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Objective Despite the studies that have investigated the reliability of Upper Extremity Functional Tests ( UEFTs), the reliability of Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability(CKCUES), Seated Medicine Ball Throw(SMBT), push-up(PU) and Unilateral Seated Shot Put(USSP) tests in overhead athletes has yet to be assessed. The objective of this study was to determine both the relative and absolute test–retest reliability of the four UEFTs in female overhead athletes. Methods Twenty-nine female overhead athletes (age: 26.6 ± 5.29 years) underwent the four UEFTs twice within a three- day interval. The upper limb stability was assessed through PU and CKCUES tests, while the power was assessed though SMBT and USSP tests. The Intraclass Correlation of Coefficient (ICC) was applied to assess the relative reliability. Absolute reliability was determined by calculating the Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) and the Minimal Detectable Change (MDC). Furthermore, Bland–Altman plots were used to detect the agreements between the two measurements. Results The relative reliability of PU, CKCUES, SMBT, and non-dominant arm USSP tests was excellent (ICC = 0.83, 0.80, 0.91, and 0.83, respectively). SEM was within a range of 1.69 to 1.72 for stability tests and a range of 13.61 to 52.12 for power (based on a 95% confidence interval). The MDC was 4.68 for PU and 4.75 for CKCUES test. At least four repetitions are needed to be considered a real improvement on PU and CKCUES tests. This value was 144.04, in SMBT and 59.03, 37.62 cm (dominant and non-dominant arm, respectively) in USSP tests, which represents the minimum change that must occur to be considered an athlete’s progression. Conclusion This study revealed that both the upper limb stability and power tests have acceptable relative and absolute intra-rater reliability in female overhead athletes. These can be considered as reliable tools in research and clinical settings.

Background Overactive bladder syndrome is common, with a prevalence of 12–17% among adults. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation is the primary nonpharmacological and conservative treatment for overactive bladder syndrome. While several human brain imaging studies have shown the involvement of supraspinal centers in bladder control, a literature review has found that no research has specifically investigated cortical stimulation through transcranial direct current stimulation as a treatment for overactive bladder syndrome in women. Therefore, this study aims to assess the potential benefits of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and compare them with the effects of posterior tibial nerve stimulation on overactive bladder syndrome. Methods/design The random allocation method will be used to divide the participants into two groups. Group 1 ( n  = 19) will undergo pelvic floor muscle training and transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation. Group 2 ( n  = 19) will undergo pelvic floor muscle training and transcranial direct current stimulation. The transcranial direct current stimulation for group 2 will consist of 12 sessions occurring thrice a week, each lasting for 20 min. Anodal tDCS will be administered to FPz targeting the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) for 12 sessions, with the cathode electrode positioned between Oz and inion at an intensity of 2 mA for 20 min. Discussion It is believed that utilizing an approach involving non-invasive electrical stimulation of the cortex could lead to a more efficient treatment for individuals with overactive bladder. Additionally, it is theorized that combining the effects of tDCS and pelvic floor muscle training could present an innovative technique for alleviating the negative impacts of overactive bladder syndrome. Ultimately, this new method could provide help for patients who have not responded to conventional therapy. Trial registration Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) ID: IRCT20090301001722N26, registration date: May 17, 2023. https://en.irct.ir/ .

Identification of animal species is one of the major concerns in food regulatory control and quality assurance system. Different approaches have been used for species identification in animal origin of feedstuff. This study aimed to develop a multiplex PCR approach to detect the origin of meat and meat products. Specific primers were designed based on the conserved region of mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit I (COX1) gene. This method could successfully distinguish the origin of the pig, camel, sheep, donkey, goat, cow, and chicken in one single reaction. Since PCR products derived from each species represent unique molecular weight, the amplified products could be identified by electrophoresis and analyzed based on their size. Due to the synchronized amplification of segments within a single PCR reaction, multiplex PCR is considered to be a simple, fast, and inexpensive technique that can be applied for identification of meat products in food industries. Nowadays, this technique has been considered as a practical method to identify the species origin, which could further applied for animal feedstuffs identification.

Background: Diagnosis of polyneuropathy is typically made using sensory and motor nerve conduction studies (NCS). These tests include measurement of amplitude, velocity, and delay of sensory and motor waves. These waves cannot assess the entire length of the nerve, proximal parts in special. F-wave is the only test capable of measuring the entire length of the nerve. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of F-wave in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy. Methods: This is a retrospective study assessing the value of nerve conduction studies and F-wave in the diagnosis of 148 patients with diabetic polyneuropathy referred to hospitals under the supervision of the University of Iowa from October 1, 2016, to September 5, 2018. Motor neurons of median, ulnar, peroneal, and tibial nerves and sensory neurons of median, ulnar, and sural nerves were assessed using two techniques of NCS and F-wave. Then the data were compared. Results: The results of this study showed that F-wave in all of the evaluated nerves (median, ulnar, tibial and peroneal) detected abnormalities to more extents than routine NCS (P <0.001). When total neuronal abnormalities were accumulated, this value was 82٪ for NCS, while 99٪ for the F wave (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Findings of the current study showed that the assessment of delayed nerve conducting through F-waves can diagnose diabetic polyneuropathy to better extents as compared to NCS. Further evaluations are recommended.

Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic disorders and is related to oxidative-stress-induced diseases. Given the role of dietary antioxidants in the control and prevention of diabetes, this study aimed to examine the effects of sesame butter versus sesame oil on the serum levels of glucose, lipid profile, and oxidative stress biomarkers in diabetic rats. Forty male albino rats of Wistar strain were randomly divided into 4 groups (i.e., nondiabetic control rats, diabetic rats, diabetic rats treated with sesame butter, and diabetic rats treated with sesame oil). Experimental diabetes was induced with an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg). Sesame butter (1.25 g/kg) and sesame oil (0.5 g/kg) were given by oral gavage to the diabetic rats for 6 weeks. Finally, serum glucose, lipid profile, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured and analyzed statistically. Our data showed that the diabetic groups treated with sesame butter and sesame oil had significantly lower levels of glucose and higher levels of high-density lipoprotein than did the diabetic control group at the end of the study (P<0.05). Sesame butter supplementation also increased TAC and decreased MDA concentrations significantly in the diabetic rats (P<0.05). The antihyperglycemic, antioxidative, and partly lipid-lowering effects of sesame butter make it an excellent candidate for future human studies on diabetes, although further research is needed to determine the exact dose and duration of supplementation.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) represents a complex and multifactorial disorder, and efforts to discover its treatment are necessary. Browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) as a therapeutic target for diabetes seems to be induced by exercise through neuropeptide FF (NPFF) signaling in the hypothalamus and adipose tissue. This study aimed to explore the role of endurance training on the browning of WAT by assessing the expression of the gene and protein of NPFF and its receptors in the hypothalamus and adipose tissue. Forty adult male Wistar rats were assigned into four groups: control, exercise, diabetic control, and diabetic exercise. The serum levels of lipid profile, insulin, and glucose, along with the expression of gene and protein of NPFF and its receptors (NPFFR1 and NPFFR2), were evaluated in the hypothalamus and adipose tissue. A histological examination was performed to evaluate the browning of WAT. Metabolic parameters notably increased in the diabetic group. The gene and protein expression of NPFF and its receptors significantly decreased in the hypothalamus and fat tissue in the diabetic group. However, these changes in the hypothalamus, not in the adipose tissue, were significantly improved in the diabetic-exercise group compared to the diabetic group. The high WAT content in diabetic rats was decreased by exercise, leading to an increase in the browning of WAT. Endurance progressive training could centrally, not peripherally, promote the browning of WAT in diabetic rats by enhancing the expression of gene and protein of NPFF and its receptors in the hypothalamus.

Cryopreservation of cell lines from endangered animals is an important approach to conserve genetic resources. In this study, ear fibroblasts from 51 Iranian Sistani cattle ( Bos indicus ) were cultured and cryopreserved in vitro, and their biological characteristics, proliferation and chromosomal features were analyzed. The results indicated that Sistani cattle fibroblasts could be successfully obtained by explant culture. The cultured cells were typical fibroblasts, with normal morphology and population doubling time of approximately 24 ± 0.5 h. Karyotyping showed that frequency of cells with chromosome number 2n = 60 was >95%. Bacterial, fungal, yeast and mycoplasma contaminations were negative. The efficiencies of VSV-G (pMDG) and lentiviral pCSGW vectors encoding fluorescent proteins were around 60%. Multiplex PCR for identification of species confirmed that Sistani cattle cell lines had no cross-contamination. The samples identification information was prepared and is available in this research. These established cell lines are valuable genetic pools from endangered Iranian Sistani cattle breed, and would be a source of many biological studies such as genomic, postgenomic and somatic cell cloning researches.

Some of lizard species have the ability to lose their tail in order to defend against predators and regenerate the new tail. Lizard’s regenerated tail has attracted scientists’ attention for unraveling the regeneration process, but less information is known about the cellular characterization and cell growth properties of original tail. This research aimed to report cell culture and banking process of rough-tailed gecko or Cyrtopodion scabrum ’s original tail cell sample from inner tissue without skin using tissue explant technique. For banking reports, it is essential to analyze this cells’ potential to proliferate, to investigate biological aspects such as cell culture features, differentiation and chromosome number and to report its species identification and quality control. To achieve optimal growth conditions, three different temperatures for incubation including 18, 23 and 37 °C and two different media including DMEM and L-15 were applied. The expanded cells were studied for their potential to adipose and osteoblast differentiation. Results indicated that lizard’s original tail cells could be successfully obtained by explant technique. The cells demonstrated fibroblast like morphology with population doubling times of approximately 24 ± 0.5 h. Karyotyping analysis showed a distribution of 2n = 40 chromosome number for this cell line. The comparison of different incubation media and temperatures showed that cell growth is equally optimal in all mentioned conditions according to growth curves. Adipose and osteoblast differentiation was obviously observed in these cells which confirms the hint of stem-ness in the produced mixed cells. According to cell banking policies, produced cells were also checked for bacterial, fungal, yeast and mycoplasma contaminations and no contamination was observed. Multiplex PCR for identification of species confirmed the species of lizard with no cross-contamination with other cells in the cell bank. Establishment of authenticated and well-characterized lizard’s original tail cell line will provide a valuable source for subsequent in vitro regenerative research and molecular studies which are not feasible in in vivo methods. This finding will allow us to get an opportunity to create and preserve a new collection of lizard cell lines in the future.

Background The continuous accessibility of local animals for sustainable use is being eroded annually. Thus, a strategic vision for the conservation of biodiversity is of far-reaching emphasis to deal with unprecedented challenges in the local population extension facing in the future. This study aimed to establish and cryopreserve endangered Markhoz goat ( Capra hircus ) fibroblast cell lines in vitro. Methods and results These primary fibroblast cells were isolated from 58 Iranian Markhoz goats and individually cultured by explant technique in DMEM medium supplemented with 10% FBS and 2 mM L-Glutamine, in the presence of Penicillin (200 U/ml)—Streptomycin (200 mg/ml) during the first passage number. The extracted cell lines were confirmed morphologically as fibroblast cells. The population doubling time for DMEM-cultured cells was 23 ± 0.5 h. Chromosomal analysis indicated a total chromosome number of 2n = 60 with > 95% frequency. The cultured cells were checked for bacteria, fungi, yeast, and mycoplasma contaminations and the results were reported negative. The efficiencies of the fluorescent protein encoded by VSV-G (pMDG) and lentiviral pCSGW vectors reported in a range of 65% value. According to the species identification analysis, the goat cell lines were banked and confirmed without any miss- and cross-contamination. Conclusions The significant issue in this paper can be concluded about the first report of the establishment of endangered Markhoz goat cell banking inside the country. This study demonstrated the successful establishment of a genetically stable fibroblast bank as a valuable genetic resource for the endangered Iranian Markhoz goat breed.

Although blood cells are interesting sources for genome investigations, one of the main problems in obtaining genomic DNA from blood is the restricted amount of DNA. This obstacle can be avoided by generating Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced B cell lines. This study investigates the efficiency of four different methods to generate lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). Blood samples (n = 120) were obtained from donors and categorized into four groups: fresh whole blood, frozen whole blood, fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and frozen PBMCs. The samples were followed by EBV transformation to generate LCLs. Quality control and authentication of the cells were performed using multiplex PCR and short tandem repeat (STR) analyses. Finally, we assessed the success rate and amount of time to establish the cell lines in each group. The results showed that the cells were not contaminated nor were they misidentified or cross-contaminated with other cells. The success rate of LCLs generated from the whole blood groups was lower than the PBMC groups. The freezing procedures did not have any considerable effect on the establishment of lymphoblastoid cells. These established cells have been preserved in the human and animal cell bank of the Iranian Biological Resource Center (IBRC) and are available for researchers. Due to the management and transformation of a substantial number of blood samples, we recommend that researchers freeze PBMCs for further use with high efficiency and timesaving. We suggest that whole fresh blood should be directly transformed when the volume of the blood sample is less than 0.5 ml.