163 research outputs found
Extracellular vesicles of immune cells; immunomodulatory impacts and therapeutic potentials
No full textExtracellular vesicles (EVs) are a diverse collection of lipid bilayer-membrane-bound particles which are released
from cells into the extracellular space and biologic fluids. In multicellular organisms, these vesicles facilitate the
exchange of bioactive compounds such as RNA, DNA, proteins, various metabolites, and lipids between the cells.
EVs are produced and released by almost all eukaryotic cells including immune cells and can have immuno-
modulating effects by either stimulation or suppression of their activities. This immune-modulating feature may
provide a promising strategy for treating immune-mediated diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases,
autoimmune disorders and graft-versus-host disease. Moreover, immune cell-derived EVs have received attention
as potential biomarkers for being used as diagnostic tools and preventive strategies such as for developing
vaccines. In this review, we focus on the EVs produced by different immune cell types, their effects on the
immune system, and highlight their potential applications for immunotherap
Azadeh Westergaard Flora Stieglitz Straus Award 2025 Acceptance Speech
No full textAuthor Azadeh Westergaard wins the Flora Stieglitz Straus Award 2025 for The One and Only Googoosh: Iran\u27s Beloved Superstar from Bank Street College Children\u27s Book Committee
The Flora Stieglitz Straus Award
Established in 1994 to honor Flora Straus, who led the Children’s Book Committee for many years, this award is presented annually for a distinguished work of nonfiction that serves as an inspiration to young people. Flora Straus stood for the values of courage, hard work, truth, and beauty while adapting to a changing world. She believed that books about varying cultures enrich and help all children in their growth. She championed diverse opinions and points of view and was a person of high principles, unfailing courtesy, and deep understanding.https://educate.bankstreet.edu/cbc_awards/1021/thumbnail.jp
Serum Levels of Melatonin and Oxidative Stress Markers and Correlation between Them in Infertile Men
No full textInfertility is the problem of 15% of young couples in different societies. One of the factors that could affect fertility is oxidative stress. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the level of Melatonin, a free radical scavenger, and its correlation with oxidative biomarkers in infertile men
Corrigendum to “The association of food consumption and nutrient intake with endometriosis risk in Iranian women: A case-control study” [Int J Reprod BioMed 2019; 17: 661-670]
No full textThe authors have been informed of an error that occurred on page 661 in which the word “Iran” has been missed in the affiliation of the third author (Azadeh Mottaghi), which should be corrected as: “Research Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases, Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran”. On behalf of the author, the publisher wishes to apologize for this error. The online version of article has been updated on 15 November 2022 and can be found at https://doi.org/10.18502/ijrm.v17i9.5102
Spatial Integration and Asymmetric Price Transmission in Selected Iranian Chicken Markets
No full textThis study evaluates pattern of price adjustments in selected spatially separated chicken markets in Iran using weekly price data from 1998:17 to 2006:41 including 441 observations in total. The results of Tsay’s test suggest that threshold behavior characterize spatial price linkages among the selected markets that imply on using the threshold models. We use the multi-dimensional (two and three regime) threshold cointegration of TAR and M-TAR models. Our results confirm the different speed of adjustment in response to positive and negative shocks in every case. We also utilize impulse response function to investigate dynamic patterns of adjustments in response to shocks.Spatial Integration, Price Transmission, Threshold Autoregression, Chicken, International Relations/Trade, Marketing,
Preparation and characterization of novel anti-inflammatory biological agents based on piroxicam-loaded poly-ε-caprolactone nano-particles for sustained NSAID delivery
No full textPiroxicam (PX), a main member of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), is mainly used orally, which causes side effects of the gastrointestinal tract. It also has systemic effects when administered intramuscularly. Intra-articular (IA) delivery and encapsulation of PX in biodegradable poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) nanoparticles (NPs) offer potential advantages over conventional oral delivery. The purpose of this study is the development of a new type of anti-inflammatory bio-agents containing collagen and PX-loaded NPs, as an example for an oral formulation replacement, for the prolonged release of PX. In this study, the PX was encapsulated in PCL NPs (size 102.7 ± 19.37 nm, encapsulation efficiency 92.83 ± 0.4410) by oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion solvent evaporation method. Nanoparticles were then characterized for entrapment efficiency, percent yield, particle size analysis, morphological characteristics, and in vitro drug release profiles. Eventually, the NPs synthesized with collagen were conjugated so that the NPs were trapped in the collagen sponges using a cross-linker. Finally, biocompatibility tests showed that the anti-inflammatory agents made in this study had no toxic effect on the cells. Based on the results, it appears that PX-loaded PCL NPs along with collagen (PPCLnp-Coll) can be promising for IA administration based on particulate drug delivery for the treatment of arthritis
Unemployment insurance in Algeria : implications for a labor market in transition
No full textTo predict how Algeria's unemployment crisis will evolve, the author evaluates the Algerian unemployment insurance system's ability to finance itself, to affect employment decisions, and promote enterprise restructuring. The main conclusion is that industrial restructuring has serious and persistent implications for the labor market. In an environment where many equilibria are possible, there is a real danger of reaching a high unemployment equilibrium. The big-bang experience of structural adjustment in Central and Eastern Europe transition economies resulted in large-scale unemployment. Despite considerable restructuring progress, structural rigidities still exist in the labor market, and long-term unemployment has persisted. One advantage of the big-bang approach is adjustment speed, but the resulting unemployment may be too costly for Algeria's economy, especially if it persists. A more modern mixed bang approach would incorporate active employment measures to mitigate entrenched unemployment. The policies will maintain or enhance human capital through work, so idle workers don't lose their skills. Flex-time arrangements would help workers maintain an attachment to the labor force. However minor, such work would help workers avoid the traps of long-term unemployment. Two striking conclusions emerge from the Central and Eastern European experience: a) unemployment is not essential to enterprise restructuring and labor market adjustment;and b) growing long-term unemployment is self-fulfilling and results in higher and persistence unemployment. Although active employment measures are costly and have relatively low rates of return in the short run, they can be marginally effective as part of a long-term strategy.Health Economics&Finance,Labor Policies,Environmental Economics&Policies,Labor Markets,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Labor Markets,Economic Theory&Research,Health Economics&Finance,Banks&Banking Reform
IGF-1 and PDGF-bb Suppress IL-1β-Induced Cartilage Degradation through Down-Regulation of NF-κB Signaling: Involvement of Src/PI-3K/AKT Pathway
No full textInterleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a key role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Growth factors (GFs) capable of antagonizing the catabolic actions of cytokines may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of OA. Herein, we investigated the potential synergistic effects of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-bb) on different mechanisms participating in IL-1β-induced activation of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) and apoptosis in chondrocytes.Primary chondrocytes were treated with IL-1β to induce dedifferentiation and co-treated with either IGF-1 or/and PDGF-bb and evaluated by immunoblotting and electron microscopy.Pretreatment of chondrocytes with IGF-1 or/and PDGF-bb suppressed IL-1β-induced NF-κB activation via inhibition of IκB-α kinase. Inhibition of IκB-α kinase by GFs led to the suppression of IκB-α phosphorylation and degradation, p65 nuclear translocation and NF-κB-regulated gene products involved in inflammation and cartilage degradation (COX-2, MMPs) and apoptosis (caspase-3). GFs or BMS-345541 (specific inhibitor of the IKK) reversed the IL-1β-induced down-regulation of collagen type II, cartilage specific proteoglycans, β1-integrin, Shc, activated MAPKinase, Sox-9 and up-regulation of active caspase-3. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of IGF-1 or/and PDGF-bb on IL-1β-induced NF-κB activation were sensitive to inhibitors of Src (PP1), PI-3K (wortmannin) and Akt (SH-5), suggesting that the pathway consisting of non-receptor tyrosine kinase (Src), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and protein kinase B must be involved in IL-1β signaling.The results presented suggest that IGF-1 and PDGF-bb are potent inhibitors of IL-1β-mediated activation of NF-κB and apoptosis in chondrocytes, may be mediated in part through suppression of Src/PI-3K/AKT pathway, which may contribute to their anti-inflammatory effects
Recent advances on biomedical applications of scaffolds in wound healing and dermal tissue engineering
No full textThe tissue engineering field has developed in response to the shortcomings related to the replacement of the tissues lost to disease or trauma: donor tissue rejection, chronic inflammation and donor tissue shortages. The driving force behind the tissue engineering is to avoid the mentioned issues by creating the biological substitutes capable of replacing the damaged tissue. This is done by combining the scaffolds, cells and signals in order to create the living, physiological, three-dimensional tissues. A wide variety of skin substitutes are used in the treatment of full-thickness injuries. Substitutes made from skin can harbour the latent viruses, and artificial skin grafts can heal with the extensive scarring, failing to regenerate structures such as glands, nerves and hair follicles. New and practical skin scaffold materials remain to be developed. The current article describes the important information about wound healing scaffolds. The scaffold types which were used in these fields were classified according to the accepted guideline of the biological medicine. Moreover, the present article gave the brief overview on the fundamentals of the tissue engineering, biodegradable polymer properties and their application in skin wound healing. Also, the present review discusses the type of the tissue engineered skin substitutes and modern wound dressings which promote the wound healing
A Study of the Protective Effects of Vitamin E and Fennel Extract on Mitochondria Changes in Mice Ovary Due to Electromagnetic Field Exposure
No full textEveryday use of different types of electrical instruments and appliances has placed a large number of people under the constant influence of electromagnetic fields (EMF). EMFs have man
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