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Natural food substances, due to high rates of antioxidants, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, have been proposed to have the potential for the prevention or treatment of cognitive deficits, learning and memory deficits and neuro inflammation. In particular, medicinal plants with rich amounts of beneficial components such as flavonoids are one of the most promising therapeutic candidates for the cognitive deficit and memory loss. Herein, we aimed to review the impact of medicinal plants with focus on flavonoids on cognitive dysfunction, learning and memory loss by considering their signaling pathways.We extracted 93 preclinical and clinical studies related to the effects of flavonoids on learning and memory and cognition from published papers between 2000 and 2021 in the MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, and Airiti Library databases.In the preclinical studies, at least there seem to be two main neurological and biological processes in which flavonoids contribute to the improvement and/or prevention of learning, memory deficit and cognitive dysfunction: (1) Regulation of neurotransmission system and (2) Enhancement of neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival.Although useful effects of flavonoids on learning and memory in preclinical investigations have been approved, more clinical trials are required to find out whether flavonoids and/or other ingredients of plants have the potent to prevent or treat neurodegenerative disorders.

It has been shown that morphine addiction impairs cognitive brain functions. However, there is no document to consider the effect of morphine dependency and its withdrawal on cost-benefit decision making and its molecular pathways. The present study aimed to evaluate the influences of morphine dependency and its withdrawal on delay-based decision making and the BDNF, p-GSK3β, and p-CREB levels during the decision making in the hippocampus. Different groups of rats were trained in a T-maze with the delay-based cost-benefit decision-making paradigm. After that, the animals were dependent on morphine, and the percentage of the high reward preference was evaluated. After behavioral tests, BDNF level, p-GSK3β/GSK3β ratio, and p-CREB/CREB ratio in the hippocampus measured by Western blot analysis. The gathered data showed that level of BDNF enhanced while p-GSK3β/GSK3β ratio and p-CREB/CREB ratio in the hippocampus did not change during delay-based decision making. In morphine-dependent rats, the p-GSK3β/GSK3β ratio increased, the BDNF level and p-CREB/CREB ratio did not change in the decision making procedure. After withdrawal from morphine, the BDNF level raised while p-GSK3β/GSK3β ratio and p-CREB/CREB ratio did not change compared to the addiction group. The data declared that BDNF in the hippocampus has a critical role in delay-based decision making. Change in p-CREB in the hippocampus is not related to decision making in normal and morphine-dependent rats. P-GSK3 in the hippocampus is not involved in the decision making in normal rats, but during decision making in morphine-dependent rats, its level increased.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of exercise and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition on memory, anxiety, and protein levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and P70S6 kinase (P70S6K). Twenty-month-old rats were divided into 6 groups: a control group, 2 groups treated with l-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (25 or 100 mg/kg) for 63 days, 2 groups treated with L-NAME (25 or 100 mg/kg) for 63 days plus 2 months of exercise, and 1 group treated with exercise. Behavioral tests were conducted to determine the anxiolytic and memory-improving role of exercise and NOS inhibition. BDNF, P70S6K, and cleaved caspase-3 protein levels in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were evaluated by Western blotting. Exercise and L-NAME (25 mg/kg) or their combination had an anxiolytic effect and improved spatial memory in old rats compared with the control or exercised group, respectively. Exercise and treatment with a low dose of L-NAME (25 mg/kg) each increased BDNF and P70S6K in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex compared with levels in control rats. In comparison with exercise alone, co-treatment with exercise and a low dose of L-NAME (25 mg/kg) also increased BDNF and P70S6K in the hippocampus. The neuronal level of cleaved caspase-3 was reduced in the L-NAME (25 mg/kg) + exercise group compared with the exercised group. The L-NAME (100 mg/kg) + exercise treatment had no positive behavioral or molecular effects compared with exercise alone. The protective role of NOS inhibition and aerobic exercise against aging is probably modulated via BDNF and P70S6K in the brain.

Several studies indicated that morphine administration impairs cognitive brain functions. Therefore, in the current study, we investigated the effect of subchronic exposure to morphine and its withdrawal on effort- and/or delay-based forms of cost-benefit decision making and alterations in p-CREB/CREB ratio, p-GSK3β/GSK3β ratio, and BDNF level during decision making in the amygdala. Our data displayed an impairment of both forms of cost-benefit decision making following subchronic exposure to morphine. However, preference of high reward/high effort and/or high delay reward increased after naloxone injection. In molecular section, levels of BDNF and p-CREB/CREB ratio increased during cost-benefit decision making while p-GSK3β/GSK3β ratio decreased in both forms of decision making. In morphine-treated rats, level of BDNF and p-CREB/CREB ratio reduced during both forms of decision making while p-GSK3β/GSK3β ratio increased during delay-based and did not have a significant difference with the control group during effort-based decision making. On the withdrawal day, BDNF level raised while p-GSK3β/GSK3β ratio attenuated compared to morphine-treated group in both form of decision making. In addition, p-CREB/CREB ratio increased only during delay-based decision making on the withdrawal day. In conclusion, our data revealed that subchronic exposure to morphine interferes with the cost-benefit decision making may be via changes in level of BDNF, p-CREB/CREB and p-GSK3β/GSK3β ratio in the amygdala.

This paper presents a model for multiperiod generation and transmission expansion planning (G&TEP) problem in the presence of uncertainties in the strategies of market participants. The effects of demand response (DR) and fixed series compensation (FSC) devices allocation are considered for peak shaving purposes and optimal utilization of transmission capacity, respectively. This may cutback the generating expansion capacity and transmission investment costs. The optimal expansion plan is achieved while the uncertainties in the generators' offers and demands' bids are considered in the market model. In this model, the DR preferences are integrated into the market clearing process of the independent system operator (ISO), which is applied to the load aggregators according to the locational marginal and market clearing prices. Shifting the demand, curtailing the peak, and onsite generation are considered as load reduction strategies in the demand response program. The ISO optimizes the decision submitted by generating companies and load aggregators in the presence of uncertainties. The proposed model is applied to the Garver, single-, two-, and four-area IEEE-RTS 24-bus systems to show the effectiveness of the multioptional DR program and the FSC devices in the dynamic G&TEP problems.

Cerebellar ataxia (CA) is a form of ataxia that adversely affects the cerebellum. Cell replacement therapy (CRT) has been considered as a potential treatment for neurological disorders. In this report, we investigated the neuro-restorative effects of human chorionic stem cells (HCSCs) transplantation on rat model of CA induced by 3-acetylpyridine (3-AP). In this regard, HCSCs were isolated and phenotypically determined. Next, a single injection of 3-AP was administered for ataxia induction, and bilateral HCSCs implantation was conducted 3 days after 3-AP injection, followed by expression analysis of a number of apoptotic, autophagic and inflammatory genes as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level, along with assessment of cerebellar neurodegeneration, motor coordination and muscle activity. The findings revealed that grafting of HCSCs in 3-AP model of ataxia decreased the expression levels of several inflammatory, autophagic and apoptotic genes and provoked the up-regulation of VEGF in the cerebellar region, prevented the degeneration of Purkinje cells caused by 3-AP toxicity and ameliorated motor coordination and muscle function. In conclusion, these data indicate in vivo efficacy of HCSCs in the reestablishment of motor skills and reversal of CA.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of neodymium:yttrium–aluminum–garnet (Nd:YAG) laser irradiation before adhesive application on microtensile bond strength of resin composite to dentin surface. Materials and methods: in this experiment, 40 human extracted third molar teeth were chosen and the occlusal surface was cut to achieve a flat dentin surface. Groups were divided based on the adhesives (G-Premio Bond or Clearfil S3 Bond) and the presence or absence of Nd:YAG laser application. All the samples were restored with resin composite and subjected to a universal testing machine for a microtensile bond strength test. Fracture mode for each failure was analyzed under the stereomicroscope. According to the results, there was a significant difference between the two adhesives with Nd:YAG laser irradiation. The application of laser enhanced the microtensile bond strength in both adhesives. In all groups, regardless of laser application, adhesive failure was dominant between fracture patterns. It was concluded that Nd:YAG laser irradiation on dentin surface prior to adhesive application has a positive effect and significantly increases the microtensile bond strength of restoration to the tooth.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative nerve disease which adversely affects memory and learning skills. Currently, there is no disease-modifying therapeutic approach for AD. However, a growing body of literature suggests cell based therapies as a promising remedy for neurological disorders. Among the potential cell sources, testis- derived Sertoli cells (SCs) appear to be an attractive choice due to their immune-privileged capacities. Herein, we investigated the neuro-restorative/protective effects of SC transplants in a rat model of amyloid beta toxicity. To this end, GATA-4 and vimentin positive SCs were transplanted into rats with amyloid beta induced hippocampal lesions. According to our in vivo results, implanted SCs survived, exhibited reduction in both apoptosis as well as astrocytic migration. Additionally, transplantation of SCs restored hippocampus dependent memory and learning, along with the recovery of long-term synaptic plasticity. Taken together, these data indicate that SCs are a valuable source for cell-based therapies particularly aimed at AD.

Spherical parallel manipulators have been proposed for accurate and fast performance. In this paper, kinematics and dynamics of a spherical three degrees-of-freedom parallel manipulator are studied. First, both direct and inverse kinematics are solved by using a new geometric approach and defining a new appropriate set of coordinates. Then, based on the derived kinematics equations and Jacobian matrices of links, according to Lagrange method, the explicit dynamics formulation of the manipulator is developed. The obtained dynamics has been verified by using MSC.ADAMS and MATLAB Software, simultaneously. This explicit verified model is highly important to design and implement various model based control algorithms. So, a Fuzzy Adaptive PID controller is designed to show the controller’s operation on the manipulator. Discussing the obtained results reveal the merits and importance of the proposed modeling.

This paper presents a multi-period generation and transmission expansion planning in the presence of uncertainty in the strategies of market participations. Moreover, the effects of demand response and fixed series compensation allocation are considered for peak shaving and optimal utilization of transmission capacity, respectively. This may cut back the generating expansion capacity and transmission investment cost. The optimal expansion plan is achieved while modeling market functioning considering uncertainty in generator offers, and demand bids. In this model, DR preferences have integrated into ISO's market clearing process, which applied to the load aggregators according to locational marginal prices and market clearing. Shifting and curtailing demand peak, and onsite generation are considered as load reduction strategies in demand response program. However, ISO optimizes the decision submitted by generating companies and load aggregators in the presence of uncertainties. The proposed model is applied to the Garver system to show the effectiveness of DR and FSC in dynamic G&TEP.

This paper presents a market-based multi-period transmission expansion planning along with fixed series compensation (FSC) allocation. FSCs can dispatch power more efficiently over the transmission network as well as trading opportunities for market participants and thus improve market surplus and reduce the total transmission investment. The proposed planning may accordingly enhance network efficiency and improve social welfare for all participants. The proposed model is structured as a mixed integer linear programming problem. The CPLEX solver, as a commercial solver, is used to solve this MILP problem. Moreover, to find a reliable and viable optimal topology, N-1 security criterion is employed through the proposed model. This criterion is used to take into account any unanticipated operating condition due to unexpected transmission lines failures. The proposed model is applied to the Garver system as well-known system to show the effectiveness of FSC in dynamic transmission expansion planning (TEP).

The aim of the present study was to detect polymorphism in Insulin like growth factor-I (IGF-I) gene of beluga (Huso huso) fish using PCR-SSCP technique and also investigation of its association with growth traits (condition factor, body length and weight). A total of 150 specimens of beluga were randomly selected and DNA was isolated from caudal fin using modified salting out method. Then two fragments of 171 and 362 bp from 5'-UTR and 3'-UTR regions of IGF-I gene were amplified, respectively. Genotyping of individuals by SSCP technique showed five banding patterns of A, B, C, D and E for 5'-UTR region with the frequencies of 29.2, 0.76, 16.92, 51.53 and 10% respectively in one year-old and three banding patterns of A, C and D with the frequency of 45, 10 and 45% for two year-old fish. Also three banding patterns (A, B and C) were seen for 3'-UTR region with the frequency of 62.3, 27.69 and 10.76% in one-year-old and 20, 60 and 20% in two year-old fish. The A banding pattern in 3'-UTR and D banding pattern in 5'-UTR sites were the most frequent pattern in the studied beluga population. The association analysis using SAS statistical software indicated no significant association between observed banding patterns and growth traits (body length, weight, and condition factor) in beluga. Considering the important role of IGF-I as a probable candidate gene affecting growth related traits, these marker sites should be studied more in larger sample sizes and also in other regions of the gene.

SUMMARY Transmission network expansion planning (TNEP) is one of the most important parts of power system studies. An optimal expansion of a transmission system should also capable of facilitating forecasted load patterns as well as future generation. Mathematically, TNEP is a mixed integer nonlinear programming as a non convex problem that can be solved by either conventional or heuristic optimization algorithms. This paper proposes a methodology for choosing the optimal transmission expansion plan considering less computational effort. The proposed methodology is composed from combination of Modified Scatter Search Algorithm and Constructive Heuristic Algorithm (CHA) considering New Load Shedding Index (NLSI). The proposed NLSI is implemented without generation rescheduling in order to decrease the number of linear programming obtaining an optimal solution. The algorithm is applied to different cases: Garver, 24-Bus IEEE systems and Southern Brazilian System of 46 Buses system. The simulation result shows a significant performance of the proposed method in comparison with some studies addressed in literature. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-27T11:29:58Z No. of bitstreams: 0Bitstream added on 2014-05-27T14:48:41Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 2-s2.0-84880119791.pdf: 392879 bytes, checksum: 33e36785bdc40c54564b1fdb1d08dc38 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-27T11:29:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-07-18 In this paper, a hybrid heuristic methodology that employs fuzzy logic for solving the AC transmission network expansion planning (AC-TEP) problem is presented. An enhanced constructive heuristic algorithm aimed at obtaining a significant quality solution for such complicated problems considering contingency is proposed. In order to indicate the severity of the contingency, 2 performance indices, namely the line flow performance index and voltage performance index, are calculated. An interior point method is applied as a nonlinear programming solver to handle such nonconvex optimization problems, while the objective function includes the costs of the new transmission lines as well as the real power losses. The performance of the proposed method is examined by applying it to the well-known Garver system for different cases. The simulation studies and result analysis demonstrate that the proposed method provides a promising way to find an optimal plan. Obtaining the best quality solution shows the capability and the viability of the proposed algorithm in AC-TEP. © Tübi̇tak.. Department of Electrical Engineering Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman Faculty of Engineering of Ilha Solteira Paulista State University, Ilha Solteira - SP Faculty of Engineering of Ilha Solteira Paulista State University, Ilha Solteira - SP

The nonlinear coupling between circularly polarized electromagnetic (CPEM) waves and acoustic-like waves in a magnetoactive electron-positron-ion (e-p-i) plasma is studied, taking into account the relativistic motion of electrons and positrons. The possibility of modulational instability and its growth rate as well as the envelope soliton formation and its characteristics in such plasmas are investigated. It is found that the growth rate of modulation instability increases in the case that ωc/ω 1. It is also shown that in a magnetoactive e-p-i plasma, the width of bright soliton increases/decreases in case of (ωc/ω) 1 by increasing the magnetic field strength.