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One of the most useful agricultural machinery is power tiller; this kind of tractor is widely used in small fields. The operators of this kind of machinery are exposed to high level of vibration. Long time working with these machinery causes dynamic disorders, damaging different parts of the body, digestion disorders and vascular diseases. In this research, vibration acceleration of 13hppower tiller was collected in 5 levels of engine speed and 6 kinds of consumed fuel blends investigating the power tiller vibration exposure time. The data were analyzed by factorial tests with completely random design. The results showed that reciprocal effect of fuel and engine speed are prominent in 1% level. The working conditions of the power tiller operator fall into the highest class of risk according to ISO 5349-2 (2001) and in less than 4 years White Finger Syndrome may have induced in 10% of operators. Results of experiments revealed that the exposure time decreases with increase in engine speed especially in 1,800 and 2,200 rpm. The reason is the vibration intensification that happened in handle of power tiller in 1,800 rpm engine speed so it reduced the exposure time severely. The latency period for the appearance of vibration-induced White Finger Syndrom in biodiesel 10%, 15% and 20%, respectively, so using diesel fuel can be replaced by these three kinds of fuel in power tillers.

Molecular mapping and construction of linkage maps in plants genome play important role in marker assisted selection and breeding programs of target traits. Eleven combinations of PstI and MseI primers were used to assign AFLP markers to the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) linkage groups in 107 doubled haploid (DH) lines. The results of AFLP analysis indicated that amplified fragments (66 polymorphic bands) length of the primer combinations varied between 100 and 1000 base pairs (bp). Out of the 66 AFLP markers, 9.0% showed segregation distortion in the DH population that discarded from the linkage analysis. Linkage analysis for AFLP markers showed that after eliminating deviated markers from 1:1 segregation ratio, number of assigned markers to B and A genomes were respectively 21 (43%) and 20 (41 %), and a number of 6 markers were assigned to D (12%) linkage groups. A number of 12 markers were not assigned to any of wheat linkage groups. Number of assigned markers to the wheat homeologous chromosomes of 1 to 7 were 6 (12.5%), 7 (14.5%), 4 (8.7%), 5 (10.4%), 9 (18.7%) and 12 (25%), respectively. The highest number of AFLP markers were assigned to chromosomes 7A (7 markers) and 1B (5 markers). Among the mapped AFLP markers, P06m19-7-4, P01m19-8-6, P04m18-9-5, P03m22-9-6, P08m22-11-4, P03m22-8-3, P04m22-9-4, P01m24-8-2, P01m24-8-4 were located on those regions of A, B and D linkage groups that saturated the low dense intervals in previously available map and therefore, showed a better coverage on wheat genome compared with other AFLP markers.

Considering the advent of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a new source of somatic cells in embryo co-culture system, the current study was aimed to compare in vitro embryo development using embryonic MSCs monolayer with embryonic fibroblast cells (EFCs), oviductal epithelial cells (OECs), and cell-free culture system. The IVM/IVF presumptive sheep zygotes were randomly cultured in different culture conditions as follows: (1) SOFaaBSA medium for the whole culture period (SOF, n = 371), (2) SOFaaBSA medium for the first 3 days followed by co-culturing with MSCs for the next 5 days (SOF-MSCs, n = 120), (3) co-culturing with MSCs for the first 3 days followed by culture in SOFaaBSA medium for the next 5 days (MSCs-SOF, n = 133), (4) co-culturing with MSCs for the whole culture period (MSCs, n = 212), (5) SOFaaBSA medium for the first 3 days followed by co-culturing with EFCs for the next 5 days (SOF-EFCs, n = 132), (6) co-culturing with EFCs for the first 3 days followed by culture in SOFaaBSA medium for the next 5 days (EFCs-SOF, n = 165), (7) co-culturing with EFCs for the whole culture period (EFCs, n = 236), and (8) co-culturing with OECs for the whole culture period (OECs, n = 255). One-Way ANOVA by multiple pairwise comparisons using Tukey's test was performed. Co-culturing in MSCs group had no superiority over EFCs and OECs groups. Though, when co-culturing with MSCs and EFCs was limited to the first 3 days of culture, the embryo development indices were improved compared to the other co-cultured groups. Considering both the hatching rate and total cell number, the application of MSCs for the first 3 days of culture (MSCs-SOF) was superior to the other co-culture and SOF groups.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common and an important cause of disability in the elderly population. Muscle weakness and vitamin D deficiency are responsible factors of KOA. Both factors are also associated with knee pain. However, the results of previous studies are not consistent. Muscle weakness may develop in KOA due to pain and limitation of motion. Conversely, muscle weakness was introduced as an etiologic factor of KOA. Similarly, vitamin D deficiency is also common in elderly population. At present it is not possible to conclude whether muscle weakness is as a cause or a consequence of KOA. This study by reviewing available data recommends further studies in context of muscle strength and KOA. Future studies should address the relationship between KOA and muscle strength regarding serum vitamin D status.

Background and aimsOne of the most common kinds of human's disorders is sleep disorders which have direct relation with age, gender, physical health status, and occupational activities. Increasing the errors during job activities such as driving is one of the most importantcomplications of sleep disorders. Therefore, this study has been conducted to determine the sleep quality of drivers and its relationship with public health. The under study drivers are from the Gorgan's passenger terminal.MethodsIn this analytical-partial study, all the drivers working in the Gorgan's passenger terminal were studied using standard 28-question public heath questionnaire and standard 19- question Pittsburg sleep questionnaire. After filling out and collecting all forms, data were analyzed by statistical software SPSS.13, and descriptive analytical statistics.ResultsThe results showed that the driver's public health is not satisfactory. More than one third of drivers have poor sleep quality and there was a direct and statistically significant relationship between the quality of sleep and general health of drivers (P

Osteoporosis (OP) is a frequent complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and longitudinal studies have documented increased rate of bone loss in RA patients. To determine the frequency of low bone mass as well as the influence of disease duration and corticosteroid use on bone mass in patients with RA, 88 patients with RA and 112 age matched controls were studied. Bone densitometry was performed by a single dual X-ray absorptiometry equipment in the lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN). The mean age of patients and controls were 52.6 and 54.6 years, respectively. The mean disease duration was 7.0 years and 79.5% of patients were taking 5.0 mg prednisolone daily for a mean period of 4.6 years. At the FN, 45% of patients had OP compared to 30.4% in the controls (P < 0.05). At the LS the frequency of OP in patients was non-significantly lower than in the controls. OP was more frequent in corticosteroids treated patients compared to non-corticosteroids treated patients both at the FN (43.5% vs 39%) and LS (26% vs 22%) but the differences were not significant. Disease duration longer than 10 years in comparison to disease duration of less than two years was associated with bone mineral density change of -10.9% at the FN (P = 0.05) and -10.4% at the LS (P not significant). The results of this study indicate that a significant proportion of patients with RA have OP at the FN and LS,and disease duration longer than 10 years is associated with a significant increase in bone loss.

Ingestion of fish oil fatty acids (omega - 3 fatty acids ) inhibits the formation of arachidonic acid - derived cytokines and leads to production of compounds with diminished biological activity. Beneficial effects of dietary supplementation with fish oil in rheumatoid arthritis have been shown in many controlled trials."nMethods : 43 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis entered in a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to recieve either lOgr fish oil daily (treatment group) or corn oil (placebo group). Baseline drugs and usual diet were continued without any changes. Disease variables were evaluated at baseline and after completion of study period."nThe changes in disease variables were compared by paired t-tesl in each group. Comparison of the two groups was done by t-test. Functional capacity was compared by Wilcoxon ranks test."nResults : 19 patients in treatment group and 20 patients in placebo group completed the study which lasted eight weeks . In the treatment group, joint pain index decreased from 30±11 at baseline, to 18±11 at the end of study period (P < 0.01). Joint swelling index decreased from 8 ± 4 to 2 ± 4, (P< 0.01), morning stiffness from 87 ± 41 to 24±16 minutes (P < 0.01). In the placebo group the above variable changes were from 19±14 to 25±14 ; 8±8 to 7±6 and 80±71 to 76±75 minutes respectively, which were not significant . The differences between the treatment and placebo groups were significant in joint swelling index (P < 0.05), morning stiffness (P

Abstract: Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who experience relapse following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) face unfavorable outcomes regardless of the chosen relapse treatment. Early detection of relapse at the molecular level by measurable residual disease (MRD) assessment enables timely intervention, which may prevent hematological recurrence of the disease. It remains unclear whether molecular MRD assessment can detect MRD before impending relapse and, if so, how long in advance. This study elucidates the molecular architecture and kinetics preceding AML relapse by using error-corrected next-generation sequencing (NGS) in 74 patients with AML relapsing after alloHCT, evaluating 140 samples from peripheral blood collected 0.6 to 14 months before relapse. At least 1 MRD marker became detectable in 10%, 38%, and 64% of patients at 6, 3, and 1 month before relapse, respectively. By translating these proportions into monitoring intervals, 38% of relapses would have been detected through MRD monitoring every 3 months, whereas 64% of relapses would have been detected with monthly intervals. The relapse kinetics after alloHCT are influenced by the functional class of mutations and their stability during molecular progression. Notably, mutations in epigenetic modifier genes exhibited a higher prevalence of MRD positivity and greater stability before relapse, whereas mutations in signaling genes demonstrated a shorter lead time to relapse. Both DTA (DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1) and non-DTA mutations displayed similar relapse kinetics during the follow-up period after alloHCT. Our study sets a framework for MRD monitoring after alloHCT by NGS, supporting monthly monitoring from peripheral blood using all variants that are known from diagnosis., (© 2024 American Society of Hematology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

Donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) can directly target leukemic cells through a graft-versus-leukemia effect and play a key role in the prevention and management of relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). Predictors of response to DLIs are not well established. We evaluated measurable residual disease (MRD) before, 30 and 90 days after DLI treatment as biomarkers of response. MRD was assessed by next-generation sequencing in 76 DLI-treated acute myeloid leukemia patients. MRD status before DLI treatment was independently prognostic for event-free survival (EFS, p < 0.001) and overall survival (OS, p < 0.001). Within 90 days of DLI treatment, 73% of MRD + patients converted to MRD - and 32% of patients without remission achieved remission. MRD status 90 days after DLI treatment was independently prognostic for the cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR, p = 0.011) and relapse-free survival (RFS, p = 0.001), but not for OS. To evaluate the role of DLI treatment in MRD - patients, 23 MRD - patients who received DLIs were compared with a control cohort of 68 MRD - patients not receiving DLIs. RFS ( p = 0.23) and OS ( p = 0.48) were similar between the two cohorts. In conclusion, MRD is prognostic before (EFS, OS) and after (CIR, RFS) DLI treatment and may help in the selection of patients who benefit most from DLIs.

Relapse in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is common and is associated with a dismal prognosis. Treatment options are limited and the understanding of molecular response patterns is still challenging. We analyzed the clonal response patterns of 15 patients with relapsed/refractory AML treated with selinexor in a phase II trial (SAIL). DNA was analyzed at three time points and showed a decline of mutated alleles in FLT3, SF3B1, and TP53 under SAIL treatment. Overall survival (OS) was similar between patients with declining versus persisting clones. We show an interesting long-term course of a patient who relapsed after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloHCT) with SF3B1- and SRSF2-mutated AML and received selinexor as maintenance treatment for 4 years. Measurable residual disease (MRD) remained detectable for 2 weeks after donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) in this patient and then remained negative under selinexor maintenance treatment. Selinexor was tolerated well and was stopped after 4 years of SAIL treatment. We present an exploratory study and identify subclonal patterns of patients treated with selinexor., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based measurable residual disease (MRD) monitoring in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is widely applicable and prognostic prior to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). We evaluated the prognostic role of clonal hematopoiesis-associated DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1 (DTA) and non-DTA mutations for MRD monitoring post-alloHCT to refine MRD marker selection. Of 154 patients with AML, 138 (90%) had at least one mutation at diagnosis, which were retrospectively monitored by amplicon-based error-corrected NGS on day 90 and/or day 180 post-alloHCT. MRD was detected in 34 patients on day 90 and/or day 180 (25%). The rate of MRD positivity was similar when DTA and non-DTA mutations were considered separately (17.6% vs 19.8%). DTA mutations had no prognostic impact on cumulative incidence of relapse, relapse-free survival, or overall survival in our study and were removed from further analysis. In the remaining 131 patients with at least 1 non-DTA mutation, clinical and transplantation-associated characteristics were similarly distributed between MRD-positive and MRD-negative patients. In multivariate analysis, MRD positivity was an independent adverse predictor of cumulative incidence of relapse, relapse-free survival, and overall survival but not of nonrelapse mortality. The prognostic effect was independent of different cutoffs (above limit of detection, 0.1% and 1% variant allele frequency). MRD log-reduction between diagnosis and post-alloHCT assessment had no prognostic value. MRD status post-alloHCT had the strongest impact in patients who were MRD positive prior to alloHCT. In conclusion, non-DTA mutations are prognostic NGS-MRD markers post-alloHCT, whereas the prognostic role of DTA mutations in the posttransplant setting remains open., (© 2021 by The American Society of Hematology.)

Molecular measurable residual disease (MRD) assessment is not established in approximately 60% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients because of the lack of suitable markers for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. To overcome this limitation, we established an error-corrected next-generation sequencing (NGS) MRD approach that can be applied to any somatic gene mutation. The clinical significance of this approach was evaluated in 116 AML patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) in complete morphologic remission (CR). Targeted resequencing at the time of diagnosis identified a suitable mutation in 93% of the patients, covering 24 different genes. MRD was measured in CR samples from peripheral blood or bone marrow before alloHCT and identified 12 patients with persistence of an ancestral clone (variant allele frequency [VAF] >5%). The remaining 96 patients formed the final cohort of which 45% were MRD + (median VAF, 0.33%; range, 0.016%-4.91%). In competing risk analysis, cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) was higher in MRD + than in MRD - patients (hazard ratio [HR], 5.58; P < .001; 5-year CIR, 66% vs 17%), whereas nonrelapse mortality was not significantly different (HR, 0.60; P = .47). In multivariate analysis, MRD positivity was an independent negative predictor of CIR (HR, 5.68; P < .001), in addition to FLT3 - ITD and NPM1 mutation status at the time of diagnosis, and of overall survival (HR, 3.0; P = .004), in addition to conditioning regimen and TP53 and KRAS mutation status. In conclusion, NGS-based MRD is widely applicable to AML patients, is highly predictive of relapse and survival, and may help refine transplantation and posttransplantation management in AML patients., (© 2018 by The American Society of Hematology.)