Proprotein convertase 1 mRNA and protein expression in ischemic rat cortex after reperfusion

Proprotein convertase 1 （PC1） is a member of the family of proprotein convertases （PCs）, which are the processing enzymes of neuropeptides. Previous studies have addressed PC1 effects with regard to the neuroendocrine system. In this study, the developing changes of PC1 mRNA and PC1 protein in rat cortices after transient focal cerebral ischemia were investigated by fluorescent double labeling （both in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry） using a transient focal cerebral ischemia model in rats. The results were compared with those of sham-operated rat cortices. Both the mRNA and protein levels of PC1 in ischemic cortices decreased gradually at 4, 8, and 16 hours of reperfusion after 100 minutes of middle cerebral artery occlusion. After 24 hours of reperfusion, enhanced intensities of signals for PC1 protein were observed, while signals for PC1 mRNA remained low. These results suggest that transient focal cerebral ischemia influences PC1 mRNA and protein expression in cortices of ischemic rats. Thus, PC1 is regulated by ischemic stress.

Implementation of GIS and Geographic RDBMS Prototype for Water Resources Management. Zeuss-Koutine Basin (South of Tunisia)

The scarcity of shallow water, which is a delicate matter in southern Tunisia, is relatively compensated by groundwater resources. Indeed, the South contains 25% of water reserves of the country whom 10% are superficial water. The different hydrogeological studies show that the Zeuss-Koutine region is composed of several aquifer systems, which may be subdivided into two distinct levels;a superficial and a deep one. Such water resources show signs of localized over- exploitation which has a serious effect on the change of the hydrosystem characteristics in this region. Recently, Tunisia proves to be very interested in the contribution of new technology in particular Geographic Information System (GIS) to resolve the problem of water resources deficit in Tunisia essentially in semiarid southern part, in addition to the increased exploitation of groundwater resources, not renewable basically in last years. Hence, preserving water resources in the short and long term is a must. This fact might be achieved by the geographical information system (GIS). To respond to this object, detailed hydrological and hydrogeological studies are efficient, and a Geographic Relational Data Base Management System (RDBMS) by MERISE model was created in this study for organization of all these data in a structured way (method) and was easily exploitable under it. In addition, a lithostratigraphic correlation by the GIS is very important for understanding of the aquifer geometry and hydrodynamic interactions. The correlation among multi data shows a high degradation increasing from the South to the North (both quality and quantity of the Zeuss-Koutine groundwater). That is why another study of the water quality (salinity) and exploitation is considered crucial.

Sol-Gel Processed Indium-Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films and Their Electrical and Optical Properties

Transparent conducting films of zinc oxide and indium-doped zinc oxide have been prepared by a simple and economical sol-gel technique. This process is feasible for the fabrication of high quality TCO thin films when the processing parameters are optimized. It was found that the out-diffusion of oxygen during the vacuum annealing step was a crucial factor to prepare thin layer with superior properties. Annealing lowers the resistivity down to 4.7 10-3?Ω&#183cm for the 1 at.% doped films due to the liberation of high-valency In-dopants and the enhanced film density. At high indium concentrations, the free electron density stabilizes because an increasing number of dopant atoms form some kinds of neutral defects. The neutralized indium atoms do not contribute free electrons. The feasibility to deposit highly transparent ZnO thin films has been demonstrated.

Dynamic changes in proprotein convertase 2 activity in cortical neurons after ischemia/reperfusion and oxygen-glucose deprivation

In this study, a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia was established by performing 100 minutes of middle cerebral artery occlusion, and an in vitro model of experimental oxygen-glucose deprivation using cultured rat cortical neurons was established. Proprotein convertase 2 activity gradually decreased in the ischemic cortex with increasing duration of reperfusion. In cultured rat cortical neurons, the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated 2＇-deoxyuridine 5＇-triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling-positive neurons significantly increased and proprotein convertase 2 activity also decreased gradually with increasing duration of oxygen-glucose deprivation. These experimental findings indicate that proprotein convertase 2 activity decreases in ischemic rat cortex after reperfusion, as well as in cultured rat cortical neurons after oxygen-glucose deprivation. These changes in enzyme activity may play an important pathological role in brain injury.

Corrosion and Electrochemical Behavior of 316L Stainless Steel in Sulfate-reducing and Iron-oxidizing Bacteria Solutions

Corrosion and electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel was investigated in the presence of aerobic iron-oxidizing bacteria IOB and anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria SRB isolated from cooling water systems in an oil refinery using electrochemical measurement, scanning electron microscopy SEM and energy dispersive atom X-ray analysisEDAX. The results show the corrosion potential and pitting potential of 316L stainless steel decrease distinctly in the presence of bacteria, in comparison with those observed in sterile medium under the same exposure time. SEM morphologies have shown that 316L stainless steel reveals no signs of pitting attack in the sterile medium. However, micrometer-scale corrosion pits were observed on 316L stainless steel sur- face in the presence of bacteria. The presence of SRB leads to higher corrosion rates than IOB. The interactions between the stainless steel surface, abiotic corrosion products, and bacterial cells and their metabolic products in- creased the corrosion damage degree of the passive film and accelerated pitting propagation.

Hydrological Modeling Using GIS for Mapping Flood Zones and Degree Flood Risk in Zeuss-Koutine Basin (South of Tunisia)

This study lies within the scope of a strategy of prevention from inundations by the contribution of new technology in stage of the hydrological and geomorphological modeling for protection against the floods in a medium of weak at the average risk in South-eastern Tunisia, starting from the catchment area of Zeuss-Koutine. Considering the lack of studies we were brought to extract the area catchment in question, and to deduce its geomorphological and hydrometric characteristics, starting from the digital terrain model. We could obtain, by overlaying maps of slopes, indices and flows, the hydrological zonation of the catchment area of Zeuss-Koutine. The hydrological study of the basin’s slopes of Zeuss-Koutine is not lying out that very little physical information rests primarily on cartographic processes. The use of the latter can be regarded as an allowing indicator, by the crossing of the explanatory factors of the surface flow (slopes and direction of flow), to define a set of homogeneous hydrological zones in the level of the hydrological characteristics (average slopes, altitudes, roughness, etc). It is mainly a question of better taking account of the physical properties of the basins slopes.

The Effects of Distance and Duration of Exposure to Electromagnetic Radiation of Hair Dryer on Rat Sperm Parameters

Background: As a part of modern life, using electromagnetic field exposure has increased. EMFs might produce a variety of adverse effects on different parts of human body including the reproductive system. The consequences of exposure to the emitted EMFs from a hair dryer on sperm parameters were the major concerns of the present study. Materials and Methods: Fifty four adult Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 9 groups. Samples from all experimental groups received exposure with two different modes: switch on (hot wind) and switch off (cold wind). Samples of group 1 (control) maintained under experimental conditions without any exposure. The exposure protocol for samples in groups 2 to 9 were 10 cm at 10 min—on, 10 cm at 10 min—off, 10 cm at 20 min—on, 10 cm at 20 min—off, 20 cm at 10 min—on, 20 cm at 10 min—off, 20 cm at 20 min—on, 20 cm at 20 min—off. After exposure sperm motility was analyzed with a light microscope as a blind experiment. Nonparametric tests were used to detect statistically significant differences between different groups. Results: Findings of our study indicated no significant changes in the frequency of sluggish and non-motile sperms of rats in the control group compared to all treatment groups and showed statistically significant differences between the relative frequency of progressive sperms in control group rats compared to all treatment groups except groups 2 and 7. There were no statically significant changes between groups with different time and distance. Sperm count and morphology were not affected by microwave emitted from hair dryer. Conclusion: Exposure to the hair dryer microwaves affects sperm motility, which is amongst the key parameters determining the chance of conceiving.

The Effect of Weather and Agronomic Practice on Deoxynivalenol Mycotoxin in Durum Wheat

Deoxynivalenol （DON） produced by Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum in durum wheat （Triticum turgidum L. var. durum） is an important food safety issue for the cereal chain. A number of agronomic practices are known to affect the infection and mycotoxin production by these Fusarium species in cereal grains. A field study was conducted to compare the natural occurrence of DON in durum wheat grown under conventional （n = 67 samples） and organic （n = 50） farming conditions during two consecutive crop years. DON mean levels were 95 and 194 μg/kg in conventional and organic durum wheat, respectively. The incidence and levels of DON were higher in the second crop year due to higher rainfall （〉 100 mm） during flowering. Overall, organically managed farming system may provide Lsome reduction in DON levels in durum wheat, which could be attributable to the lower intensity of cultivation in addition to the different system of cropping rotation. However, favourable weather conditions are likely to be more important for DON contamination than crop system.

Effect of Substrate Nature on the Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of In2S3 Thin Films

In this study, In2S3 thin films have been deposited on ITO and fluorine-tinoxide FTO coated glass substrates by single source vacuum thermal evaporation annealed in vacuum a 300°C - 400°C for 1 h. The samples structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction, revealing the quadratic structure of In2S3 and the crystallinity depends on the temperature of annealing and nature of substrate. The various structural parameters, such as, crystalline size, dislocation density, strain and texture coefficient were calculated. The optical properties show that the refractive index dispersion data obeyed the single oscillator of the Wemple-DiDomenico model. By using this model, the dispersion parameters and the high-frequency dielectric constant were determined. The Hall Effect has been studied at room temperature. The Hall voltages, the Hall coefficient (RH) and mobility (μH) have been measured at different magnetic and electric fields. The films show n-type behavior irrespective of temperature and composition.

Deep Learning in Medical Imaging and Drug Design

Over the last decade,deep learning(DL)methods have been extremely successful and widely used in almost every domain.Researchers are now focusing on the convergence of medical imaging and drug design using deep learning to revolutionize medical diagnostic and improvement in the monitoring from response to therapy.DL a new machine learning paradigm that focuses on learning with deep hierarchical models of data.Medical imaging has transformed healthcare science,it was thought of as a diagnostic tool for disease,but now it is also used in drug design.Advances in medical imaging technology have enabled scientists to detect events at the cellular level.The role of medical imaging in drug design includes identification of likely responders,detection,diagnosis,evaluation,therapy monitoring,and follow-up.A qualitative medical image is transformed into a quantitative biomarker or surrogate endpoint useful in drug design decision-making.For this,a parameter needs to be identified that characterizes the disease baseline and its subsequent response to treatment.The result is a quantifiable improvement in healthcare quality in most therapeutic areas,resulting in improvements in quality and life duration.This paper provides an overview of recent studies on applying the deep learning method in medical imaging and drug design.We briefly discuss the fields related to the history of deep learning,medical imaging,and drug design.

脑缺血大鼠脑皮层中强啡肽A(1-13)的经时表达及脑含水量的变化

目的研究局灶性脑缺血大鼠脑皮层中强啡肽A(1-13)的经时表达及脑含水量的变化。方法用线栓法建立大鼠大脑中动脉梗塞模型,用免疫组织化学方法观察脑缺血组大鼠及假手术对照组大鼠缺血侧及非缺血侧脑皮层强啡肽A(1-13)在脑缺血100 min后再灌注4、8、24 h的表达及脑含水量的变化。结果假手术对照组大鼠缺血侧及非缺血侧脑皮层表达强啡肽A(1-13)的细胞数分别是每高倍镜视野(60.2±5.1)个及(61.1±3.9)个,在脑缺血后再灌注4、82、4 h大鼠缺血侧及非缺血侧脑皮层的强啡肽A(1-13)表达细胞数分别是每高倍镜视野(39.3±6.2)个及(60.3±3.7)个、(41.5±5.8)个及(60.1±3.9)个、(25.2±5.1)个及(59.6±5.9)个;而脑缺血后再灌注4、8、24 h的缺血侧含水量逐渐增加。结论大鼠脑缺血后缺血侧脑皮层的强啡肽A(1-13)表达逐渐减少而含水量逐渐增加。

脑缺血大鼠脑组织中强啡肽A(1-8)含量及含水量的变化

目的:探讨局灶性脑缺血大鼠脑皮层及纹状体中强啡肽A(1-8)含量及含水量的变化。方法:用线栓法建立大鼠大脑中动脉阻塞(MCAO)模型,用放免法观察假手术对照组大鼠及脑缺血组大鼠缺血侧脑皮层及纹状体中强啡肽A(1-8)在100min,MCAO后、再灌注8h及24h含量的变化,并测定缺血侧脑皮层及纹状体含水量的变化。结果:假手术对照组大鼠及脑缺血再灌注8h大鼠缺血侧脑皮层强啡肽A(1-8)含量分别是5.58±0.61pmol/g及3.51±0.43pmol/g;缺血侧纹状体强啡肽A(1-8)含量分别是7.72±0.92pmol/g及5.62±0.71pmol/g。假手术对照组大鼠及脑缺血再灌注24h大鼠缺血侧脑皮层强啡肽A(1-8)含量分别是5.43±0.52pmol/g及2.41±0.32pmol/g;缺血侧纹状体强啡肽A(1-8)含量分别是7.59±0.88pmol/g及4.35±0.63pmol/g。随再灌注时间的延长,脑缺血组大鼠缺血侧脑皮层及纹状体含水量逐渐增高。结论:局灶性脑缺血可降低缺血侧脑皮层及纹状体中的强啡肽A(1-8)含量及增高缺血侧脑皮层及纹状体的含水量。

Synthesis of a PEBAX-1074/ZnO nanocomposite membrane with improved CO_2 separation performance

In this investigation, polymeric nanocomposite membranes（PNMs） were prepared via incorporating zinc oxide（ZnO） into poly（ether-block-amide）(PEBAX-1074) polymer matrix with different loadings. The neat membrane and nanocomposite membranes were prepared via solution casting and solution blending methods, respectively. The fabricated membranes were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy（FESEM） to survey cross-sectional morphologies and thermal gravimetric analysis（TGA）to study thermal stability. Fourier transform infrared（FT-IR） and X-ray diffraction（XRD） analyses were also employed to identify variations of the chemical bonds and crystal structure of the membranes, respectively. Permeation of pure gases, CO, CHand Nthrough the prepared neat and nanocomposite membranes was studied at pressures of 3–18 bar and temperature of 25 °C. The obtained results showed that the fabricated nanocomposite membranes exhibit better separation performance compared to the neat PEBAX membrane in terms of both permeability and selectivity. As an example, at temperature of 25 °C and pressure of 3 bar, COpermeability, ideal CO/CHand CO/Nselectivity values for the neat PEBAX membrane are 110.67 Barrer, 11.09 and 50.08, respectively, while those values are 152.27 Barrer,13.52 and 62.15 for PEBAX/ZnO nanocomposite membrane containing 8 wt% ZnO.

Small Signal Stability Analysis with Penetration of Grid-connected Wind Farm of PMSG Type

The impacts of large-scale grid-connected wind farm on direct-driven permanent magnet synchronous generator(PMSG)type are discussed on the small signal stability performances of power systems.Firstly,a simplified practical model of wind farm of PMSG type is derived for analyzing small signal stability.The rotor-fluxoriented control strategy is applied to the modelling of PMSG.Secondly,the framework of small signal stability analysis incorporating wind farm of PMSG type is built.Finally,the different simulation scenarios based on the IEEE 3-generator-9-bus test system as benchmark are designed to conduct the eigenvalue analysis and to assess the impacts of wind farm of PMSG type on power system small signal stability.Some conclusions are drawn with simulation results.

Using GIS for the Comparison of Intrinsic Parametric Methods Assessment of Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution in Scenarios of Semi Arid Climate. The Case of Foussana Groundwater in the Central of Tunisia

Groundwater vulnerability maps have become a standard tool for protecting groundwater resources from pollution. They are especially valuable in the decision making process related to land use planning. In fact, mangers have mostly little experience and expertise at hand to decide which land uses and activities are to be allowed in certain areas without causing a negative impact on the quality of groundwater. Hence, numerical modeling of various hydrological parameters and assessment of vulnerability to potential pollution of water resources in Tunisia has been the subject of several studies since 1980. These water resources are becoming increasingly scarce, overexploited, poorly distributed and most especially polluted including Mioplio quaternary Foussana Aquifer located in the western of the Kasserine area in the central Tunisia, which is considered as an economic resource priority because it is used in irrigation and domestic consumption. The area of the aquifer is essentially occupied by agricultural areas characterized by an important use of chemical fertilizers which are in addition to the discharge of industrial zones, an ongoing risk to the groundwater quality;this prompts us to a hydrological study and vulnerability late attributed to improve management of water resources in the study area. In this context, the use of GIS and remote sensing seems to be an effective tool the aquifer vulnerability evaluation, by applying various methods: standard DRASTIC, GOD, SINTACS and SI. The application of these methods shows that the most vulnerable zone is the southern part of the Foussana aquifer. So these maps could serve as a scientific basis for sustainable land use planning and groundwater management in the study area.

Photoacoustic imaging of prostate cancer

Photoacoustic imaging(PAI),also known as optoacoustic imaging,is a rapidly growing imaging modality with potential in medical diagnosis and therapy monitoring.This paper focuses on the techniques of prostate PAI and its potential applications in prostate cancer detection.Transurethral light delivery combined with transrectal ultrasound detection overcomes light scattering in the surrounding tissue and provides optimal photoacoustic signals while minimizing invasiveness.While label-free PAI based on endogenous contrast has promising potential for prostate cancer detection,exogenous contrast agents can further enhance the sensitivity and speci¯city of prostate cancer PAI.Further in vivo studies are required in order to achieve the translation of prostate PAI to clinical implementation.The minimal invasiveness,relatively low cost,high speci¯city and sensitivity,and real-time imaging capability are valuable advantages of PAI that may improve the current prostate cancer management in clinic.

Hypoxia training attenuates left ventricular remodeling in rabbit with myocardial infarction

Objective Previous studies showed that hypoxia preconditioning could protect cardiac function against subsequent myo-cardial infarction injury. However, the effect of hypoxia on left ventricular after myocardial infarction is still unclear. This study therefore aims to investigate the effects of hypoxia training on left ventricular remodeling in rabbits post myocardial infarction. Methods Adult male rabbits were randomly divided into three groups： group SO （sham operated）, group MI （myocardial infarc-tion only） and group MI-HT （myocardial infarction plus hypoxia training）. Myocardial infarction was induced by left ventricular branch ligation. Hypoxia training was performed in a hypobaric chamber （having equivalent condition at an altitude of 4000 m, FiO214.9%） for 1 h/day, 5 days/week for four weeks. At the endpoints, vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） in the plasma was measured. Infarct size and capillary density were detected by histology. Left ventricular remodeling and function were as-sessed by echocardiography.Results After the 4-week experiment, compared with the group SO, plasma VEGF levels in groups MI （130.27 ± 18.58 pg/mL,P〈 0.01） and MI-HT （181.93 ± 20.29 pg/mL,P〈 0.01） were significantly increased. Infarct size in Group MI-HT （29.67% ± 7.73%） was deceased remarkably, while its capillary density （816.0 ± 122.2/mm2） was significantly increased. For both groups MI and MI-HT, left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions were increased whereas left ventricular ejection fraction was decreased. However, compared with group MI, group MI-HT diminished left ventricular end-diastolic （15.86 ± 1.09 mm,P〈 0.05） and end-systolic dimensions （12.10 ± 1.20 mm,P〈 0.01） significantly and im-proved left ventricular ejection fraction （54.39 ± 12.74 mm,P〈 0.05）.ConclusionHypoxia training may improve left ven-tricular function and reduce remodeling via angiogenesis in rabbits with MI.

Potential risk of soil irrigation with treated wastewater over 40 years:a field experiment under semi-arid conditions in northeastern Tunisia

In Tunisia,water scarcity is only adding pressure on water demand in agriculture.In the context of sustainable development goals,Tunisia has been reusing treated wastewater(TWW)as a renewable and inexpensive source for soil fertigation and groundwater(GW)recharge.However,major risks can be expected when the irrigation water is of poor quality.This study aims for evaluating the potential risk of TWW and GW irrigation on soil parameters.Accordingly,we evaluated the suitability of water quality through the analysis of major and minor cations and anions,metallic trace elements(MTEs),and the sodium hazard by using the sodium adsorption ratio(SAR)and the soluble sodium percentage(SSP).The risk of soil sodicity was further assessed by SAR and the exchangeable sodium percentage(ESP).The degree of soil pollution caused by MTEs accumulation was evaluated using geoaccumulation index(Igeo)and pollution load index(PLI).Soil maps were generated using inverse spline interpolation in ArcGIS software.The results show that both water samples(i.e.,TWW and GW)are suitable for soil irrigation in terms of salinity(electrical conductivity<7000μS/cm)and sodicity(SAR<10.00;SSP<60.00%).However,the contents of PO_(4)^(3-),Cu^(2+),and Cd^(2+)exceed the maximum threshold values set by the national and other standards.Concerning the soil samples,the average levels of SAR and ESP are within the standards(SAR<13.00;ESP<15.00%).On the other hand,PLI results reveal moderate pollution in the plot irrigated with TWW and no to moderate pollution in the plot irrigated with GW.Igeo results indicate that Cu^(2+)is the metallic trace element(MTE)with the highest risk of soil pollution in both plots(Igeo>5.00),followed by Ni^(2+)and Pb^(2+).Nevertheless,Cd^(2+)presents the lowest risk of soil pollution(Igeo<0.00).Statistical data indicates that Ca^(2+),Na+,Ni^(2+),and Pb^(2+)are highly distributed in both plots(coefficient of variation>50.0%).This study shows that the use of imagery tools,such as ArcGIS,can provide important information for evaluating the current status of soil fertility or pollution and for better managing soil irrigation with TWW.

Changes in proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 mRNA expression in rat cortex after cerebral ischemia

Oxidized low density lipoprotein is a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 （PCSK9） can increase the level of low density lipoprotein. Therefore, this study assumed that PCSK9 plays important roles in ischemic cerebrovascular disease. The present study established transient focal cerebral ischemia models after 100 minutes of middle cerebral artery occlusion. In situ hybridization demonstrated that PCSK9 mRNA expression increased gradually with prolonged reperfusion time in ischemic cortices. This indicated that transient focal cerebral ischemia upregulated PCSK9 mRNA expression in ischemic cortices.

Erratum Photoacoustic imaging of prostate cancer

The "received date"of this paper should be 4 April 2017 instead of 3 June 2017.The manuscript was originally submitted on 4 April 2017 and the revised version was submitted on 3 June 2017.