The effects of cetuximab and cisplatin anti-cancer drugs on the mechanical properties of the lung cancerous cells using atomic force microscope.

Each anti-cancer drug has special effects on the target cells. One of the most important reasons to recommend an anti-cancer drug is related to the influences of it on the mechanical properties of the target cells. In this study, the effects of cetuximab and cisplatin anti-cancer drugs on the mechanical properties of A-549 and Calu-6 cells as the cancerous lung cells have been investigated. For both of the cells and anti-cancer drugs, MTT assessment has been used to define the convenient dosages for 24 and 48 h incubations based on IC50 concentration for the cell line viability. The mechanical specifications of the cells before and after treatment were obtained using nanoindentation by the JPK Instruments' NanoWizard3 atomic force microscope. The results show that cetuximab increases the stiffness of A-549 cell from 1225 to 3403 and 12 690 Pa for 24 and 48 h incubations. The influence of cetuximab on the Calu-6 shows that the elastic modulus after 24 and 48 h culture times increases about cisplatin anti-cancer drug, for A-549 cell indicates that the elastic modulus rises from 1225 to 1506 and 2375 Pa for 24 and 48 h, respectively. For Calu-6 cell, cisplatin has an important role to increase the stiffness of the cell. Applying cisplatin increases the elastic modulus from 33 to 682.8 Pa for 24 h and 1105 Pa after 48 h incubations.

Women in a safe and healthy urban environment: environmental top priorities for the women's presence in urban public spaces.

Today, in developing countries, women's need to be present in urban public spaces and the establishment of everyday social interactions seem to be ignored more than other groups. Therefore, the present study aims to achieve the environmental components related to women's presence in urban spaces and prioritize them. In this study, by scrutinizing the criteria obtained from the interviews, a questionnaire was prepared and randomly distributed among 256 women in the population. IBM SPSS has been used to analyze the data and explain the priorities. The results of the T-test show that security (T-value = 6.508 in T1 test), compatibility with behavioral patterns (T-value = 4.975 in T2 test), eventuality (T-value = 11.064 in T3 test), permeability (T-value = 10.220 in T4 test), attention to climate (T-value = 5.692 in T5 test), liberty (T-value = 11.184 in T6 test), collective memory (T-value = 7.367 in T7 test), variety (T-value = 1.816 in T8 test), complexity (T-value = 13.228 in T9 test), and identity (T-value of 18.905 in T10 test) are the most important criteria in motivating presence in urban public spaces, respectively. According to the results, among the individual characteristics of the respondents, the components of collective memory (r = 0.805), identity (r = 0.784), liberty (r = 0.703), and safety and security (r = 0.644) have had a positive correlation with the age of the respondents. The results of this study indicated that improving security (individual, social, and psychological) is the main environmental priority for women over 18 to be present in urban public spaces.

Dose-responses of zinc as zinc-methionine supplements on antioxidant status, hematological parameters, immune response and the expression of IL-4 and IL-6 genes of ewes in the hot season.

This study was implemented to evaluate the effects of different zinc doses as Zinc-Met supplement (Zinpro®) on the antioxidant status, blood immune cells, antibody titers, and the expression of IL-4 and IL-6 genes of ewes in the hot season. In a completely randomized design, 24 ewes were assigned to treatments as follow: 0, 15, 30 and 45 mg/kg zinc as Zinc-Met supplementation for 40 days in region with 40 °C and vaccinated against food-and-mouth disease as an immune challenge at day 30, and then blood samples were collected on day 40. Ewes were fed a basal diet containing 29.9 mg zinc/kg. The highest activity of the antioxidant enzyme and the lowest lipid peroxidation values were found in ewes receiving 30 and 45 mg/kg zinc following a linear trend. The highest lymphocytes count and antibody titers were found in ewes received 30 mg zinc/kg. There were no significant differences among treatments for the relative expression of genes. In overall, zinc supplementation non-significantly up-regulate interleukin-4 and down-regulate interleukin-6. It was concluded that zinc supplementation as Zinc-Met could enhance the antioxidant status and immune response of ewes under heat stress; supplementation of diet with 30 mg zinc/kg (300 mg/kg Zinpro®) appeared to be the most effective dose.

Effects of live and autolyzed yeast supplementation during transition period on ruminal fermentation, blood attributes, and immune response in dairy cows under heat stress condition.

This study was conducted to compare nutrient digestibility, performance and immune response of dairy cows received live and autolyzed yeast during the transition period in high ambient temperature. Cows (n = 25) were randomly divided and received a basal diet with or without live yeast or autolyzed yeast as on top three weeks pre-parturition until three weeks post-parturition. The Control group received a basal diet without yeast products; other groups received 0.5 g live yeast; 1.0 g live yeast; 10 g autolyzed yeast and 20 g/d/head autolyzed yeast. Live yeast resulted in higher nutrient digestibility compared with autolyzed yeast and the control. Methane production was the highest in autolyzed yeast and the lowest in live yeast. Average milk production was the highest in cows that received live yeast. The highest IgG level was for cows that received autolyzed yeast at a dose of 20 g/d/head. Live yeast had no significant effect, but autolyzed yeast increased the relative expression of γ-Interferon and interleukin-2 as compared with the control group. It was concluded that live yeast at a dose of 1.0 g/d/head could influence ruminal fermentation and milk production, but autolyzed yeast at a dose of 20 g/d/head could influence the immune response of dairy cows during the transition period and heat stress.

The effects of thymol, oxalic acid (Api-Bioxal) and hops extract (Nose-Go) on viability, the Nosema sp. spore load and the expression of vg and sod-1 genes in infected honey bees.

This study was done to investigate the effects of thymol, fumagillin, oxalic acid (Api-Bioxal) and hops extract (Nose-Go) on Nosema sp. spore load, the expression of vitellogenin (vg) and superoxide-dismutase-1 (sod-1) genes and mortality of bees infected with N. ceranae. Five healthy colonies were assigned as the negative control, and 25 Nosema sp. infected colonies were assigned to five treatment groups including: the positive control: no additive to sirup; fumagillin 26.4 mg/L, thymol 0.1 g/L, Api-Bioxal 0.64 g/L and Nose-Go 5.0 g/L sirup. The reduction in the number of Nosema sp. spores in fumagillin, thymol, Api-Bioxal and Nose-Go compared to the positive control was 54, 25, 30 and 58%, respectively. Nosema sp. infection in all infected groups increased (p < .05) Escherichia coli population compared to the negative control. Nose-Go had a negative effect on lactobacillus population compared to other substances. Nosema sp. infection decreased vg and sod-1 genes expression in all infected groups compared to the negative control. Fumagillin and Nose-Go increased the expression of vg gene, and Nose-Go and thymol increased the expression of sod-1 gene than the positive control. Nose-Go has the potential to treat nosemosis if the necessary lactobacillus population is provided in the gut.

Inflammatory genes expression and calf responses to different dietary grains (steam flaked corn vs steam-rolled barley) and protein sources (pelleted soybean meal vs pelleted canola meal).

This study aimed to investigate the effects of grains, and protein sources in the starter diet on daily gain, pro- and anti-inflammatory genes expression, ruminal volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration, and blood metabolites in the dairy calves. Forty Holstein calves were randomly assigned to treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with the factors of grain source (steam-flaked corn, CG vs. steam-rolled barley, BG) and pelleted protein source (soybean meal, SBM vs. canola meal, CM). The daily gain of calves who fed with SBM was higher than those fed with CM. Total VFA concentration in the rumen of calves fed with CG was greater than BG at day 35 (p < 0.05), and calves receiving SBM had higher total VFA concentration than calves fed with CM. The relative expression of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1ß genes were significantly decreased in the calves fed with BG and CM compared to calves fed with CG and SBM. Calves receiving the starter diet based on BG had the highest (p < 0.05) gene expression of interferon-γ. Feeding calves with SBM is recommended because it resulted in a greater daily gain than CM. Complete replacement of SBM with CM, and CG with BG is not recommended in dairy calves.

Hematological parameters, antioxidant status, and gene expression of γ-INF and IL-1ß in vaccinated lambs fed different type of lipids.

This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of vegetable oils as calcium salt on immune responses and the expression of immune-related genes in vaccinated lambs. Twenty-four lambs (35 kg body weight, 6 months old) were assigned to four treatments with six replicates in a completely randomized design for 40 days. Four concentrates were formulated in which the calcium salts of palm oil, canola oil, corn oil, and flaxseed oil were used. On day 30 of the experiment, lambs were vaccinated by a dose of foot-and-mouth disease virus. The blood samples were collected from jugular vein 10 days after vaccination. The level of malondialdehyde and the activity of liver enzymes were the highest in lambs receiving corn oil and the lowest in lambs receiving flaxseed oil. The highest lymphocytes and the lowest neutrophil percentages were observed in lambs receiving flaxseed oil. There was a significant difference among treatments for the relative genes expression. Flaxseed oil significantly upregulated interferon-γ and corn oil upregulated interleukin-1ß. The highest titer against foot-and-mouth disease virus was related to lambs receiving flaxseed oil, and the lowest titer was related to lambs that received corn oil. Flaxseed oil had more beneficial effects on immune response than other oils.

3D printing of soft fluidic actuators with graded porosity.

New additive manufacturing methods are needed to realize more complex soft robots. One example is soft fluidic robotics, which exploits fluidic power and stiffness gradients. Porous structures are an interesting type for this approach, as they are flexible and allow for fluid transport. In this work, the infill foam (InFoam) method is proposed to print structures with graded porosity by liquid rope coiling (LRC). By exploiting LRC, the InFoam method could exploit the repeatable coiling patterns to print structures. To this end, only the characterization of the relationship between nozzle height and coil radius and the extruded length was necessary (at a fixed temperature). Then by adjusting the nozzle height and/or extrusion speed the porosity of the printed structure could be set. The InFoam method was demonstrated by printing porous structures using styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) with porosities ranging from 46% to 89%. In compression tests, the cubes showed large changes in compression modulus (more than 200 times), density (-89% compared to bulk), and energy dissipation. The InFoam method combined coiling and normal plotting to realize a large range of porosity gradients. This grading was exploited to realize rectangular structures with varying deformation patterns, which included twisting, contraction, and bending. Furthermore, the InFoam method was shown to be capable of programming the behavior of bending actuators by varying the porosity. Both the output force and stroke showed correlations similar to those of the cubes. Thus, the InFoam method can fabricate and program the mechanical behavior of a soft fluidic (porous) actuator by grading porosity.

Effects of enzymatically hydrolyzed yeast supplementation on blood attributes, antioxidant status and gene expression of cytokines in vaccinated dairy cows.

This study was done to assess the effects of hydrolyzed yeast on blood cells counts, antioxidant status and gene expression of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines of vaccinated dairy cows. Twenty Holstein lactating dairy cows were randomly divided into four groups received basal diet without (control) and with 10, 20 and 30 g/d/head of hydrolyzed yeast. Cows were vaccinated against foot and mouth disease virus at day 10 and blood samples were taken 10 days after. Cows received hydrolyzed yeast at doses of 20 and 30 g/d/head had the lowest and those in the control group had the highest malondialdehyde concentration. Cows received hydrolyzed yeast at dose of 20 g/d/head had the highest lymphocyte and the lowest neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio. IL-1ß and TNF-α downregulated and INF-γ up-regulated in cows received different doses of hydrolyzed yeast. The lowest expression of IL-1ß and TNF-α and the highest expression of INF-γ was for cows received hydrolyzed yeast at dose of 20 g/d/head. The highest titers against foot and mouth disease virus were for cows received hydrolyzed yeast at dose of 20 g/d/head and the lowest titer was for the control group. Supplementation of 20 g/d/head hydrolyzed yeast recommended in vaccinated cows.

Effect of palmitic, linoleic and α-linolenic acids on blood cells count and interleukin-4, 8 genes expression in lambs experimentally infected with foot and mouth disease virus.

The current research was conducted to study the effects of different saturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acid sources in diets on immune responses of lambs experimentally infected with foot and mouth disease virus. A total of fifteen Sangsari male lambs with an average body weight of 48 ± 2 kg and an average age of 8 ± 1 months were randomly allocated to one of three experimental treatments: (1) PalOil group received a calcium soap of palm oil fatty acids in the diet as source of palmitic acid (16:0), (2) SunOil group received a calcium soap of sunflower oil fatty acids in the diet as source of linoleic acid (n-6 18:2), and (3) LinOil group received a calcium soap of linseed oil fatty acids in the diet as source of α-linolenic acid (n-3 18:3). The greatestand the least expression of IL-4 mRNA were measured in SunOil and LinOil groups, respectively. Expression of IL-8 mRNA was greater in SunOil treatment when compared with PalOil and LinOil groups. In conclusion, the results of the study confirmed that inclusion of α-linolenic acid in virally infected lambs'diet results in lower expression of IL-4 and IL-8 mRNA.