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Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is known as one of the earliest cultivated plants. This plant Is used in food, cosmetics, dying and pharmaceutical uses. Saffron stigma contains rare water-soluble carotenoids including the major one known as crocin. These compounds have a high economical value as a culinary spice and are used for their flavoring and coloring properties. They are subject of ongoing scientific research for their protenoids like effects on human health due to their high antioxidant characteristic. The study aimed to find the effects of cultivation condition and storage on crocin content of dried stigma in saffron. This study was carried out at the Forests and Rangelands Research Institute, Tehran. Samples were collected during November 2006 from two (Tehran and Alborz) provinces. They were dried in the shade. Dried stigma samples of saffron were kept for 20 months under three conditions: 1. under light (at the room temperature), 2. under darkness (at the room temperature) and 3. at 4°C in the refrigerator. Samples were analyzed during November 2008 by High- Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the crocin content from Alborz province in light, dark and refrigerated conditions were 290, 410 and 300 ppm, respectively. Similarly, the samples from Tehran province showed that their crocin content varied showing 300, 300 and 280 ppm crodn under light, dark and refrigerated conditions respectively. It is concluded that the dried saffron stigmas could be best preserved under dark conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Michael E Rezaee,1 Charlotte E Ward,2,3 Bonita Nuanez,1 Daniel A Rezaee,4 Jeffrey Ditkoff,1,5 Alexandra Halalau1,6 1Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI, 2Center for Healthcare Studies, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 3Center for Health Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 4Primary Care, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 5Emergency Medicine, 6Internal Medicine, Beaumont Health, Royal Oak, MI, USA Background: Thirty-day readmission in COPD is common and costly, but potentially preventable. The emergency department (ED) may be a setting for COPD readmission reduction efforts.Objective: To better understand COPD readmission through the ED, ascertain factors associated with 30-day readmission through the ED, and identify subgroups of patients with COPD for readmission reduction interventions.Patients and methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2009 to September 2015 in patients with COPD of age ≥18 years. Electronic health record data were abstracted for information available to admitting providers in the ED. The primary outcome was readmission through the ED within 30 days of discharge from an index admission for COPD. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between potential risk factors and 30-day readmission.Results: The study involved 1,574 patients who presented to the ED within 30 days on an index admission for COPD. Of these, 82.2% were readmitted through the ED. Charlson score (odds ratio [OR]: 3.6; 95% CI: 2.9–4.4), a chief complaint of breathing difficulty (OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1–2.6), outpatient utilization of albuterol (OR: 4.1; 95% CI: 2.6–6.4), fluticasone/salmeterol (OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.3–4.2), inhaled steroids (OR: 3.8; 95% CI: 1.3–10.7), and tiotropium (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.0–3.2), as well as arterial blood gas (OR: 4.4; 95% CI: 1.3–15.1) and B-type natriuretic peptide (OR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.4–3.5) testing in the ED were associated with readmission (c-statistic =0.936). Seventeen-point-eight percent of patients with COPD presented to the ED and were discharged home; 56% presented with a complaint other than breathing difficulty; and 16% of those readmitted for breathing difficulty had a length of stay

In this study, a magnetic chitosan biosupport was synthesized and functionalized with a NNN pincer ligand to facilitate palladium immobilization. FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDX, XRD, VSM, ICP, BET, and TGA analyses were used to characterize the synthesized nanocomposite (Fe 3 O 4 @Triazole-CS@NNN-Pd). Then, its catalytic activity in the reduction of a wide variety of nitroaromatic compounds at room temperature was investigated using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent, as well as the degradation of three hazardous dyes, including Methylene Blue (MB), Methyl Orange (MO), and Rhodamine B (RhB). This technique is feasible due to its ease of purification, environmental friendliness, and high yield of product generation in a relatively short response time. The nanocatalyst is easily separated, recovered, and reused for numerous cycles without significantly degrading catalytic activity. [Display omitted] • The magnetic chitosan was modified with a pincer ligand for palladium coordination. • The nanocatalyst was showed high activity in dyes degradation at short times. • The nanocomposite was showed high activity in reduction of nitroarenes pollutants. • The nanocatalyst was reused for five consecutive cycles with the same activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The aims of the present study were to assess the associations between mood, anxiety and substance use disorders, including their subtypes, and the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors ( CVRFs). Method Thorough physical investigations, biological measures and standardized interview techniques were used to assess 3716 subjects of an urban area, aged 35-66 years. Results Atypical depression was associated with increased prevalence of overweight, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome ( OR = 1.5, 95% C.I. 1.1-2.0; OR = 2.0, 95% C.I. 1.1-3.5, OR = 1.6, 95% C.I. 1.0-2.4 respectively), whereas decreased prevalence of overweight was found in melancholic ( OR = 0.7, 95% C.I. 0.6-0.9) and unspecified depression ( OR = 0.8, 95% C.I. 0.7-1.0). Alcohol abuse was associated with diabetes ( OR = 1.8, 95% C.I. 1.1-2.9) and dyslipidemia ( OR = 1.3, 95% C.I. 1.0-1.8), alcohol dependence with dyslipidemia only ( OR = 1.4, 95% C.I. 1.0-2.0). Almost all mental disorders were associated with a lifetime history of regular cigarette smoking, and atypical depression, alcohol misuse and drug dependence were associated with inactivity. Conclusion To conclude results emphasize the need to subtype depression and to pay particular attention to the atypical subtype. Comorbid alcohol misuse may further increase the cardiovascular risk. Efforts to diminish smoking in subjects with mental disorders could be crucial measures to reduce their high incidence of cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an integrated decision support system (DSS) for performance assessment of decision-making units. The integrated DSS (AutoAssess) is developed by C# in .NET environment and is capable of identifying weak and strong points as well as providing basic assessment tools for performance analysis of decision-making units. The structure of AutoAssess is based on fuzzy data envelopment analysis, principle component analysis (PCA), data envelopment analysis (DEA), numerical taxonomy (NT), and Spearman correlation experiment. NT and Spearman correlation experiment are used as verification and validation tools. AutoAssess requires users to provide standard numerical values for inputs, outputs, and indicators through standard pop-up menus or built-in spreadsheets. The integrated mechanism of AutoAssess can help managers to continuously identify relative assessment of their units with respect to others. AutoAssess is the first integrated DSS capable of performing various DEA models, PCA and numerical taxonomy analysis. The integrated DSS is developed and tested by the ISO-International Electrotechnical Commission usability design features. Also, its advantages over existing software (such as Lindo, DEA Excel Solver, Frontier Analyst, SPSS, and MathCAD) are examined through qualitative and quantitative assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Microstructural evolution of nanocrystalline TiO2 powders during mechanical milling was evaluated via Rietveld refinement method. Fully anatase phase nanocrystalline TiO2 powders were mechanically milled using a high-energy planetary ball mill. Milling the powders, employing two types of balls with different sizes, and annealing at three different temperatures, led to the formation of equiaxed nanocrystalline TiO2 powders with the mean crystallite size in the range of 10–80nm, based on the Rietveld refinement results. According to the X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy results, it was found that phase structure, composition, and crystallite size of the resulting particles were dependent on annealing temperature. The transformation kinetics is properly described by the standard first-order model of Avrami–Erofeev equation with activation energy of E =28kJ/mol which implies at the random nucleation of rutile phase on the surface of anatase crystallites followed by an instantaneous growth of the nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Anatase and rutile TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized via mechanochemical reaction and subsequent annealing of the products. TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by the use of planetary ball milling of titanyl sulphate (TiOSO4.xH2O.yH2SO4) and NaCl powders as the reactant and diluent phases, respectively. In this paper, the effect of volume fraction of diluent phase (NaCl) on the particle size distribution and agglomeration of TiO2 nanoparticles is studied. Final products were obtained by annealing the milled powders at 700 °C for half an hour and subsequent washing out the water-soluble NaCl. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) investigations showed that the increase in NaCl:TiOSO4 weight ratio (NTR) leads to the formation of nanocrystalline anatase and rutile particles with more uniform size distribution, lower weight ratio of rutile phase and lower agglomeration of particles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]