International Journal of Science
Volume:4 Issue: 1, 2003

The teratogenic effects of morphine sulfate exposure, during pregnancy, were studied in Balb/C mice, in three different concentrations of 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/ml, using oral administration.For addiction, the drug was provided in increasing concentrations for 3 weeks (n=26-63);one control and seven experimental groups, for every concentration were used, which included non-administered (untreated) and administered (treated) females mated with treated and untreated males. For the first time, cesarean sections were performed on the end of gestation; number of fetuses and resorption sites were recorded.Fetuses and placentas were examined externally and preserved for subsequent visceral and skeletal examinations. Fetal morphine sulfate exposure was associated with significant reduction in size of litters (P<0.05), fetal weight (P<0.001), length of crown-rump (P<0.001, P<0.005) and placenta weight (P<0.001), P<0.005) and diameter (P<0.001), in two doses of 0.01 and 0.05 mg/ml. With using 0.1 mg/ml, only some experimental groups showed significant decrease (P<0.05). All exposed-groups showed an increase in the percentage of abnormalities compared to control groups (P<0.001). Staining the skeletal structures showed an extra rib in fetuses. Results revealed thatmorphine posssess:1) teratogenic potential on developing mice fetuses, in doses of 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/ml; 2) male - exposure to morphine has lower disruptive effects on embryos than female exposure, and 3) teratogenic effects of morphine increase with lower doses.

Variation in the composition of the production media were investigatedto optimize the excretion of the cellulolytic enzymes by Trichoderma reesei (CBS383.73) and a Botrytis sp. isolated from the microflora of Iran. The culture filtrate of Trichoderma reesei showed a cellulolytic activity of 300 mFPU/ml after 13 days of growth in a medium containing walseth cellulose (0.5%, w/v)at pH 5. Under similar production conditions, except for the initial pH of 7, the culture filtrate of Botrytis sp. showed an activity of 360 mFPU/ml. Replacement of walseth cellulose with H2O2 – treated bagasse, Barely husks, wheathusks, or sawdust (0.5% w/v) in the presence of the inducer (0.5% w/v, walseth cellulase) enhanced the extent of enzyme production by Trichoderma reesei to 780 mFPU/mL. The Botrytis sp. did not excreate cellulolytic enzyme using (as the main sources of carbon), the H2O2-treated bagasse or sawdust plus 0.5% walseth cellulose.However, the culture filtrate of the Botrutis sp. showed a cellulolytic activity of 679 or 463 mFPU/ml using the H2O2-treated wheat or barely husks(1% w/v) plus 0.5% walseth cellulose, respectively. In addition, the Calcium hydroxide treatment of the agricultural wastes depressed totally the enzyme secretion by the Botrytis sp. except for the treated sawdust which enhanced the enzyme production almost by a factor of seven in the absence of the inducer.

Major and minor elements in bulk rocks are due to occurrence of mostly quartz, ankerite, illite and minor pyrite. Silicification forms megaquartz by dissolution and replacement of carbonates. Illite is unaffected during ankerite formation. Gold mineralization is unrelatedto quartz, illite and pyrite contents. Gold mineralization is related to ankerite formation because gold content increases with increasing ankerite values.Gold mineralization occurred in a reducing burial environment. Fe in solution was high due to alteration of ultramafics and leaching of clay minerals during silicification. During silicification fluids were acidic and as these solutions progressively dissolved and replaced carbonate, the alkalinity of fluids increased and formed ankerite. In alkaline conditions, gold precipitated along with ankerite.

Dating is critical for the development of theories relating to many aspects of geology over Quaternary timescales (0-2 millions). Among different dating methods luminescence has the potential for covering a significant range of Quaternary time. In the last 3 decays, from 1967 to 2003, the use of luminescence signals from naturally occurring minerals has gone through a major transformation, from thermoluminescence (TL) dating of pottery to optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of sediments. The present work reportsaspects of recent advances of luminescence technique from naturally occurring minerals for dating applications. It has provided information about basic principles of luminescence dating and shows very briefly its progress from blue TL to OSL and red luminescence.