RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever dois casos de variantes raras da hemoglobinopatia falciforme. Descrição do caso: Apresentamos aqui dois casos de hemoglobinopatias variantes das células falciformes, de famílias não relacionadas, no estado do Baluchistão (Paquistão), sendo um diagnosticado como doença da hemoglobina SD na eletroforese de hemoglobina, enquanto o outro com doença da hemoglobina SE. Ambos foram diagnosticados a partir da apresentação de osteomielite. Comentários: Hemoglobina SD (Hb SD) e hemoglobina SE (Hb SE) são hemoglobinopatias raras no mundo. A escassez de literatura disponível sugere que ambas são variantes da doença falciforme (DF) com natureza heterogênea. A prevalência de hemoglobinopatia falciforme com heterozigosidade composta foi encontrada com frequência variável na população do sudeste asiático. A frequência de osteomielite na DF é de 12 a 18%, mas sua ocorrência entre as hemoglobinopatias falciformes variantes é pouco relatada. Os dois casos reportados apresentaram osteomielite como característica de apresentação da doença.

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe two cases of unusual variants of sickle cell disease. Case description: We present two cases of sickle cell disease variants (haemoglobinopathies), from unrelated families, in the state of Balochistan (Pakistan). One was diagnosed with sickle cell disease in the haemoglobin electrophoresis, whereas the other was diagnosed with sickle cell SE disease. Both were diagnosed based on the presentation of osteomyelitis. Comments: Haemoglobin SD disease (Hb SD) and haemoglobin SE disease (Hb SE) are rare haemoglobinopathies in the world. The lack of available literature suggests that both are variants of sickle cell disease (SCD), with heterogeneous nature. The prevalence of sickle cell disease with compound heterozygotes was found at a variable frequency in the population of the Asian Southeast. The frequency of osteomyelitis in SCD is 12 to 18%, but its occurrence among variant haemoglobinopathies is little reported. Both reported cases presented with osteomyelitis as a characteristic of the disease presentation.

Abstract Bridges are one of the most critical parts of transportation networks that may suffer damages against earthquakes. Also, seismic responses of most bridges are significantly influenced by soil-structure interaction effects. Taking out expansion joints in the bridges may cause many difficulties in design and analysis due to the complexity of soil-structure interaction and nonlinear behavior. The secondary loads on an IAB include seismic load, temperature variation, creep, shrinkage, backfill pressure on back wall and abutment, all of which cause superstructure length and stress variations in girder changes. The purpose of this study is to recognize the most effective parameters of analysis IABs. Findings show that the backfill material behind the IABs has a significant effect on the performance of IABs. Using a compressible material behind the abutments would enhance the in-service performance of IABs. Finally, behaviour of abutment may be greatly affected by thermal load and soil pressure. Thermal expansion coefficient significantly influences girder axial force, girder bending moment, and pile head/abutment displacement.

RESUMO A caracterização da composição elementar fornece informações úteis para caracterizar o grau de alteração dos solos. Em Miandoab, norte do Irã, esta caracterização não existe. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram avaliar o grau de intemperismo dos solos típicos da região usando a sua composição elementar e estimar esta composição usando espectroscopia infravermelha com transformada de Fourier (FTIR) e modelos Random Forest (RF). Foram selecionados cinco perfis de solo, incluindo Aridisolos e Inceptisolos, como os mais representativos da área. Os principais óxidos elementares foram determinados por fluorescência de raios-X em cada horizonte genético, mostrando que estes solos estavam em um estágio de baixo grau de desenvolvimento. Apenas o Al2O3 e o CaO foram estimados com precisão, com valores de R2 de 0,8 e erro quadrático médio nos dados utilizados para validação de 0,2 e 1,1, respectivamente, enquanto os outros óxidos não foram preditos satisfatoriamente, provavelmente devido às pequenas diferenças na sua composição. O modelo Random Forest forneceu importantes bandas espectrais relacionadas com o conteúdo de cada elemento. Para o Al2O3, estes atingiram a região 500 a 650 cm-1, o que foi atribuído a vibrações de flexão de OH e vibrações de Al-O de gibbsita e alumino-silicatos. Para o CaO, as bandas mais importantes estavam relacionadas ao teor de carbonatos. Os resultados indicam que uma combinação de espectros infravermelha de transformada de Fourier e modelos Random Forest pode ser usada como uma técnica rápida e de baixo custo para estimar a composição elementar de solos do norte do Irã.

ABSTRACT Characterizing the elemental composition provides useful information about the weathering degree of soils. In Miandoab County, Northern Iran, this characterization was missing, and thus the objectives of this work were to evaluate the weathering degrees for the most typical soils in the area from their elemental compositions, and to estimate this elemental composition using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Random Forest models. Five soil profiles, including Aridisols and Inceptisols, were selected as the most representative of the area. Major elemental oxides were determined in each genetic horizon by X-ray fluorescence, showing that these soils were at early developmental stages. Only Al2O3 and CaO were accurately estimated, with R2 values of 0.8, and out-of-bag mean square errors of 0.2 and 1.1, respectively. The other oxides were not predicted satisfactorily, probably due to small differences in their elemental compositions. Random Forest provided the important spectral bands related to the content of each element. For Al2O3, these bands were between 500 and 650 cm-1, which represent out-of-plane OH bending vibrations and Al-O gibbsite and alumino-silicate vibrations. For CaO, the most important bands are related to carbonate content. A combination of Fourier transform infrared spectra and Random Forest models can be used as a rapid and low-cost technique to estimate the elemental composition of arid and semi-arid soils of Northern Iran.

ABSTRACT The leaves of Acacia modesta Wall. have been shown to possess diverse pharmacological properties. Therefore, we aimed at evaluating anti-diabetic, cytotoxic and proliferative effects of extracts of Acacia modesta Wall. leaves. After evaluating the primary and secondary metabolites, anti-diabetic activity of various extracts was assessed by α-amylase inhibition, glucose uptake by yeast cells and non-enzymatic glycosylation of hemoglobin assay. Cytotoxicity and proliferative potential was assessed by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) and short term proliferation assays, respectively, using human liver carcinoma cell line, HepG2. Among other extracts, chloroform extract exhibited 34.16% inhibition of α-amylase, 90.65% inhibition of hemoglobin glycosylation and 94.75% glucose uptake employing α-amylase inhibition, non-enzymatic glycosylation of hemoglobin and glucose uptake by yeast cells assays, respectively. Moreover, extracts exhibited no significant effects on HepG2 cell viability and proliferation. So, this data suggested that chloroform extract of leaves of Acacia modesta Wall., exhibited higher anti-hyperglycemic activity in comparison to extracts in other solvents, while no extract demonstrated cytotoxic and proliferation effects when tested using HepG2 cell line.