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The effects of starvation periods on physiological response of the juvenile Persian sturgeon, Acipencer persicus, was assessed through such stress factors as glucose, cortisol and hepatic enzymes for a period of 8 weeks. For this purpose, in a randomly designed experiment, five groups of fish (108.04 ± 0.28 gr) in 3 replicates were starved for a period of 0 (control), 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks and fed them to satiation after their starvation lags. Blood plasma glucose and cortisol during starvation periods did not significantly change (p>0.05). This indicates high performance of this specific in maintenance of blood glucose during starvation and recovery of glucose level after feeding. However, plasma hepatic enzymes level in fasting treatments increased (p<0.05), but reached the control level after 4 weeks of feeding. Considering the role of liver enzymes in gluconeogenesis and taking into consideration the constant plasma glucose and cortisol during periods of food deprivation, it seems that liver enzymes in the Persian sturgeon during food deprivation play a key role in stabilizing blood glucose. Considering the role of liver enzymes in gluconeogenesis, and taking into consideration the constant plasma glucose and cortisol during periods of food deprivation, In this study, it seems that liver enzymes in the Persian sturgeon during food deprivation play a key role in stabilizing blood glucose.

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Objective: The LRR (leucine rich proteoglycans) is a molecular recognition motif found in proteins with some roles in cell adhesion, signal transduction, DNA repair and RNA processing. Opticin is a member of this family. Takanosu et al (2001) detected messenger RNA expression of mouse opticin in the eye, heart, brain, testis, thyroid and epididymis by dot blot hybridization. In this study, expression levels of mRNA and protein of opticin was investigated by two monoclonal antibodies which were raised against opticin peptides. By this method structure of opticin in human and mouse has been studied. Materials and Methods: Mouse tissues including, kidney, testis, liver, lung, heart, brain, muscle, spleen and eye were isolated. Opticin expression was identified at mRNA and protein levels by RT-PCR and Western blot. Results: PCR analysis revealed that opticin mRNA is expressed in all the tissues studied except for the lung. However, opticin protein was detected in all tissues analyzed. Conclusion: Expression of opticin in the adult murine tissues may suggest functions other than that of putative regulation of vitreous collagen fibrillogenesis for this molecule.

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In this study, repeated low velocity impacts on aluminum plate are investigated experimentally and numerically. In order to investigate the failure mechanism, Lemitre's model of the continuum damage mechanics is used. Numerical simulation is carried out employing a Vumat subroutine in Abaqus FE package. Repeated impacts are performed on the plate with the same level of energy. Plastic deformation is observed on the plate in the first impact. During the subsequent impacts and prior to crack initiation, the effect of strain hardening on the aluminum plate is observed. After crack initiation, the stiffness of the structure decreases. As the impacts continue, stiffness further decreases and the damage area increases, finally perforation and penetration appear on the plate. Also, the present model is validated by the experimental results. Comparison of numerical with experimental results shows a good agreement for the force-time and force-displacement histories.

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The purpose of this work is to provide a model in lattice Boltzmann method for D simulating thermal rarified gas flows. The study model is a microchannel with a square cross section. The magnetic field flux was created by the magnets on two facing walls. The electrodes are embedded on the walls adjacent to that of the magnets and DC voltage is applied at both ends. Compressible fluid behavior is compared in slip (Kn =0.15) and transient (Kn =0.1) regimes. There are assumptions of laminar and steady flow. Newtonian fluid is electrically and magnetically conductive. Slip and temperature jump on the microchannel walls are considered and the effects of electric double layer thickness and changes of Hartmann number are studied. Since the ionic process is non-isothermal, energy equation is coupled with that of the velocity and the magnetic field and the effects of interaction forces of Lorentz, electric and electrothermal have been entered into Boltzmann equations in separate terms. The outcomes show the interaction between an axial electric field and a transverse magnetic field results in three-dimensional nature of the flow. Navier-Maxwell second order slip boundary condition imposed on the electromagnetic channel walls plays an important role in the vortices formation and the temperature distribution across the channel goes out of the symmetric state. Mass flow rate loss along the channel, resulting from the fluid rarefaction, and pressure deviation from linearity, across and along the channel axis because of the compressibility, was observed