formation and inflammatory cell infiltration (P > 0.05). After 90 days, MTA showed the highest mean value of osteopontin positive fraction area followed by PMIN without statistically significant differences, while the least value was recorded in PNE subgroup with statistically significant difference with the remaining subgroups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: PMIN is a promising alternative to MTA when used for pulpotomy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Vital pulp therapy in immature teeth can be done using PMIN as an alternative to MTA.

Serum level of interleukin-15 in active alopecia areata patients and its relation to age, sex, and disease severity.

INTRODUCTION: Autoimmune mechanisms with evident genetic background are the main components of alopecia areata (AA) pathogenesis. Interleukin 15 (IL-15) is considered as an important signalling cytokine. Its disordered expression has been linked to inflammatory autoimmune disorders. AIM: The present study aimed to evaluate serum IL-15 in active AA patients and to assess its association with patients' sex, age, and disease severity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: IL-15 serum level was measured in 40 patients with active alopecia areata and 20 healthy controls using the ELISA technique. The severity of hair loss was assessed in accordance with the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT). RESULTS: A significantly higher serum level of IL-15 in AA patients than in controls was detected (p < 0.001). A significant positive correlation was detected between the SALT score and IL-15 serum level (rs = 0.433, p = 0.005). No significant correlation between age of the patients and the serum level of IL-15 was observed (rs = 0.224, p = 0.164). No significant difference in IL-15 serum level regarding patients' sex, history of disease recurrence, or family history of AA was noted. CONCLUSIONS: The elevated serum level of IL-15 in active AA patients might reflect its role in disease pathogenesis as a key signalling cytokine. Its level is correlated with disease severity. However, IL-15 is not influenced by patients' gender or age.

Extension of simple multi-attribute rating technique in uncertainty environment for 5G industry evaluation: Egyptian new administrative capital as a case study.

As is well-known, multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches can aid decision-makers in identifying the optimal alternative based on predetermined criteria. However, it is a big challenge to apply this approach in complex applications such as 5th generation (5G) industry assessment because criteria are challenging and trade-offs between them are hard. Also, assessment of the 5G industry involve strong uncertainty. So, this study is the first to evaluate the 5G industry using a new neutrosophic simple multi-attribute rating technique (N-SMART). Since neutrosophic set considers truth-degree, indeterminacy-degree, and falsity-degree, it is a more accurate instrument for evaluating uncertainty. The 5G assessment issue exemplifies the validity and great performance of our proposed method as: (1) its ability to deal with uncertainty phenomena; (2) its simplicity; and (3) its enhanced capacity to discern alternatives. Also, by considering the 5G service provided in the Egyptian New Administrative capital as a case study, the results showed that Ericsson 5G is the best choice and Nokia 5G is the worst choice.

The role of oral metformin in preventing and treating age-related macular degeneration: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of metformin on age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: We searched the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. We included any randomized control trials, prospective and retrospective cohorts, cross-sectional studies, and case-control studies that investigated the effect of metformin on age-related macular degeneration in our meta-analysis with no age or language restrictions. Review manager software, version 5.4 was used to perform the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Ten studies were included in the meta-analysis with 1,447,470 patients included in the analysis. The pooled analysis showed no statistically significant difference between the metformin group and the non-metformin group regarding age-related macular degeneration (odds ratio [OR] = 0.37, confidence interval [CI] = (0.14-1.02), P = .05). Subgroup analysis showed no statistically significant difference between metformin group and non-metformin group regarding age-related macular degeneration in present or past metformin usage (OR = 0.19, CI = (0.03-1.1), P = .06), (OR = 0.61, CI = (0.25-1.45), P = .26), respectively, The pooled analysis showed no statistically significant difference between age-related macular degeneration group and control group regarding metformin usage (OR = 0.86, CI = (0.74-1.00), P = .05). The subgroup analysis showed no statistically significant difference between the age-related macular degeneration group and control group in <2 years of metformin usage and 2 years or more (OR = 0.89, CI = (0.52-1.52), P = .67), (OR = 0.95, CI = (0.82-1.10), P = .47), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed no role of metformin in decreasing age-related macular degeneration risk in past or present usage. More RCTs are needed to support our findings in evaluating the actual role of metformin in age-related macular degeneration.

Association Between Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous meta-analyses have shown mixed results regarding the association between eating disorders (EDs) and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Our paper aimed to analyse different EDs and disordered eating behaviours that may be practiced by patients with T1DM. METHODS: A literature search of PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science was conducted on 17 January 2023, using the key terms "T1DM," "Eating Disorders" and "Bulimia." Only observational controlled studies were included. The Revman software (version 5.4) was used for the analysis. RESULTS: T1DM was associated with increased risk of ED compared with nondiabetic individuals (RR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.84-3.32, p-value < 0.00001), especially bulimia nervosa (RR = 2.80, 95% CI = 1.18-6.65, p-value = 0.02) and binge eating (RR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.18-1.98, p-value = 0.001). Our analysis has shown that increased risk of ED among T1DM persisted regardless of the questionnaire used to diagnose ED; DM-validated questionnaires (RR = 2.80, 95% CI = 1.91-4.12, p-value < 0.00001) and generic questionnaires (RR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.27-3.23, p-value = 0.003). Prevalence of insulin omission/misuse was 10.3%; diabetic females demonstrated a significantly higher risk of insulin omission and insulin misuse than diabetic males. CONCLUSION: Our study establishes a significant and clear connection between EDs and T1DM, particularly bulimia and binge eating, with T1DM. Moreover, female diabetics are at higher risk of insulin misuse/omission. Early proactive screening is essential and tailored; comprehensive interventions combining diabetes and ED components are recommended for this population, with referral to a specialised psychiatrist.

Ciliopathy patient variants reveal organelle-specific functions for TUBB4B in axonemal microtubules.

Tubulin, one of the most abundant cytoskeletal building blocks, has numerous isotypes in metazoans encoded by different conserved genes. Whether these distinct isotypes form cell type- and context-specific microtubule structures is poorly understood. Based on a cohort of 12 patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia as well as mouse mutants, we identified and characterized variants in the TUBB4B isotype that specifically perturbed centriole and cilium biogenesis. Distinct TUBB4B variants differentially affected microtubule dynamics and cilia formation in a dominant-negative manner. Structure-function studies revealed that different TUBB4B variants disrupted distinct tubulin interfaces, thereby enabling stratification of patients into three classes of ciliopathic diseases. These findings show that specific tubulin isotypes have distinct and nonredundant subcellular functions and establish a link between tubulinopathies and ciliopathies.

Cyclophilin C as a Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker of Coronary Artery Diseases. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to investigate the value of Cyclophilin C as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in Coronary Artery Disease. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane library databases were searched. The inclusion criteria were any randomized control trials or controlled observational studies that measured the levels of Cyclophilin C in Coronary Artery disease patients and healthy controls. We excluded case reports, case series, reviews, editorials and animal studies. After search of the literature, 4 studies were included in the meta-analysis with a total number of 454 individuals included in the study. The pooled analysis showed a significant association between CAD group and increased levels of Cyclophilin C (MD = 28.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 19.28-38.60, P-value < 0.00001). Subgroup analysis showed a significant association between acute and chronic CAD group with increased levels of cyclophilin c compared with the control group (MD = 35.98, 95% CI = 19.84-52.11, P-value < 0.0001) and (MD = 26.36, 95% CI = 21.87 to 30.85, P-value < 0.00001), respectively. The pooled effect estimate showed that the ROC area for the cyclophillin c as a diagnostic biomarker of CAD was (ROC= 0.880, 95% CI =0.844-0.917, P-value < 0.001). Our study revealed a significant association between acute and chronic coronary artery disease with increased levels of Cyclophilin C. Cyclophilin C could be used as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in acute and chronic CAD. More research is warranted to support our results.

Association of aortic dissection and lipoprotein (a): a meta-analysis.

Some studies reported a positive relation between aortic dissection (AD) and increased lipoprotein (a) (LP(a)), while other studies reported no association, so the authors aimed to do a meta-analysis to establish the relation between AD and high levels of LP(a). Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SAGE, EMBASE, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library were searched. The inclusion criteria were any randomized control trials or observational studies that measured the levels of LP(a) in AD patients and healthy controls. The authors excluded case reports, case series, noncontrolled studies, reviews, editorials, and animal studies. Results: After a search of the literature, four studies were included in the meta-analysis with 678 patients included in the analysis. The pooled analysis showed a statistically significant association between the AD group and increased levels of LP(a), decreased levels of TG, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and TC compared with the control group (MD=11.71, 95% CI=4.11-19.32, P-value=0.003), (MD=-0,32, 95% CI=-0.48 to -0.16, P-value<0.0001 ), (MD=-0,21, 95% CI=-0.42 to -0.1, P-value=0.04), (MD=-0,58, 95% CI=-0.62 to -0.54, P-value<0.00001), respectively. Conclusion: Our study showed that AD is significantly associated with increased levels of LP(a). The significant increase in LP(a) in AD was associated with decreased levels of TG, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and TC. Future clinical trials testing Lp (a) targeting medications could be useful in the primary, or secondary prevention of AD in high risk patients.

Soluble CD163 impact as a prognostic biomarker in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignant blood disorder in which there is an excess of white blood cells (lymphocytes) in blood and lymphoid tissues. CLL patients experience different clinical behaviors with diversity in disease course and outcome. Accordingly, prognostic markers are crucial for employing appropriate therapy protocols. CD163 (cluster of differentiation 163) is a monocyte/macrophage receptor. Soluble CD163 (sCD163) is an emerging prognostic player in the field of hematopoietic neoplasms. This study aimed to assess the prognostic potential of sCD163 as a serological marker in CLL. The study included 41 CLL patients and 44 apparently normal healthy volunteers as controls. Expression of CD38 and cytoplasmic ZAP 70 in CLL cells was assessed using flow cytometry. Beta 2 microglobulin (B2M), sCD23, and sCD163 serological markers were measured by ELISA. Serum levels of sCD163 were statistically significantly higher in CLL cases compared to controls (p=0.000). sCD163 levels were positively correlated with absolute lymphocyte count, sCD23, and B2M levels (p= 0.027, p=0.01, and p=0.004, respectively). In conclusion, levels of sCD163 in CLL is a promising prognostic tool for evaluating disease progression.

Herpes simplex virus infection and the risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim: The authors aimed to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection and the risk of developing dementia. Methods: The authors searched the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. The authors included any randomized control trials and controlled observational studies that investigated the prevalence of dementia in HSV-infected patients and HSV-free control group. Also, if the studies measured the levels of HSV antibodies and incidence of these antibodies in patients with dementia compared with a healthy control group. Results: After a comprehensive literature search, 19 studies were included in the meta-analysis with 342 535 patients included in the analysis. The pooled analysis showed a statistically significant association between Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and increased levels of IgG titer group [mean difference (MD) = 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.36-1.63, P-value = 0.002], (MD = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.26-1.35, P-value = 0.004), respectively. Additionally, the generic inverse variance showed a statistically significant association between the HSV group and increased incidence of dementia compared with the no HSV control group [risk ratio (RR) = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.18-2.29, P-value <0.00001]. Moreover, this analysis showed no statistically significant difference between the AD group and the control group in anti-HSV IgM titer n (%) outcome (RR = 1.35, 95% CI = 0.91-2.01, P-value = 0.14), respectively. Conclusion: This study revealed that AD and MCI patients have increased levels of IgG antibodies titer against HSV infection. The study showed a significant association between HSV infection and increased incidence of dementia. Thus, regular follow-up of HSV patients' IgG titer levels could be useful in the prevention of dementia in these patients.

The Palestinian primary ciliary dyskinesia population: first results of the diagnostic and genetic spectrum.

Background: Diagnostic testing for primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) started in 2013 in Palestine. We aimed to describe the diagnostic, genetic and clinical spectrum of the Palestinian PCD population. Methods: Individuals with symptoms suggestive of PCD were opportunistically considered for diagnostic testing: nasal nitric oxide (nNO) measurement, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and/or PCD genetic panel or whole-exome testing. Clinical characteristics of those with a positive diagnosis were collected close to testing including forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) Global Lung Index z-scores and body mass index z-scores. Results: 68 individuals had a definite positive PCD diagnosis, 31 confirmed by genetic and TEM results, 23 by TEM results alone, and 14 by genetic variants alone. 45 individuals from 40 families had 17 clinically actionable variants and four had variants of unknown significance in 14 PCD genes. CCDC39, DNAH11 and DNAAF11 were the most commonly mutated genes. 100% of variants were homozygous. Patients had a median age of 10.0 years at diagnosis, were highly consanguineous (93%) and 100% were of Arabic descent. Clinical features included persistent wet cough (99%), neonatal respiratory distress (84%) and situs inversus (43%). Lung function at diagnosis was already impaired (FEV1 z-score median -1.90 (-5.0-1.32)) and growth was mostly within the normal range (z-score mean -0.36 (-3.03-2.57). 19% individuals had finger clubbing. Conclusions: Despite limited local resources in Palestine, detailed geno- and phenotyping forms the basis of one of the largest national PCD populations globally. There was notable familial homozygosity within the context of significant population heterogeneity.

A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating Changes in Electrical Muscle Activity, Pain, and Function after Shockwave Therapy in Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain: Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effect of adding r-ESWT to a standard exercise program of chronic non-specific LBP on electrical muscle activity (EMG), pain and function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our single-blind randomized controlled trial enrolled 30 patients with chronic non-specific LBP randomly allocated to an r-ESWT (n=15) group and a control group (n=15). All patients received a standard exercise program, while r-ESWT was additionally administered in the r-ESWT group. EMG activity, pain and function were assessed before and after 6 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, all outcome measures were significantly different (p < 0.05). The addition of r-ESWT produced a significant increase in EMG activity (of all muscles tested) and a reduction in pain intensity and functional disability scores (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: 1. A standard intervention offered either alone or with r-ESWT increased EMG activities, reduced pain, and enhanced function in patients with chronic non-specific LBP. 2. Adding r-ESWT to the standard intervention program might produce better results.

New extension of ordinal priority approach for multiple attribute decision-making problems: design and analysis.

The selection and assessment process of appropriate robots became a more complex and complicated task due to various available alternatives and conflicting attributes which must take into consideration. Also, uncertainty which exists usually in the selection process is an unavoidable component that needs to be thoughtfully measured and traditional multi-attribute decision-making approaches failed to deal precisely with it. Since almost all decisions originate from subjective ordinal preferences, handling uncertainty using linguistic variables is also not enough. Thus, the objective of the current study is to present a new extended ordinal priority approach in the neutrosophic environment for the first time to select an appropriate robot. Since neutrosophic is one of the most effective and accommodating tools for handling uncertainty, thus, this method goes to transform linguistic information into triangular neutrosophic numbers using a new presented scale. This scale was used to determine the importance degree of attributes and alternatives regarding experts' opinions. Also, the score function of the triangular neutrosophic number is used for prioritizing attributes and alternatives. The experts in our proposed method have the same degree of importance, since each expert is a person with special skills and knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject. To measure the applicability and efficiency of the proposed approach, an experimental case study has been established for the robot selection problem of a new pharmaceutical city in Egypt for the first time. The source of data in this case study is experts, interviews, and questionnaires. Also, sensitivity and comparative analysis are further made for verifying the power of the proposed approach. The outcome of this study shows that the suggested approach for robot selection is quite helpful and has a great performance under uncertainty over classical and fuzzy ordinal priority approaches. Also, the suggested approach is less consumption of time and simpler than the fuzzy ordinal priority approach. Therefore, we recommend firms and governments to apply it for increasing product quality, hence the profitability of manufacturing industries and decrease needless costs. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40747-022-00721-w.

Influence of adding strain-counterstrain to standard therapy on axioscapular muscles amplitude and fatigue in mechanical neck pain: a single-blind, randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Strain-counterstrain technique (SCS) or positional release therapy is strongly recommended for patients with mechanical neck pain (MNP) because this method has excellent benefits, but the clinical significance of this method is unclear. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of adding the SCS technique to standard therapy on pain, pressure pain threshold, disability according to Neck Disability Index (NDI), and electrophysiological characteristics (amplitude and fatigue) of the upper part of trapezius in the axioscapular muscles of patients with mechanical neck pain. DESIGN: Single-blind, randomized clinical trial. SETTING: Outpatient clinic. POPULATION: Sixty patients (19-38 years old) with mechanical neck pain participated in this study and were recruited from the outpatient clinic at the faculty of physical therapy after a referral from an orthopedist. METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned by opaque sealed envelope to two treatment groups: group A received SCS, standard therapy in form of active range of motion, stretching exercises, and postural correction exercises (PCES), whereas group B, received standard therapy only; therapeutic sessions were performed three times/week for 4 weeks. The visual analogue scale, pressure pain threshold, NDI, upper trapezius median frequency, and root mean square were used to evaluate the patients' pretreatment and post-treatment status. RESULTS: Multiple pairwise comparisons within each group revealed statistically significant differences in all outcome variables with favor to the SCS group. CONCLUSIONS: The Strain-counterstrain technique combined with traditional standard therapy is an effective method more than traditional standard therapy alone for the management of patients with MNP. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The present study has implications, especially for clinical decision-making about therapy of choice in MNP to reduce pain, improve function as measured through SCS technique and its impact on normal lifestyle, and to highlight the need for active intervention.

New multi-criteria decision-making technique based on neutrosophic axiomatic design.

There are several multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches presented in the literature with their characteristics. Although traditional MCDM approaches are considered a proper implementation to select the best alternative from available types, they failed to consider uncertainty which is quite high and desires to be thoughtfully measured in the selection process. This research focuses on extending MCDM in the neutrosophic environment using axiomatic design (AD) as a novel contribution to selecting appropriate Computed Tomography (CT) devices. We present a new linguistic scale for evaluating criteria and alternatives based on single-valued triangular neutrosophic numbers (SVTrN). The proposed approach is superior to other existing approaches due to its simplicity and ability to simulate natural human thinking via considering truth, indeterminacy, and falsity degrees. Then, applying it will increase the value of imaging for medical decision-making and decrease needless costs. So, this study can be valuable to researchers by helping them consider the appropriate medical imaging system selection problem theoretically under uncertainty, and for governments and organizations to design better satisfying medical imaging evaluation systems.

The natural antiviral and immune stimulant effects of Allium cepa essential oil onion extract against virulent Newcastle disease virus.

Fifty broiler chicks were divided into five groups to study the antiviral and immune-stimulant effect of Allium cepa essential oils (ACEO). The effect of Allium cepa essential oils administration single or combined with NVD vaccine in broilers, more than one parameter was studied in this study i.e., the clinical symptoms that appeared on the chicks after the experimental infection with velogenic Newcastle disease virus, postmortem lesions, pathological lesions scoring, mortality rate (MR), and viral shedding, birds immunity was assessed by HI test and protection percent post-challenge with vNDV. Our result showed that mild clinical signs, lesion scoring, decreased viral shedding in ACEO treated groups 3 (G 3) more than control groups post-challenge with vNDV. Delayed onset of mild clinical signs in G3 followed by complete recovery 7th-day post-challenge (DPC). Low MR (40 and 0%) and high protection percent (100 and 60%) in ACEO treated G3 and G5, respectively. spleen, thymus, cecal tonsil, proventriculus, and cerebrum lesions scoring in G3 and G5 were significantly ((p ≤ 0.05).) lower than the control group, proving a decrease in NDV replication and effective antiviral activity of ACEO. HI titer significantly increased (p ≤ 0.05) In G3, G4 and G5 compared with control groups. There is no significant difference in HI titer in ACEO treated groups and vaccinated groups. In conclusion, oral administration of ACEO combined with NDV vaccines significantly reduces or eliminates lethal clinical signs, lesions, viral shedding, and enhances immune response and protection percent after vNDV challenge proving the natural antiviral and immune stimulant effect of ACEO onion extract. Implementing such a regime might aid NDV control in broiler flocks in endemic areas and reduce the epidemiological load of NDV in the environment.

CFAP300 mutation causing primary ciliary dyskinesia in Finland.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic condition characterized by chronic respiratory tract infections and in some cases laterality defects and infertility. The symptoms of PCD are caused by malfunction of motile cilia, hair-like organelles protruding out of the cell that are responsible for removal of mucus from the airways and organizing internal organ positioning during embryonic development. PCD is caused by mutations in genes coding for structural or assembly proteins in motile cilia. Thus far mutations in over 50 genes have been identified and these variants explain around 70% of all known cases. Population specific genetics underlying PCD has been reported, thus highlighting the importance of characterizing gene variants in different populations for development of gene-based diagnostics. In this study, we identified a recurrent loss-of-function mutation c.198_200delinsCC in CFAP300 causing lack of the protein product. PCD patients homozygous for the identified CFAP300 mutation have immotile airway epithelial cilia associated with missing dynein arms in their ciliary axonemes. Furthermore, using super resolution microscopy we demonstrate that CFAP300 is transported along cilia in normal human airway epithelial cells suggesting a role for CFAP300 in dynein complex transport in addition to preassembly in the cytoplasm. Our results highlight the importance of CFAP300 in dynein arm assembly and improve diagnostics of PCD in Finland.

Cosine similarity measures of bipolar neutrosophic set for diagnosis of bipolar disorder diseases.

Similarity plays a significant implicit or explicit role in various fields. In some real applications in decision making, similarity may bring counterintuitive outcomes from the decision maker's standpoint. Therefore, in this research, we propose some novel similarity measures for bipolar and interval-valued bipolar neutrosophic set such as the cosine similarity measures and weighted cosine similarity measures. The propositions of these similarity measures are examined, and two multi-attribute decision making techniques are presented based on proposed measures. For verifying the feasibility of proposed measures, two numerical examples are presented in comparison with the related methods for demonstrating the practicality of the proposed method. Finally, we applied the proposed measures of similarity for diagnosing bipolar disorder diseases.

Cavernosal hydrogen sulfide levels are associated with nitric oxide and hemeoxygenase levels in diabetic rats.

Penile erection is a neuromuscular event modulated by psyche, hormones as well as neurotransmitters. This pre-clinical study aimed to assess hydrogen sulfide (H2S) relationship with nitric oxide (NO) and hemeoxygenase (HO) in the cavernous tissues of diabetic rats. Overall, 90 adult male rats were investigated (6 groups, n = 15 each). They were subdivided into the following groups; untreated rats, rats treated with H2S donor/inhibitor, induced diabetic rats, diabetic rats treated with H2S donor/inhibitor. At the 6th week, the rats were killed to assess cavernous tissue cGMP, NO, H2S, HO enzyme activity levels. The rats treated with H2S donor showed increased mean cavernous tissue cGMP, NO, H2S, and HO enzyme activity levels whereas induced diabetic rats and rats treated with H2S inhibitor showed significant decreases in these parameters compared with the untreated rats. On the other hands, diabetic rats treated with H2S donor showed elevated mean cavernous tissue cGMP, NO, H2S, and HO enzyme activity levels whereas diabetic rats treated with H2S inhibitor showed significant decreases in these parameters compared with diabetic rats. Cavernous tissue H2S levels exhibited significant positive correlations with the cavernous tissue levels cGMP, NO, and HO enzyme activity levels. From these results, it could be concluded that cavernous tissues H2S plays a role of male sexual health by affecting cavernous tissues NO and HO enzyme activity in general and in diabetics in particular.

Application of alginate and gelatin-based edible coating materials as alternatives to traditional coating for improving the quality of pastirma.

This research was conducted to study the efficacy of sodium alginate and gelatin coating materials in improving the quality of pastirma. Pastirma was coated with traditional, alginate or gelatin coatings, stored at 4 °C for 4 weeks and examined weekly. Alginate and gelatin coated-pastirma revealed lower TBARS values which was within the acceptable limit (0.67 and 0.86 mg/kg) until the end of storage, however, the TBARS values of traditionally coated pastirma reached 1.33 by the end of storage. Edible coating delayed respiration rate with improvement of the color when compared with traditionally coated one. Oxygen concentration increased from 4.21 mg/kg/h in traditionally coated pastirma to 12.56 and 9.79 in alginate and gelatin coated ones, respectively. Meanwhile, CO2 concentration decreased from 10.40 mg/kg/h in traditionally coated pastirma to 4.89 and 6.07 mg/kg/h in alginate and gelatin coated ones, respectively. Moreover, a distinct improvement in all sensory attributes has been observed.