Factors influencing sperm retrieval following testicular sperm extraction in nonobstructive azoospermia patients

Salehi, Peyman,Derakhshan-Horeh, Marzieh,Nadeali, Zakiye,Hosseinzadeh, Majid,Sadeghi, Erfan,Izadpanahi, Mohammad Hossein,Salehi, Mansour The Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine 2017 Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine Vol.44 No.1

Objective: Azoospermia owing to testicular disorders is the most severe manifestation of male infertility. The main concern for patients with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) is the probability of successful sperm retrieval following testicular sperm extraction (TESE). Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine predictive factors correlated with sperm retrieval. Methods: We assessed the testicular histopathological patterns, the choice of TESE surgical procedure, hormone levels, and chromosomal abnormalities in patients with NOA (n=170). The histopathology specimens were analyzed based on the histopathological patterns of hypospermatogenesis, maturation arrest, and Sertoli cell-only syndrome. Results: The mean rate of sperm retrieval was 48.8%. The rate of sperm retrieval was significantly higher in the hypospermatogenesis group than in the other groups (p<0.001). There was a positive correlation between micro-TESE (vs. conventional TESE) and the sperm retrieval rate (odds ratio, 8.077; p<0.01). A logistic regression model demonstrated that high levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and small testicular volume were significantly associated with lower chances of successful sperm retrieval. Conclusion: Some parameters, including testicular histopathology patterns, FSH levels, testicular volume, and method of TESE surgery, may be able to predict the chances of obtaining spermatozoa in patients with NOA. However, despite the efficiency of some predictive models, the hope of retrieving any functioning spermatozoa may be sufficient to disregard predictive factors of the success of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in these patients.

New molecular record and some biochemical features of the rare plant species of Iranian lily (Lilium ledebourii Boiss.)

Mehdi Salehi,Abdollah Hatamzadeh,Vahab Jafarian,Shahin Zarre 한국원예학회 2019 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.60 No.4

The antioxidative potential and some phytochemicals of Lilium ledebourii Boiss. were biochemically analyzed using assays of extracts from the bulb, shoot and fl ower. In addition, the plant’s biosystematics was molecularly characterized using a phylogenetic tree. L. ledebourii plants were collected from their natural habitat. Biochemical assays showed a higher total phenolic and total fl avonoid content in the leaf than in the bulb (by 264.9% and 27.38%, respectively) and fl ower (by 331.18% and 47.85%, respectively). The fl ower had the highest total anthocyanin of all the organs. The DPPH-based antioxidant activity assay showed the highest activity level in the bulb, whereas FRAP- and BCLS-based assays revealed higher antioxidant activity in the leaf than in the bulb (by 7.1 and 3 folds, respectively) and fl ower (by 4.9 and 1.5 folds, respectively). Our results showed that phenolic and fl avonoid compositions were positively associated with antioxidative potential as assayed by FRAP and BCLS methods. The 5.8S ribosomal DNA sequence was extracted by PCR from genomic DNA and sequenced. Our molecular study resulted in a sequencing record of L. ledebourii var. Kelardasht Salehi 1 in Genbank with the accession number KX495217.1. We conclude that the antioxidant potential of L. ledebourii is strongly dependent on the organ and assay method.

Chelation of Thallium (III) in Rats Using Combined Deferasirox and Deferiprone Therapy

Salehi, Samie,Saljooghi, Amir Sh.,Badiee, Somayeh,Moqadam, Mojtaba Mashmool Korean Society of ToxicologyKorea Environmental Mu 2017 Toxicological Research Vol.33 No.4

Thallium and its compounds are a class of highly toxic chemicals that cause wide-ranging symptoms such as gastrointestinal disturbances; polyneuritis; encephalopathy; tachycardia; skin eruptions; hepatic, renal, cardiac, and neurological toxicities; and have mutagenic and genotoxic effects. The present research aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the chelating agents deferasirox (DFX) and deferiprone (L1) in reducing serum and tissue thallium levels after the administration of thallium (III), according to two different dosing regimens, to several groups of Wistar rats for 60 days. It was hypothesized that the two chelators might be more efficient as a combined therapy than as monotherapies in removing thallium (III) from the rats' organs. The chelators were administered orally as either single or combined therapies for a period of 14 days. Serum and tissue thallium (III) and iron concentrations were determined by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. Serum and tissue thallium (III) levels were significantly reduced by combined therapy with DFX and L1. Additionally, iron concentrations returned to normal levels and symptoms of toxicity decreased.

A study of energy absorption and exposure buildup factors in natural uranium

Salehi, Danial,Sardari, Dariush,Jozani, M.S. Techno-Press 2015 Advances in materials research Vol.4 No.1

Energy absorption and exposure buildup factor have been computed for natural uranium in the energy range of 0.05-15MeV up to penetration depth of 40 mfp. Five-parameter geometric progression (G-P) fitting method has been used to compute buildup factors of uranium. The variation of energy absorption and exposure buildup factors with, penetration depth and incident photon energies for the uranium has been studied. It has been concluded that the values of energy absorption and exposure buildup factors are very large at 0.15 MeV.

Doubly conditional moment closure modelling for HCCI with temperature inhomogeneities

Salehi, Fatemeh,Talei, Mohsen,Hawkes, Evatt R.,Bhagatwala, Ankit,Chen, Jacqueline H.,Yoo, Chun Sang,Kook, Sanghoon Elsevier 2017 Proceedings of the Combustion Institute Vol.36 No.3

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>This paper presents a doubly conditional moment closure (DCMC) as an <I>a posteriori</I> predictive modelling tool for ignition of mixtures with large thermal stratification in homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) conditions. Double conditioning is applied on enthalpy and its dissipation rate. The performance of the DCMC model is evaluated using a number of previously reported direct numerical simulations (DNSs) with various fuels. The DNSs modelled ignition of various lean homogeneous mixtures with a high level of temperature inhomogeneities. The selected cases exhibit a prevalence of deflagration mode of combustion as opposed to a spontaneous ignition-front mode, which has proven challenging for previous singly CMC. In all simulations, DCMC solver is run in a stand-alone mode with certain terms, such as the probability density functions of enthalpy and dissipation rate, being provided using the DNS input. The DCMC results are in a very good agreement with the DNS data, and are significantly improved compared with a singly conditional moment closure. A set of <I>a posteriori</I> DNS-DCMC tests is also performed to demonstrate importance of various terms in the doubly CMC equations. These tests first reveal that the effects of the cross dissipation and sources of enthalpy and dissipation rate (which lead to convective terms in conditional space) are insignificant and these terms can be safely neglected from the DCMC equations. The significance of this result is that the main unclosed models that would be needed for satisfactory results in a practical simulation of an engine would be the joint probably density function of enthalpy and its dissipation rate and the dissipation rate of dissipation rate.</P>

A Framework for Investigating Mobile Web Success in the Context of E-commerce: an Analytic Network Process (ANP) Approach

Salehi, Mona,Keramati, Abbas,Didehkhani, H. Korean Institute of Information Scientists and Eng 2010 Journal of Computing Science and Engineering Vol.4 No.1

This study proposes a framework to investigate the factors of mobile web success in the context of e-commerce, and the relative importance of these success factors in selecting the most preferred mobile web. First, the Updated Delone and Mclean IS success model (2003) is chosen to extract significant mobile web success factors in the context of e-commerce. Second, it is extended through applying an Analytic Network Process (ANP) approach for investigating the relative importance of each factor and ranking alternative mobile webs in the context of e-commerce. The choice of success measure is a function of the context, which is the objective of this study. Thus, the present study is aimed at evaluating the success of an e-commerce mobile web by customizing measures of the Updated Delone and McLean IS Success model according to the context.

Leaf Gas Exchanges and Mineral Ion Composition in Xylem Sap of Iranian Melon Affected by Rootstocks and Training Methods

Salehi, Reza,Kashi, Abdolkarim,Lee, Jung-Myung,Babalar, Mesbah,Delshad, Mojtaba,Lee, Sang-Gyu,Huh, Yun-Chan American Society for Horticultural Science 2010 HortScience Vol.45 No.5

<P>Photosynthetic characteristics, concentrations of mineral elements in xylem sap, and some vegetative traits of ‘Khatooni’ melon were compared with those of melons grafted onto three <I>Cucurbita</I> rootstocks cvs., Ace, Shintozwa, and ShintoHongto, and trained with three methods: T1) no pinching and fruit thinning; T2) pinched to produce two lateral branches; and T3) pinched to two branches and all the flowers and lateral branches from lower nodes thinned. Internal CO2 and water use efficiency varied with rootstocks. Stem diameter of scions, aerial fresh and dry weights, mean fruit weight and yield, electric conductivity, pH, and sap volume per plant of grafted plants were higher in grafted melons than in the nongrafted ones. These traits were unaffected by training methods. Mineral concentrations varied considerably depending on the rootstocks and training methods used. Xylem sap collected from the decapitated stem base of grafted melons trained with T2 and T3 methods contained a higher amount of mineral ions, especially NO3<SUP>−</SUP>, PO4<SUP>3−</SUP>, and K<SUP>+</SUP>, than did the sap from own-rooted plants. The increase in the mineral levels in sap resulting from grafting was most apparent in ‘Khatooni’ grafted onto ‘ShintoHongto’ rootstock.</P>

Corporate Governance and Cost of Equity: Evidence from Tehran Stock Exchange

SALEHI, Mahdi,ARIANPOOR, Arash,DALWAI, Tamanna Korea Distribution Science Association 2020 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.7 No.7

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of corporate governance index on the cost of equity in companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. This study collects data from 975 observations during the period 2012 to 2018 to test the hypotheses using multiple linear regression model for the panel data. In this research, the independent variable of corporate governance index comprises of 27 specific corporate governance attributes. The results of hypothesis testing showed that corporate governance has a negative and significant effect on the rate of capital cost. In other words, the quality of corporate governance can lower the rate of capital cost. This result suggests that, by using a powerful corporate governance system and by declining the information asymmetry (increasing transparency) and agency conflict, we would be able to enhance the quality of financial reports. It would strengthen the capital market, attract financial suppliers and investors, and absorb the required financial resources of the firm by a lower rate. The findings of the study suggest that companies are able to reduce the cost of equity by establishing strong corporate governance. This conclusion suggests the importance and effectiveness of corporate governance in the cost of equity.

Conditional moment closure modelling for HCCI with temperature inhomogeneities

Salehi, F.,Talei, M.,Hawkes, E.R.,Yoo, C.S.,Lucchini, T.,D'Errico, G.,Kook, S. Elsevier 2015 Proceedings of the Combustion Institute Vol.35 No.3

This paper presents an approach for modelling combustion in homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) conditions based on the first order conditional moment closure (CMC) method. The model is implemented into the open source C++ computational fluid dynamic (CFD) code known as OpenFOAM. Direct numerical simulations (DNSs) are used to evaluate the performance of the CFD-CMC solver. In the two-dimensional (2D) DNS cases, ignition of a lean n-heptane/air mixture with thermal inhomogeneities is simulated for nine cases, with two different mean temperatures and several different levels of thermal stratification. Results from the CFD-CMC solver are in excellent agreement with the DNS for cases which exhibit a spontaneous sequential ignition mode of combustion whereas for the cases in which a mixed mode of deflagration and spontaneous ignition exists, the CMC underpredicts the ignition delay. Further investigation using the DNS data demonstrates that this discrepancy is primarily attributed to the first order closure assumption. Conditional fluctuations are found to be more significant in the case with deflagrations. Further analysis of the DNS shows that scalar dissipation fluctuations are the cause of conditional fluctuations.

Discrimination of Iranian honeybee populations (Apis mellifera meda) from commercial subspecies of Apis mellifera L. using morphometric and genetic methods

Salehi Shahoo,Nazemi-Rafie Javad 한국응용곤충학회 2020 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.23 No.2

The morphological characters of honeybees have an important role for discriminating honeybee subspecies. In the present research, Iranian populations of honeybee (Apis mellifera) were collected from 19 areas in Iran. The samples were collected from stationary beekeeping sites. Moreover, pictures of honeybee forewings held in the Bee Data Bank in Oberursel were compared with Iranian honeybee populations. 19 morphological characters were measured for each forewing of worker honeybee to evaluate differentiation of Iranian honeybee populations from the commercial honeybee subspecies A. m. mellifera, A. m. carnica, A. m. caucasica and A. m. ligustica. Additionally, part of the tRNAleu gene, an intergenic region and part of COII was used to confirm differentiation of the commercial subspecies from Iranian honeybee populations. Results of the cluster analyses showed that 19 morphological characters of forewings differentiated Iranian populations from the commercial subspecies. Moreover, the phylogenetic tree of part of the tRNAleu gene, an intergenic region and part of COII differentiated the commercial subspecies from Iranian honeybee populations. Results of the discriminant function analyses (DFA) indicated that the references samples of A. m. meda overlapped with Iranian populations.