Search results for: wheatstone bridge load cell

Authors: Gurleen Kour, Mowkshi Khullar, B. K. Chandan, Parvinder Pal Singh, Kushalava Reddy Yumpalla, Gurunadham Munagala, Ram A. Vishwakarma, Zabeer Ahmed

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New chemotherapeutic compounds against multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) are urgently needed to combat drug resistance in tuberculosis (TB). Apart from in-vitro potency against the target, physiochemical properties and pharmacokinetic properties play an imperative role in the process of drug discovery. We have identified novel nitroimidazole derivatives with potential activity against mycobacterium tuberculosis. One lead candidates, MCD-017, which showed potent activity against H37Rv strain (MIC=0.5µg/ml) and was further evaluated in the process of drug development. Methods: Basic physicochemical parameters like solubility and lipophilicity (LogP) were evaluated. Thermodynamic solubility was determined in PBS buffer (pH 7.4) using LC/MS-MS. The partition coefficient (Log P) of the compound was determined between octanol and phosphate buffered saline (PBS at pH 7.4) at 25°C by the microscale shake flask method. The compound followed Lipinski’s rule of five, which is predictive of good oral bioavailability and was further evaluated for metabolic stability. In-vitro metabolic stability was determined in rat liver microsomes. The hepatotoxicity of the compound was also determined in HepG2 cell line. In vivo pharmacokinetic profile of the compound after oral dosing was also obtained using balb/c mice. Results: The compound exhibited favorable solubility and lipophilicity. The physical and chemical properties of the compound were made use of as the first determination of drug-like properties. The compound obeyed Lipinski’s rule of five, with molecular weight < 500, number of hydrogen bond donors (HBD) < 5 and number of hydrogen bond acceptors(HBA) not more then 10. The log P of the compound was less than 5 and therefore the compound is predictive of exhibiting good absorption and permeation. Pooled rat liver microsomes were prepared from rat liver homogenate for measuring the metabolic stability. 99% of the compound was not metabolized and remained intact. The compound did not exhibit cytoxicity in hepG2 cells upto 40 µg/ml. The compound revealed good pharmacokinetic profile at a dose of 5mg/kg administered orally with a half life (t1/2) of 1.15 hours, Cmax of 642ng/ml, clearance of 4.84 ml/min/kg and a volume of distribution of 8.05 l/kg. Conclusion : The emergence of multi drug resistance (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) Tuberculosis emphasize the requirement of novel drugs active against tuberculosis. Thus, the need to evaluate physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties in the early stages of drug discovery is required to reduce the attrition associated with poor drug exposure. In summary, it can be concluded that MCD-017 may be considered a good candidate for further preclinical and clinical evaluations.

Keywords: mycobacterium tuberculosis, pharmacokinetics, physicochemical properties, hepatotoxicity

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Authors: Likith Reddy Pinninti, Fredrik Ribsskog Staven, Leslie Robert Noble, Jorge Manuel de Oliveira Fernandes, Deepti Manjari Patel, Torstein Kristensen

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Understanding fish behavior is essential to improve animal welfare in aquaculture research. Behavioral traits can have a strong influence on fish health and habituation. To identify the genes and biological pathways responsible for lumpfish behavior, we performed an experiment to understand the interspecies relationship (mutualism) between the lumpfish and salmon. Also, we tested the correlation between the gene expression data vs. observational/physiological data to know the essential genes that trigger stress and swimming behavior in lumpfish. After the de novo assembly of the brain transcriptome, all the samples were individually mapped to the available lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.) primary genome assembly (fCycLum1.pri, GCF_009769545.1). Out of ~16749 genes expressed in brain samples, we found 267 genes to be statistically significant (P > 0.05) found only in odor and control (1), model and control (41) and salmon and control (225) groups. However, genes with |LogFC| ≥0.5 were found to be only eight; these are considered as differentially expressed genes (DEG’s). Though, we are unable to find the differential genes related to the behavioral traits from RNA-Seq data analysis. From the correlation analysis, between the gene expression data vs. observational/physiological data (serotonin (5HT), dopamine (DA), 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), 5-hydroxy indole acetic acid (5-HIAA), Noradrenaline (NORAD)). We found 2495 genes found to be significant (P > 0.05) and among these, 1587 genes are positively correlated with the Noradrenaline (NORAD) hormone group. This suggests that Noradrenaline is triggering the change in pigmentation and skin color in lumpfish. Genes related to behavioral traits like rhythmic, locomotory, feeding, visual, pigmentation, stress, response to other organisms, taxis, dopamine synthesis and other neurotransmitter synthesis-related genes were obtained from the correlation analysis. In KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, we find important pathways, like the calcium signaling pathway and adrenergic signaling in cardiomyocytes, both involved in cell signaling, behavior, emotion, and stress. Calcium is an essential signaling molecule in the brain cells; it could affect the behavior of fish. Our results suggest that changes in calcium homeostasis and adrenergic receptor binding activity lead to changes in fish behavior during stress.

Keywords: behavior, De novo, lumpfish, salmon

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Authors: G. J. Fan, T. T. Lee, M. H. Chen, T. F. Shiao, B. Yu, C. F. Lee

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Rice straw with poor feed quality and spent mushroom substrate are both the most abundant agricultural residues in Taiwan. Edible mushrooms from white rot fungi possess lignocellulase activity. It was expected to improve the feeding value of rice straw for ruminant by solid-state fermentation pretreatment using spent mushroom substrate. Six varieties or subspecies of spent edible mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus (blue or white color), P. sajor-caju, P. citrinopileatus, P. eryngii and Ganoderma lucidium) substrate were evaluated in solid-state fermentation process with rice straw for 8 wks. Quality improvement of fermented rice straw was determined by its in vitro digestibility, lignocellulose degradability, and cell wall breakdown checked by scanning electron microscope. Results turned out that Pleurotus ostreatus (white color) and P. sajor-caju had the better lignocellulose degradation effect than the others and was chosen for advance in vivo study. Rice straw fermented with spent Pleurotus ostreatus or Pleurotus sajor-caju mushroom substrate 8 wks was prepared for growing and lactating feeding trials of dairy goat, respectively. Pangolagrass hay at 15% diet dry matter was the control diet. Fermented or original rice straw was added to substitute pangolagrass hay in both feeding trials. A total of 30 head of Alpine castrated ram were assigned into three groups for 11 weeks, 5 pens (2 head/pen) each group. A total of 21 head of Saanen and Alpine goats were assigned into three treatments and individually fed in two repeat lactating trials with 28-d each. In castrated ram study, results showed that fermented rice straw by spent Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom substrate attributed the higher daily dry matter intakes (DMI, 1.53 vs. 1.20 kg) and body weight gain (138 vs. 101 g) than goats fed original rice straw. DMI (2.25 vs. 1.81 kg) and milk yield (3.31 vs. 3.02 kg) of lactating goats fed control pangolagrass diet and fermented rice straw by spent Pleurotus sajor-caju mushroom substrate were also higher than those fed original rice straw diet (P < 0.05). Milk compositions, milk fat, protein, total solid and lactose, were similar among treatments. In conclusion, solid-state fermentation by spent Pleurotus ostreatus or Pleurotus sajor-caju mushroom substrate could effectively improve the feeding value of rice straw. Fermented rice straw is a good alternative fiber feed resource for growing and lactating dairy goats and 15% in diet dry matter is recommended.

Keywords: feeding value, fermented rice straw, growing and lactating dairy goat, spent Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus sajor-caju mushroom substrate

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Authors: Yew Mun Yip, Dawei Zhang

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Proteins are the biological machinery that executes specific vital functions in every cell of the human body by folding into their 3D structures. When a protein misfolds from its native structure, the machinery will malfunction and lead to misfolding diseases. Although in vitro experiments are able to conclude that the mutations of the amino acid sequence lead to incorrectly folded protein structures, these experiments are unable to decipher the folding process. Therefore, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations are employed to simulate the folding process so that our improved understanding of the folding process will enable us to contemplate better treatments for misfolding diseases. MD simulations make use of force fields to simulate the folding process of peptides. Secondary structures are formed via the hydrogen bonds formed between the backbone atoms (C, O, N, H). It is important that the hydrogen bond energy computed during the MD simulation is accurate in order to direct the folding process to the native structure. Since the atoms involved in a hydrogen bond possess very dissimilar electronegativities, the more electronegative atom will attract greater electron density from the less electronegative atom towards itself. This is known as the polarization effect. Since the polarization effect changes the electron density of the two atoms in close proximity, the atomic charges of the two atoms should also vary based on the strength of the polarization effect. However, the fixed atomic charge scheme in force fields does not account for the polarization effect. In this study, we introduce the polarized structure-specific backbone charge (PSBC) model. The PSBC model accounts for the polarization effect in MD simulation by updating the atomic charges of the backbone hydrogen bond atoms according to equations derived between the amount of charge transferred to the atom and the length of the hydrogen bond, which are calculated from quantum-mechanical calculations. Compared to other polarizable models, the PSBC model does not require quantum-mechanical calculations of the peptide simulated at every time-step of the simulation and maintains the dynamic update of atomic charges, thereby reducing the computational cost and time while accounting for the polarization effect dynamically at the same time. The PSBC model is applied to two different β-peptides, namely the Beta3s/GS peptide, a de novo designed three-stranded β-sheet whose structure is folded in vitro and studied by NMR, and the trpzip peptides, a double-stranded β-sheet where a correlation is found between the type of amino acids that constitute the β-turn and the β-propensity.

Keywords: hydrogen bond, polarization effect, protein folding, PSBC

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Authors: Fereydoon Bondarian, Samira Shaygan

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Today, many nutritionists recommend the consumption of plants, fruits, and vegetables to provide the antioxidants needed by the body because the use of plant antioxidants usually causes fewer side effects and better treatment. Natural antioxidants increase the power of plasma antioxidants and reduce the incidence of some diseases, such as cancer. Bad lifestyles and environmental factors play an important role in increasing the incidence of cancer. In this study, different extracts of white teas taken from two types of tea available in Iran (clone 100 and Chinese hybrid) due to the presence of a hydroxyl functional group in their structure to inhibit free radicals and anticancer properties, using 3 aqueous, methanolic and aqueous-methanolic methods were used. The total polyphenolic content was calculated using the Folin-Ciocalcu method, and the percentage of inhibition and trapping of free radicals in each of the extracts was calculated using the DPPH method. With the help of high-performance liquid chromatography, a small amount of each catechin in the tea samples was obtained. Clone 100 white tea was found to be the best sample of tea in terms of all the examined attributes (total polyphenol content, antioxidant properties, and individual amount of each catechin). The results showed that aqueous and aqueous-methanolic extracts of Clone 100 white tea have the highest total polyphenol content with 27.59±0.08 and 36.67±0.54 (equivalent gallic acid per gram dry weight of leaves), respectively. Due to having the highest level of different groups of catechin compounds, these extracts have the highest property of inhibiting and trapping free radicals with 66.61±0.27 and 71.74±0.27% (mg/l) of the extracted sample against ascorbic acid). Using the MTT test, the inhibitory effect of clone 100 white tea extract in inhibiting the growth of HCT-116 colon cancer cells was investigated and the best time and concentration treatments were 500, 150 and 1000 micrograms in 8, 16 and 24 hours, respectively. To investigate gene expression changes, selected genes, including tumorigenic genes, proto-oncogenes, tumor suppressors, and genes involved in apoptosis, were selected and analyzed using the real-time PCR method and in the presence of concentrations obtained for white tea. White tea extract at a concentration of 1000 μg/ml 3 times 16, 8, and 24 hours showed the highest growth inhibition in cancer cells with 53.27, 55.8, and 86.06%. The concentration of 1000 μg/ml aqueous extract of white tea under 24-hour treatment increased the expression of tumor suppressor genes compared to the normal sample.

Keywords: catechin, gene expression, suppressor genes, colon cell line

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Authors: Robin Anderson, Elizabeth Latham, David Nisbet

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Propagation and dissemination of antimicrobial resistant and pathogenic microbes from spoiled silages and composts represents a serious public health threat to humans and animals. In the present study, the antimicrobial activity of the short chain nitro-compound, 2-nitro-1-propanol (9 mM) as well as the medium chain fatty acid, lauric acid, and its glycerol monoester, monolaurin, (each at 25 and 17 µmol/mL, respectfully) were investigated against select pathogenic and multi-drug resistant antimicrobial resistant Gram-positive bacteria common to spoiled silages and composts. In an initial study, we found that growth rates of a multi-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (expressing resistance against erythromycin, quinupristin/dalfopristin and tetracycline) and Staphylococcus aureus strain 12600 (expressing resistance against erythromycin, linezolid, penicillin, quinupristin/dalfopristin and vancomycin) were more than 78% slower (P < 0.05) by 2-nitro-1-propanol treatment during culture (n = 3/treatment) in anaerobically prepared ½ strength Brain Heart Infusion broth at 37oC when compared to untreated controls (0.332 ± 0.04 and 0.108 ± 0.03 h-1, respectively). The growth rate of 2-nitro-1-propanol-treated Listeria monocytogenes was also decreased by 96% (P < 0.05) when compared to untreated controls cultured similarly (0.171 ± 0.01 h-1). Maximum optical densities measured at 600 nm were lower (P < 0.05) in 2-nitro-1-propanol-treated cultures (0.053 ± 0.01, 0.205 ± 0.02 and 0.041 ± 0.01, respectively) than in untreated controls (0.483 ± 0.02, 0.523 ± 0.01 and 0.427 ± 0.01, respectively) for E. faecalis, S. aureus and L. monocytogenes, respectively. When tested against mixed microbial populations during anaerobic 24 h incubation of spoiled silage, significant effects of treatment with 1 mg 2-nitro-1-propanol (approximately 9.5 µmol/g) or 5 mg lauric acid/g (approximately 25 µmol/g) on populations of wildtype Enterococcus and Listeria were not observed. Mixed populations treated with 5 mg monolaurin/g (approximately 17 µmol/g) had lower (P < 0.05) viable cell counts of wildtype enterococci than untreated controls after 6 h incubation (2.87 ± 1.03 versus 5.20 ± 0.25 log10 colony forming units/g, respectively) but otherwise significant effects of monolaurin were not observed. These results reveal differential susceptibility of multi-drug resistant enterococci and staphylococci as well as L. monocytogenes to the inhibitory activity of 2-nitro-1-propanol and the medium chain fatty acid, lauric acid and its glycerol monoester, monolaurin. Ultimately, these results may lead to improved treatment technologies to preserve the microbiological safety of silages and composts.

Keywords: 2-nitro-1-propanol, lauric acid, monolaurin, gram positive bacteria

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Authors: Noa Nelson, Meitar Moshe, Dana Cohen

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Work-family conflict (WFC) is a significant source of stress for contemporary employees, with research indicating its heightened severity for women. The conservation of resources theory argues that individuals experience stress when their resources fall short of demands, and attempt to reach balance by obtaining resources. Presumably then, to achieve work-family balance women would need to negotiate for resources such as spouse support, employer support and work flexibility. The current research tested the hypotheses that competent negotiation at home and at work associated with increased family and job resources and with decreased WFC, as well as with higher work, marital and life satisfaction. In the first study, 113 employed mothers, married or cohabiting, reported to what extent they conducted satisfactory negotiation with spouse over division of housework, and their actual housework load compared to spouse. They answered a WFC questionnaire, measuring how much work interferes with family (WIF) and how much family interferes with work (FIW), and finally, measurements of satisfaction. In the second study, 94 employed mothers, married or cohabiting reported to what extent they conducted satisfactory negotiation with their boss over balancing work demands with family needs. They reported the levels of three job resources: flexibility, control and family-friendly organizational culture. Finally, they answered the same WFC and satisfaction measurements from study 1. Statistical analyses –t-tests, correlations, and hierarchical linear regressions- showed that in both studies, women reported higher WIF than FIW. Negotiations associated with increased resources: support from spouse, work flexibility and control and a family-friendly culture; negotiation with spouse associated also with satisfaction measurements. However, negotiations or resources (except family-friendly culture) did not associate with reduced conflict. The studies demonstrate the role of negotiation in obtaining family and job resources. Causation cannot be determined, but the fact is that employed mothers who enjoyed more support (at both home and work), flexibility and control, were more likely to keep active interactions to increase them. This finding has theoretical and practical implications, especially in view of research on female avoidance of negotiation. It is intriguing that negotiations and resources generally did not associate with reduced WFC. This finding might reflect the severity of the conflict, especially of work interfering with family, which characterizes many contemporary jobs. It might also suggest that employed mothers have high expectations from themselves, and even under supportive circumstances, experience the challenge of balancing two significant and demanding roles. The research contributes to the fields of negotiation, gender, and work-life balance. It calls for further studies, to test its model in additional populations and validate the role employees have in actively negotiating for the balance that they need. It also calls for further research to understand the contributions of job and family resources to reducing work-family conflict, and the circumstances under which they contribute.

Keywords: sork-family conflict, work-life balance, negotiation, gender, job resources, family resources

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Authors: M. Tammaro, S. Manzo, J. Rimauro, A. Salluzzo, S. Schiavo

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The solar photovoltaic (PV) modules are considered to have a negligible environmental impact compared to the fossil energy. Therefore also the waste management and the corresponding potential environmental hazard needs to be considered. The case of the photovoltaic panel is unique because the time lag from the manufacturing to the decommissioning as waste usually takes 25-30 years. Then the environmental hazard associated with end life of PV panels has been largely related to their metal contents. The principal concern regards the presence of heavy metals as Cd in thin film (TF) modules or Pb and Cr in crystalline silicon (c-Si) panels. At the end of life of PV panels, these dangerous substances could be released in the environment, if special requirements for their disposal are not adopted. Nevertheless, in literature, only a few experimental study about metal emissions from silicon crystalline/thin film panels and the corresponding environmental effect are present. As part of a study funded by the Italian national consortium for the waste collection and recycling (COBAT), the present work was aimed to analyze experimentally the potential release into the environment of hazardous elements, particularly metals, from PV waste. In this paper, for the first time, eighteen releasable metals a large number of photovoltaic panels, by c-Si and TF, manufactured in the last 30 years, together with the environmental effects by a battery of ecotoxicological tests, were investigated. Leaching tests are conducted on the crushed samples of PV module. The test is conducted according to Italian and European Standard procedure for hazard assessment of the granular waste and of the sludge. The sample material is shaken for 24 hours in HDPE bottles with an overhead mixer Rotax 6.8 VELP at indoor temperature and using pure water (18 MΩ resistivity) as leaching solution. The liquid-to-solid ratio was 10 (L/S=10, i.e. 10 liters of water per kg of solid). The ecotoxicological tests were performed in the subsequent 24 hours. A battery of toxicity test with bacteria (Vibrio fisheri), algae (Pseudochirneriella subcapitata) and crustacea (Daphnia magna) was carried out on PV panel leachates obtained as previously described and immediately stored in dark and at 4°C until testing (in the next 24 hours). For understand the actual pollution load, a comparison with the current European and Italian benchmark limits was performed. The trend of leachable metal amount from panels in relation to manufacturing years was then highlighted in order to assess the environmental sustainability of PV technology over time. The experimental results were very heterogeneous and show that the photovoltaic panels could represent an environmental hazard. The experimental results showed that the amounts of some hazardous metals (Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni), for c-Si and TF, exceed the law limits and they are a clear indication of the potential environmental risk of photovoltaic panels "as a waste" without a proper management.

Keywords: photovoltaic panel, environment, ecotoxicity, metals emission

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Authors: Haile Nega Mulata, Seifu Daniel, Umeta Melaku, Wendwesson Ergete, Natesan Gnanasekaran

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Background: In Ethiopia, medicinal plants have been used for various human and animal diseases. In this study, we have examined the potential effect of hydroethanolic extract of Calpurnia aurea seed against hepatotoxicity and haematotoxicity induced by Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) drugs in Albino Wistar rats. Methods: We collected Matured dried seeds of Calpurnia aurea from northern Ethiopia (south Tigray and south Gondar) in June 2013. The powder of the dried seed sample was macerated with 70% ethanol and dried using rotavapor. We have investigated the Preliminary phytochemical tests and in-vitro antioxidant properties. Then, we induced toxicity with HAART drugs and gave the experimental animals different doses of the crude extract orally for thirty-five days. On the 35th day, the animals were fasted overnight and sacrificed by cervical dislocation. We collected the blood samples by cardiac puncture. We excised the liver and brain tissues for further histopathological studies. Subsequently, we analysed serum levels of the liver enzymes- Alanine Aminotransferase, Aspartate Aminotransferase, Alkaline Phosphatase, Total Bilirubin, and Serum Albumin, using commercial kits in Cobas Integra 400 Plus Roche Analyzer Germany. We have also assessed the haematological profile using an automated haematology Analyser (Sysmex KX-2IN). Results: A significant (P<0.05) decrease in serum enzymes (ALT and AST) and total bilirubin were observed in groups that received the highest dose (300mg/kg) of the seed extract. And significant (P<0.05) elevation of total red blood cell count, haemoglobin, and hematocrit percentage was observed in the groups that received the seed extract compared to the HAART-treated groups. The WBC count mean values showed a statistically significant increase (p<0.05) in groups that received HAART and 200 and 300mg/kg extract, respectively. The histopathological observations also showed that the oral administration of varying doses of the crude extract of the seed reversed to a normal state. Conclusion: The hydroethanolic extract of the Calpurnia aurea seed lowered the hepatotoxicity and haematotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. The antioxidant properties of the Calpurnia aurea seed extract may have possible protective effects against the drug's toxicity.

Keywords: calpurnia aurea, hepatotoxicity, haematotoxicity, antioxidant, histopathology, HAART

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Authors: Tamara Romero, Manuel Romero-Huelva, Jose V. Segarra, Jose Castro, Carlos Fernandez

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Many foods resulting from processing and manufacturing end up as waste, most of which is burned, dumped into landfills or used as compost, which leads to wasted resources, and environmental problems due to unsuitable disposal. Using residues of the crop and food processing industries to feed livestock has the advantage to obviating the need for costly waste management programs. The main residue generated in citrus cultivations and rice crop are pruning waste and rice straw, respectively. Within Spain, the Valencian Community is one of the world's oldest citrus and rice production areas. The objective of this experiment found out the effects of including orange leaves and rice straw as ingredients in the concentrate diets of goats, on milk production and methane (CH₄) emissions. Ten Murciano-Granadina dairy goats (45 kg of body weight, on average) in mid-lactation were selected in a crossover design experiment, where each goat received two treatments in 2 periods. Both groups were fed with 1.7 kg pelleted mixed ration; one group (n= 5) was a control (C) and the other group (n= 5) used orange leaves and rice straw (OR). The forage was alfalfa hay, and it was the same for the two groups (1 kg of alfalfa was offered by goat and day). The diets employed to achieve the requirements during lactation period for caprine livestock. The goats were allocated to individual metabolism cages. After 14 days of adaptation, feed intake and milk yield were recorded daily over a 5 days period. Physico-chemical parameters and somatic cell count in milk samples were determined. Then, gas exchange measurements were recorded individually by an open-circuit indirect calorimetry system using a head box. The data were analyzed by mixed model with diet and digestibility as fixed effect and goat as random effect. No differences were found for dry matter intake (2.23 kg/d, on average). Higher milk yield was found for C diet than OR (2.3 vs. 2.1 kg/goat and day, respectively) and, greater milk fat content was observed for OR than C (6.5 vs. 5.5%, respectively). The cheese extract was also greater in OR than C (10.7 vs. 9.6%). Goats fed OR diet produced significantly fewer CH₄ emissions than C diet (27 vs. 30 g/d, respectively). These preliminary results (LIFE Project LOWCARBON FEED LIFE/CCM/ES/000088) suggested that the use of these waste by-products was effective in reducing CH₄ emission without detrimental effect on milk yield.

Keywords: agricultural waste, goat, milk production, methane emission

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Authors: Soniya Nityanand, Ekta Minocha, Manali Jain, Rohit Anthony Sinha, Chandra Prakash Chaturvedi

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Amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSC) have been shown to contribute towards the amelioration of Acute Renal Failure (ARF), but the mechanisms underlying the renoprotective effect are largely unknown. Therefore, the main goal of the current study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of AFSC in a cisplatin-induced rat model of ARF and to investigate the underlying mechanisms responsible for its renoprotective effect. To study the therapeutic efficacy of AFSC, ARF was induced in Wistar rats by an intra-peritoneal injection of cisplatin, and five days after administration, the rats were randomized into two groups and injected with either AFSC or normal saline intravenously. On day 8 and 12 after cisplatin injection, i.e., day 3 and day7 post-therapy respectively, the blood biochemical parameters, histopathological changes, apoptosis and expression of pro-apoptotic, anti-apoptotic and autophagy-related proteins in renal tissues were studied in both groups of rats. Administration of AFSC in ARF rats resulted in improvement of renal function and attenuation of renal damage as reflected by significant decrease in blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine levels, tubular cell apoptosis as assessed by Bax/Bcl2 ratio, and expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins viz. PUMA, Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9 as compared to saline-treated group. Furthermore, in the AFSC-treated group as compared to saline-treated group, there was a significant increase in the activation of autophagy as evident by increased expression of LC3-II, ATG5, ATG7, Beclin1 and phospho-AMPK levels with a concomitant decrease in phospho-p70S6K and p62 expression levels. To further confirm whether the protective effects of AFSC on cisplatin-induced apoptosis were dependent on autophagy, chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor was administered by the intra-peritoneal route. Chloroquine administration led to significant reduction in the anti-apoptotic effects of the AFSC therapy and further deterioration in the renal structure and function caused by cisplatin. Collectively, our results put forth that AFSC ameliorates cisplatin-induced ARF through induction of autophagy and inhibition of apoptosis. Furthermore, the protective effects of AFSC were blunted by chloroquine, highlighting that activation of autophagy is an important mechanism of action for the protective role of AFSC in cisplatin-induced renal injury.

Keywords: amniotic fluid stem cells, acute renal failure, autophagy, cisplatin

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Authors: Aguasanta Miguel Sarmiento, José Miguel Dávila, María Luisa de la Torre

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Acid mine drainage (AMD) is an acidic leachate with high levels of metals and sulphates in solution, which seriously affects the durability and strength of metallic materials used in the construction of structural and mechanical components. This paper presents the results of the evolution over time of the reduction in tensile strength and defects in AISI 304 stainless steel in contact with acid mine drainage. For this purpose, a total of 30 bars with a diameter of 8 mm and a length of 14 cm were placed transversely in the course of a stream contaminated by AMD from the sulphide mines of the Iberian Pyritic Belt (SW Spain). This stream has average pH values of 2.6, a potential of 660 mV, and average concentrations of 12 g/L of sulphates, 1.2 g/L of Fe, 191 mg/L of Zn, etc. Every two months of exposure, 6 stainless steel bars were extracted from the acid stream. They were subjected to surface roughness analysis carried out with the help of Mitutoyo Surftest SJ-210 surface roughness tester. The analysis was carried out at three different points on 5 specimens from each series. The average reading of each parameter is calculated in order to ensure the accuracy of the measurements and the surface coverage. Arithmetic mean roughness value (Ra), mean roughness depth (Rz), and root mean square roughness (Rq) were measured. Five specimens from each series were statically tensile tested using universal equipment (Servosis ME 403 of 200kN). The specimens were clamped at their ends with two grips for cylindrical sections, and the tensile force was applied at a constant speed of 0.5 kN/s, according to the requirements of standard UNE-EN ISO 6892-1: 2020. To determine the modulus of elasticity, limits close to 15% and 55% of the maximum load were used, depending on the course of each test. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) was used to observe corrosion products and defects generated by exposure to AMD. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) was used to analyse the chemical composition of the corrosion products formed. For this purpose, small pieces were cut from the resulting specimens, cleaned, and embedded in epoxy resin. The results show that after only 5 months of exposure of AISI 304 stainless steel to the mining environment, the surface roughness increases significantly, with average depths almost 6 times greater than the initial one. Cracks are observed on the surface of the material, which increases in size with the time of exposure. A large number of grains with a composition of more than 57% Pb and 16% Sn can be observed inside these cracks. Tensile tests show a reduction in the resistance of this material after only two months of exposure. The results show the serious problems that would result from the use of this material for the use of mechanical components in a sulphide mining environment, not only because of the significant reduction in the lifetime of such components, but also because of the implications for human safety.

Keywords: acid mine drainage, corrosion, mechanical properties, stainless steel

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Authors: Maria Botero-Uribe, Melissa Fitzgerald, Robert Gilbert, Kim Bryceson, Jocelyn Midgley

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French fry manufacturing involves a series of processes in which structural properties of potatoes are modified to produce crispy french fries which consumers enjoy. In addition to the traditional french fry manufacturing process, the industry is applying a relatively new process called pulsed electrical field (PEF) to the whole potatoes. There is a wealth of information on the technical treatment conditions of PEF, however, there is a lack of information about its effect on the structural properties that affect texture and its synergistic interactions with the other manufacturing steps of french fry production. The effect of PEF on starch gelatinisation properties of Russet Burbank potato was measured using a Differential Scanning Calorimeter. Cation content (K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometry. Firmness, and toughness of raw and blanched potatoes were determined in an uniaxial compression test. Moisture content was determined in a vacuum oven and oil content was measured using the soxhlet system with hexane. The final texture of the french fries – crispness - was determined using a three bend point test. Triangle tests were conducted to determine if consumers were able to perceive sensory differences between French fries that were PEF treated and those without treatment. The concentration of K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ decreased significantly in the raw potatoes after the PEF treatment. The PEF treatment significantly increased modulus of elasticity, compression strain, compression force and toughness in the raw potato. The PEF-treated raw potato were firmer and stiffer, and its structure integrity held together longer, resisted higher force before fracture and stretched further than the untreated ones. The strain stress relationship exhibited by the PEF-treated raw potato could be due to an increase in the permeability of the plasmalema and tonoplasm allowing Ca2+ and Mg2+ cations to reach the cell wall and middle lamella, and be available for cross linking with the pectin molecule. The PEF-treated raw potato exhibited a slightly higher onset gelatinisation temperatures, similar peak temperatures and lower gelatinisation ranges than the untreated raw potatoes. The final moisture content of the french fries was not significantly affected by the PEF treatment. Oil content in the PEF- treated potatoes was lower than the untreated french fries, however, not statistically significant at 5 %. The PEF treatment did not have an overall significant effect on french fry crispness (modulus of elasticity), flexure stress or strain. The triangle tests show that most consumers could not detect a difference between French fries that received a PEF treatment from those that did not.

Keywords: french fries, mechanical properties, PEF, potatoes

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Authors: Vaidehi Raipat

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A city is an expression of coexistence between its users and built environment. The way in which its spaces are animated signify the quality of this coexistence. Urban sustainability is the ability of a city to respond efficiently towards its people, culture, environment, visual image, history, visions and identity. The quality of built environment determines the quality of our lifestyles, but poor ability of the built environment to adapt and sustain itself through the changes leads to degradation of cities. Ranchi was created in November 2000, as the capital of the newly formed state Jharkhand, located on eastern side of India. Before this Ranchi was known as summer capital of Bihar and was a little larger than a town in terms of development. But since then it has been vigorously expanding in size, infrastructure as well as population. This sudden expansion has created a stress on existing built environment. The large forest covers, agricultural land, diverse culture and pleasant climatic conditions have degraded and decreased to a large extent. Narrow roads and old buildings are unable to bear the load of the changing requirements, fast improving technology and growing population. The built environment has hence been rendered unsustainable and unadaptable through fastidious changes of present era. Some of the common hazards that can be easily spotted in the built environment are half-finished built forms, pedestrians and vehicles moving on the same part of the road. Unpaved areas on street edges. Over-sized, bright and randomly placed hoardings. Negligible trees or green spaces. The old buildings have been poorly maintained and the new ones are being constructed over them. Roads are too narrow to cater to the increasing traffic, both pedestrian and vehicular. The streets have a large variety of activities taking place on them, but haphazardly. Trees are being cut down for road widening and new constructions. There is no space for greenery in the commercial as well as old residential areas. The old infrastructure is deteriorating because of poor maintenance and the economic limitations. Pseudo understanding of functionality as well as aesthetics drive the new infrastructure. It is hence necessary to evaluate the extent of sustainability of existing built environment of the city and create or regenerate the existing built environment into a more sustainable and adaptable one. For this purpose, research titled “Sustainability of the Built Environment of Ranchi District” has been carried out. In this research the condition of the built environment of Ranchi are explored so as to figure out the problems and shortcomings existing in the city and provide for design strategies that can make the existing built-environment sustainable. The built environment of Ranchi that include its outdoor spaces like streets, parks, other open areas, its built forms as well as its users, has been analyzed in terms of various urban design parameters. Based on which strategies have been suggested to make the city environmentally, socially, culturally and economically sustainable.

Keywords: adaptable, built-environment, sustainability, urban

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Authors: Mustafa M. Donma, Orkide Donma

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Obesity is a clinical state associated with low-grade inflammation. It is also a major risk factor for insulin resistance (IR). In its advanced stages, metabolic syndrome (MetS), a much more complicated disease which may lead to life-threatening problems, may develop. Obesity-mediated IR seems to correlate with the inflammation. Human studies performed particularly on pediatric population are scarce. The aim of this study is to detect possible associations between inflammation and IR in terms of some related ratios. 549 children were grouped according to their age- and sex-based body mass index (BMI) percentile tables of WHO. MetS components were determined. Informed consent and approval from the Ethics Committee for Clinical Investigations were obtained. The principles of the Declaration of Helsinki were followed. The exclusion criteria were infection, inflammation, chronic diseases and those under drug treatment. Anthropometric measurements were obtained. Complete blood cell, fasting blood glucose, insulin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) analyses were performed. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), systemic immune inflammation (SII) index, tense index, alanine aminotransferase to aspartate aminotransferase ratio (ALT/AST), neutrophils to lymphocyte (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte, and lymphocyte to monocyte ratios were calculated. Data were evaluated by statistical analyses. The degree for statistical significance was 0.05. Statistically significant differences were found among the BMI values of the groups (p < 0.001). Strong correlations were detected between the BMI and waist circumference (WC) values in all groups. Tense index values were also correlated with both BMI and WC values in all groups except overweight (OW) children. SII index values of children with normal BMI were significantly different from the values obtained in OW, obese, morbid obese and MetS groups. Among all the other lymphocyte ratios, NLR exhibited a similar profile. Both HOMA-IR and ALT/AST values displayed an increasing profile from N towards MetS3 group. BMI and WC values were correlated with HOMA-IR and ALT/AST. Both in morbid obese and MetS groups, significant correlations between CRP versus SII index as well as HOMA-IR versus ALT/AST were found. ALT/AST and HOMA-IR values were correlated with NLR in morbid obese group and with SII index in MetS group, (p < 0.05), respectively. In conclusion, these findings showed that some parameters may exhibit informative differences between the early and late stages of obesity. Important associations among HOMA-IR, ALT/AST, NLR and SII index have come to light in the morbid obese and MetS groups. This study introduced the SII index and NLR as important inflammatory markers for the discrimination of normal and obese children. Interesting links were observed between inflammation and IR in morbid obese children and those with MetS, both being late stages of obesity.

Keywords: children, inflammation, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, obesity

Procedia PDF Downloads 140

Authors: Sara R. Knigge, Sugat R. Tuladhar, Hans-Klaus HöFfler, Tobias Schilling, Tim Kaufeld, Axel Haverich

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Tissue engineered (TE) heart valves based on degradable electrospun fiber scaffold represent a promising approach to overcome the known limitations of mechanical or biological prostheses. But the mechanical stress in the high-pressure system of the human circulation is a severe challenge for the delicate materials. Hence, the prediction of the scaffolds` in vivo degradation kinetics must be as accurate as possible to prevent fatal events in future animal or even clinical trials. Therefore, this study investigates whether long-term testing in full blood provides more meaningful results regarding the degradation behavior than conventional tests in simulated body fluids (SBF) or Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS). Fiber mats were produced from a polycaprolactone (PCL)/tetrafluoroethylene solution by electrospinning. The morphology of the fiber mats was characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A maximum physiological degradation environment utilizing a test set-up with porcine full blood was established. The set-up consists of a reaction vessel, an oxygenator unit, and a roller pump. The blood parameters (pO2, pCO2, temperature, and pH) were monitored with an online test system. All tests were also carried out in the test circuit with SBF and PBS to compare conventional degradation media with the novel full blood setting. The polymer's degradation is quantified by SEM picture analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Raman spectroscopy. Tensile and cyclic loading tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical integrity of the scaffold. Preliminary results indicate that PCL degraded slower in full blood than in SBF and PBS. The uptake of water is more pronounced in the full blood group. Also, PCL preserved its mechanical integrity longer when degraded in full blood. Protein absorption increased during the degradation process. Red blood cells, platelets, and their aggregates adhered on the PCL. Presumably, the degradation led to a more hydrophilic polymeric surface which promoted the protein adsorption and the blood cell adhesion. Testing degradable implants in full blood allows for developing more reliable scaffold materials in the future. Material tests in small and large animal trials thereby can be focused on testing candidates that have proven to function well in an in-vivo-like setting.

Keywords: Electrospun scaffold, full blood degradation test, long-term polymer degradation, tissue engineered aortic heart valve

Procedia PDF Downloads 156

Authors: I. C. Orabueze, A. A. Amudalat, S. A. Adesegun, A. A. Usman

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Dental and associated oral diseases are increasingly affecting a considerable portion of the population and are considered some of the major causes of tooth loss, discomfort, mouth odor and loss of confidence. This study focused on the ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in oral therapy and evaluation of the antimicrobial activities of methanolic extracts of two selected plants from the survey for their efficacy against dental microorganisms. The ethnobotanical survey was carried out in six herbal markets in Lagos State, Nigeria by oral interviewing and information obtained from an old family manually complied herbal medication book. Methanolic extracts of Olax subscorpioidea (stem bark) and Bridelia ferruginea (stem bark) were assayed for their antimicrobial activities against clinical oral isolates (Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Streptococcus spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). In vitro microbial technique (agar well diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay) were employed for the assay. Chlorhexidine gluconate was used as the reference drug for comparison with the extract results. And the preliminary phytochemical screening of the constituents of the plants were done. The ethnobotanical survey produced plants (28) of diverse family. Different parts of plants (seed, fruit, leaf, root, bark) were mentioned but 60% mentioned were either the stem or the bark. O. subscorpioidea showed considerable antifungal activity with zone of inhibition ranging from 2.650 – 2.000 cm against Aspergillus fumigatus but no such encouraging inhibitory activity was observed in the other assayed organisms. B. ferruginea showed antibacterial sensitivity against Streptococcus spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with zone of inhibitions ranging from 3.400 - 2.500, 2.250 - 1.600, 2.700 - 1.950, 2.225 – 1.525 cm respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration of O. subscorpioidea against Aspergillus fumigatus was 51.2 mg ml-1 while that of B. ferruginea against Streptococcus spp was 0.1mg ml-1 and for Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were 25.6 mg ml-1. A phytochemical analysis reveals the presence of alkaloids, saponins, cardiac glycoside, tannins, phenols and terpenoids in both plants, with steroids only in B. ferruginea. No toxicity was observed among mice given the two methanolic extracts (1000 mg Kg-1) after 21 days. The barks of both plants exhibited antimicrobial properties against periodontal diseases causing organisms assayed, thus up-holding their folkloric use in oral disorder management. Further research could be done viewing these extracts as combination therapy, checking for possible synergistic value in toothpaste and oral rinse formulations for reducing oral bacterial flora and fungi load.

Keywords: antimicrobial activities, Bridelia ferruginea, dental disinfection, methanolic extract, Olax subscorpioidea, ethnobotanical survey

Procedia PDF Downloads 248

Authors: Vibha Devi, Shabina Khanam

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Hemp (Cannabis sativa) possesses a rich content of ω-6 linoleic and ω-3 linolenic essential fatty acid in the ratio of 3:1, which is a rare and most desired ratio that enhances the quality of hemp oil. These components are beneficial for the development of cell and body growth, strengthen the immune system, possess anti-inflammatory action, lowering the risk of heart problem owing to its anti-clotting property and a remedy for arthritis and various disorders. The present study employs supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) approach on hemp seed at various conditions of parameters; temperature (40 - 80) °C, pressure (200 - 350) bar, flow rate (5 - 15) g/min, particle size (0.430 - 1.015) mm and amount of co-solvent (0 - 10) % of solvent flow rate through central composite design (CCD). CCD suggested 32 sets of experiments, which was carried out. As SFE process includes large number of variables, the present study recommends the application of resampling techniques for cross-validation of the obtained data. Cross-validation refits the model on each data to achieve the information regarding the error, variability, deviation etc. Bootstrap and jackknife are the most popular resampling techniques, which create a large number of data through resampling from the original dataset and analyze these data to check the validity of the obtained data. Jackknife resampling is based on the eliminating one observation from the original sample of size N without replacement. For jackknife resampling, the sample size is 31 (eliminating one observation), which is repeated by 32 times. Bootstrap is the frequently used statistical approach for estimating the sampling distribution of an estimator by resampling with replacement from the original sample. For bootstrap resampling, the sample size is 32, which was repeated by 100 times. Estimands for these resampling techniques are considered as mean, standard deviation, variation coefficient and standard error of the mean. For ω-6 linoleic acid concentration, mean value was approx. 58.5 for both resampling methods, which is the average (central value) of the sample mean of all data points. Similarly, for ω-3 linoleic acid concentration, mean was observed as 22.5 through both resampling. Variance exhibits the spread out of the data from its mean. Greater value of variance exhibits the large range of output data, which is 18 for ω-6 linoleic acid (ranging from 48.85 to 63.66 %) and 6 for ω-3 linoleic acid (ranging from 16.71 to 26.2 %). Further, low value of standard deviation (approx. 1 %), low standard error of the mean (< 0.8) and low variance coefficient (< 0.2) reflect the accuracy of the sample for prediction. All the estimator value of variance coefficients, standard deviation and standard error of the mean are found within the 95 % of confidence interval.

Keywords: resampling, supercritical fluid extraction, hemp oil, cross-validation

Procedia PDF Downloads 143

Authors: Peter. M. Kusen, Georg Wandrey, Christopher Probst, Dietrich Kohlheyer, Jochen Buchs, Jorg Pietruszkau

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Light as a stimulus provides the capability to develop regulation techniques for customizable gene expression. A great advantage is the extremely flexible and accurate dosing that can be performed in a non invasive and sterile manner even for high throughput technologies. Therefore, light regulation in a multiwell microbioreactor system was realized providing the opportunity to control gene expression with outstanding complexity. A light-regulated gene expression system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was designed applying the strategy of caged compounds. These compounds are photo-labile protected and therefore biologically inactive regulator molecules which can be reactivated by irradiation with certain light conditions. The “caging” of a repressor molecule which is consumed after deprotection was essential to create a flexible expression system. Thereby, gene expression could be temporally repressed by irradiation and subsequent release of the active repressor molecule. Afterwards, the repressor molecule is consumed by the yeast cells leading to reactivation of gene expression. A yeast strain harboring a construct with the corresponding repressible promoter in combination with a fluorescent marker protein was applied in a Photo-BioLector platform which allows individual irradiation as well as online fluorescence and growth detection. This device was used to precisely control the repression duration by adjusting the amount of released repressor via different irradiation times. With the presented screening platform the regulation of complex expression procedures was achieved by combination of several repression/derepression intervals. In particular, a stepwise increase of temporally-constant expression levels was demonstrated which could be used to study concentration dependent effects on cell functions. Also linear expression rates with variable slopes could be shown representing a possible solution for challenging protein productions, whereby excessive production rates lead to misfolding or intoxication. Finally, the very flexible regulation enabled accurate control over the expression induction, although we used a repressible promoter. Summing up, the continuous online regulation of gene expression has the potential to synchronize gene expression levels to optimize metabolic flux, artificial enzyme cascades, growth rates for co cultivations and many other applications addicted to complex expression regulation. The developed light-regulated expression platform represents an innovative screening approach to find optimization potential for production processes.

Keywords: caged-compounds, gene expression regulation, optogenetics, photo-labile protecting group

Procedia PDF Downloads 331

Authors: Abdullah S. Alghamdi, Khaled Alghamdi, Richard O. Jenkins, Parvez I. Haris

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Background: Physical activity is an important factor in the treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Reduction in HbA1c level, an important diabetes biomarker, was reported in patients who increased their daily physical activity. Although the ambient temperature was reported to be positively correlated to a negative impact on health and increase the incidences of diabetes, the exposure to bright sunlight was recently found to be associated with enhanced insulin sensitivity and improved beta-cell function. How Ramadan alters physical activity, and especially sunlight exposure, has not been adequately investigated. Aim: This study aimed to assess the physical activity and sun exposure of Saudis with T2DM over different periods (before, during, and after Ramadan) and related this to HbA1c levels. Methods: This study recruited 82 Saudis with T2DM, who chose to fast during Ramadan, from the Endocrine and Diabetic Centre of Al Iman General Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ethical approvals for this study were obtained from De Montfort University and Saudi Ministry of Health. Physical activity and sun exposure were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire. Physical activity was estimated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), while the sun exposure was assessed by asking the patients about their hours per week of direct exposure to the sun, and daily hours spent outdoors. Blood samples were collected in each period for measuring HbA1c. Results: Low physical activity was observed in more than 60% of the patients, with no significant changes between periods. There were no significant variances between periods in the daily hours spent outdoors and the total number of weekly hours of direct exposure to the sun. The majority of patients reported only few hours of exposure to the sun (1h or less per week) and time spent outdoors (1h or less per day). The mean HbA1c significantly changed between periods (P = 0.001), with lowest level during Ramadan. There were significant differences in the mean HbA1c between the groups for the level of physical activity (P < 0.001), with significant lower mean HbA1c in the higher-level group. There were no significant variances in the mean of HbA1c between the groups for the daily hours spent outdoors. The mean HbA1c of the patients, who reported never in their total weekly hours of exposure to the sun, was significantly lower than the mean HbA1c of those who reported 1 hour or less (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Physical inactivity was prevalent among the study population with very little exposure to the sun or time spent outdoors. Higher level of physical activity was associated with lower mean HbA1c levels. Encouraging T2DM patients to achieve the recommended levels of physical activity may help them to obtain greater benefits of Ramadan fasting, such as reducing their HbA1c levels. The impact of low direct exposure to the sun and the time spent outdoors needs to be further investigated in both healthy and diabetic patients.

Keywords: diabetes, fasting, physical activity, sunlight, Ramadan

Procedia PDF Downloads 163

Authors: A. Maghoul, A. Rostampouryasouri, MR. Maghami

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The development of an urban design and power network planning has been gaining momentum in recent years. The integration of renewable energy with urban design has been widely regarded as an increasingly important solution leading to climate change and energy security. Through the use of passive strategies and solar integration with Urban Building Energy Modeling (UBEM) tools, architects and designers can create high-quality designs that meet the needs of clients and stakeholders. To determine the most effective ways of combining renewable energy with urban development, we analyze the relationship between urban form and renewable energy production. The procedure involved in this practice include passive solar gain (in building design and urban design), solar integration, location strategy, and 3D models with a case study conducted in Tehran, Iran. The study emphasizes the importance of spatial and temporal considerations in the development of sector coupling strategies for solar power establishment in arid and semi-arid regions. The substation considered in the research consists of two parallel transformers, 13 lines, and 38 connection points. Each urban load connection point is equipped with 500 kW of solar PV capacity and 1 kWh of battery Energy Storage (BES) to store excess power generated from solar, injecting it into the urban network during peak periods. The simulations and analyses have occurred in EnergyPlus software. Passive solar gain involves maximizing the amount of sunlight that enters a building to reduce the need for artificial lighting and heating. Solar integration involves integrating solar photovoltaic (PV) power into smart grids to reduce emissions and increase energy efficiency. Location strategy is crucial to maximize the utilization of solar PV in an urban distribution feeder. Additionally, 3D models are made in Revit, and they are keys component of decision-making in areas including climate change mitigation, urban planning, and infrastructure. we applied these strategies in this research, and the results show that it is possible to create sustainable and energy-efficient urban environments. Furthermore, demand response programs can be used in conjunction with solar integration to optimize energy usage and reduce the strain on the power grid. This study highlights the influence of ancient Persian architecture on Iran's urban planning system, as well as the potential for reducing pollutants in building construction. Additionally, the paper explores the advances in eco-city planning and development and the emerging practices and strategies for integrating sustainability goals.

Keywords: energy-efficient urban planning, sustainable architecture, solar energy, sustainable urban design

Procedia PDF Downloads 81

Authors: Mitakshara Sharma, S. K. Nema, Sanjeev Narang

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Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by metabolic abnormalities, chronic hyperglycaemia and long term macrovascular & microvascular complications. Vascular complications are due to platelet hyperactivity and dysfunction, increased inflammation, altered coagulation and endothelial dysfunction. Large proportion of patients with Type II DM suffers from preventable vascular angiopathies, and there is need to develop risk factor modifications and interventions to reduce impact of complications. These complications are attributed to platelet activation, recognised by increase in Platelet Volume Indices (PVI) including Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) and Platelet Distribution Width (PDW). The current study is prospective analytical study conducted over 2 years. Out of 1100 individuals, 930 individuals fulfilled inclusion criteria and were segregated into three groups on basis of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C): - (a) Diabetic, (b) Non-Diabetic and (c) Subjects with Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) with 300 individuals in IFG and non-diabetic groups & 330 individuals in diabetic group. Further, diabetic group was divided into two groups on the basis of presence or absence of known diabetes related vascular complications. Samples for HbA1c and PVI were collected using Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as anticoagulant and processed on SYSMEX-X-800i autoanalyser. The study revealed gradual increase in PVI from non-diabetics to IFG to diabetics. PVI were markedly increased in diabetic patients. MPV and PDW of diabetics, IFG and non diabetics were (17.60 ± 2.04)fl, (11.76 ± 0.73)fl, (9.93 ± 0.64)fl and (19.17 ± 1.48)fl, (15.49 ± 0.67)fl, (10.59 ± 0.67)fl respectively with a significant p value 0.00 and a significant positive correlation (MPV-HbA1c r = 0.951; PDW-HbA1c r = 0.875). MPV & PDW of subjects with diabetes related complications were higher as compared to those without them and were (17.51±0.39)fl & (15.14 ± 1.04)fl and (20.09 ± 0.98) fl & (18.96 ± 0.83)fl respectively with a significant p value 0.00. There was a significant positive correlation between PVI and duration of diabetes across the groups (MPV-HbA1c r = 0.951; PDW-HbA1c r = 0.875). However, a significant negative correlation was found between glycaemic levels and total platelet count (PC- HbA1c r =-0.164). This is multi-parameter and comprehensive study with an adequately powered study design. It can be concluded from our study that PVI are extremely useful and important indicators of impending vascular complications in all patients with deranged glycaemic control. Introduction of automated cell counters has facilitated the availability of PVI as routine parameters. PVI is a useful means for identifying larger & active platelets which play important role in development of micro and macro angiopathic complications of diabetes leading to mortality and morbidity. PVI can be used as cost effective markers to predict and prevent impending vascular events in patients with Diabetes mellitus especially in developing countries like India. PVI, if incorporated into protocols for management of diabetes, could revolutionize care and curtail the ever increasing cost of patient management.

Keywords: diabetes, IFG, HbA1C, MPV, PDW, PVI

Procedia PDF Downloads 261

Authors: Aguasanta M. Sarmiento, Jose Miguel Davila, Juan Carlos Fortes, Maria Luisa de la Torre

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Acid mine drainage (AMD) is an acidic leachate with high levels of metals and sulphates in solution, which seriously affects the durability and strength of metallic materials used in the construction of structural and mechanical components. This paper presents the results of the evolution over time of the reduction in tensile strength and defects in AISI 304 stainless steel in contact with acid mine drainage. For this purpose, a total of 30 bars with a diameter of 8 mm and a length of 14 cm were placed transversely in the course of a stream contaminated by AMD from the sulphide mines of the Iberian Pyritic Belt (SW Spain). This stream has average pH values of 2.6, a potential of 660 mV and average concentrations of 12 g/L of sulphates, 1.2 g/L of Fe, 191 mg/L of Zn, etc. Every two months of exposure, 6 stainless steel bars were extracted from the acid stream. They were subjected to surface roughness analysis carried out with the help of Mitutoyo Surftest SJ-210 surface roughness tester. The analysis was carried out at three different points on 5 specimens from each series. The average reading of each parameter is calculated in order to ensure the accuracy of the measurements and the surface coverage. Arithmetic mean roughness value (Ra), mean roughness depth (Rz) and root mean square roughness (Rq) were measured. Five specimens from each series were statically tensile tested using universal equipment (Servosis ME 403 of 200kN). The specimens were clamped at their ends with two grips for cylindrical sections, and the tensile force was applied at a constant speed of 0.5 kN/s, according to the requirements of standard UNE-EN ISO 6892-1: 2020. To determine the modulus of elasticity, limits close to 15% and 55% of the maximum load were used, depending on the course of each test. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) was used to observe corrosion products and defects generated by exposure to AMD. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) was used to analyze the chemical composition of the corrosion products formed. For this purpose, small pieces were cut from the resulting specimens, cleaned and embedded in epoxy resin. The results show that after only 5 months of exposure of AISI 304 stainless steel to the mining environment, the surface roughness increases significantly, with average depths almost 6 times greater than the initial one. Cracks are observed on the surface of the material, which increases in size with the time of exposure. A large number of grains with a composition of more than 57% Pb and 16% Sn can be observed inside these cracks. Tensile tests show a reduction in the resistance of this material after only two months of exposure. The results show the serious problems that would result from the use of this material for the use of mechanical components in a sulphide mining environment, not only because of the significant reduction in the lifetime of such components but also because of the implications for human safety.

Keywords: Acid mine drainage, Corrosion, Mechanical properties, Stainless steel

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Authors: Geyang Xia

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In many countries, governments have responded to the growing demand for educational resources through school district systems, and there is substantial evidence that school district systems have been effective in promoting inter-district and inter-school equity in educational resources. However, the scarcity of quality educational resources has brought about varying levels of education among different school districts, making it a common choice for many parents to buy a house in the school district where a quality school is located, and they are even willing to bear huge commuting costs for this purpose. Moreover, this is evidenced by the fact that parents of families in school districts with quality education resources have longer average commute lengths and longer average commute distances than parents in average school districts. This "unequal traveling" under the influence of the school district system is more common in school districts at the primary level of education. This further reinforces the differential hierarchy of educational resources and raises issues of inequitable educational public services, education-led residential segregation, and gentrification of school district housing. Against this background, this paper takes Nanjing, a famous educational city in China, as a case study and selects the school districts where the top 10 public elementary schools are located. The study first identifies the spatio-temporal behavioral trajectory dataset of these high-quality school district households by using spatial vector data, decrypted cell phone signaling data, and census data. Then, by constructing a "house-school-work (HSW)" commuting pattern of the population in the school district where the high-quality educational resources are located, and based on the classification of the HSW commuting pattern of the population, school districts with long employment hours were identified. Ultimately, the mechanisms and patterns inherent in this unequal commuting are analyzed in terms of six aspects, including the centrality of school district location, functional diversity, and accessibility. The results reveal that the "unequal commuting" of Nanjing's high-quality school districts under the influence of the school district system occurs mainly in the peripheral areas of the city, and the schools matched with these high-quality school districts are mostly branches of prestigious schools in the built-up areas of the city's core. At the same time, the centrality of school district location and the diversity of functions are the most important influencing factors of unequal commuting in high-quality school districts. Based on the research results, this paper proposes strategies to optimize the spatial layout of high-quality educational resources and corresponding transportation policy measures.

Keywords: school-district system, high quality school district, commuting pattern, unequal traveling

Procedia PDF Downloads 106

Authors: Hemendra Singh Rathod

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Frequency is, among other factors, one of the governing parameters for maintaining electrical grid stability. The quality of an electrical transmission and supply system is mainly described by the stability of the grid frequency. Over the past few decades, energy generation by intermittent sustainable sources like wind and solar has seen a significant increase globally. Consequently, controlling the associated deviations in grid frequency within safe limits has been gaining momentum so that the balance between demand and supply can be maintained. Lithium-ion battery energy storage system (Li-Ion BESS) has been a promising technology to tackle the challenges associated with grid instability. BESS is, therefore, an effective response to the ongoing debate whether it is feasible to have an electrical grid constantly functioning on a hundred percent renewable power in the near future. In recent years, large-scale manufacturing and capital investment into battery production processes have made the Li-ion battery systems cost-effective and increasingly efficient. The Li-ion systems require very low maintenance and are also independent of geographical constraints while being easily scalable. The paper highlights the use of stationary and moving BESS for balancing electrical energy, thereby maintaining grid frequency at a rapid rate. Moving BESS technology, as implemented in the selected railway network in Germany, is here considered as an exemplary concept for demonstrating the same functionality in the electrical grid system. Further, using certain applications of Li-ion batteries, such as self-consumption of wind and solar parks or their ancillary services, wind and solar energy storage during low demand, black start, island operation, residential home storage, etc. offers a solution to effectively integrate the renewables and support Europe’s future smart grid. EMT software tool DIgSILENT PowerFactory has been utilised to model an electrical transmission system with 100% renewable energy penetration. The stability of such a transmission system has been evaluated together with BESS within a defined frequency band. The transmission system operators (TSO) have the superordinate responsibility for system stability and must also coordinate with the other European transmission system operators. Frequency control is implemented by TSO by maintaining a balance between electricity generation and consumption. Li-ion battery systems are here seen as flexible, controllable loads and flexible, controllable generation for balancing energy pools. Thus using Li-ion battery storage solution, frequency-dependent load shedding, i.e., automatic gradual disconnection of loads from the grid, and frequency-dependent electricity generation, i.e., automatic gradual connection of BESS to the grid, is used as a perfect security measure to maintain grid stability in any case scenario. The paper emphasizes the use of stationary and moving Li-ion battery storage for meeting the demands of maintaining grid frequency and stability for near future operations.

Keywords: frequency control, grid stability, li-ion battery storage, smart grid

Procedia PDF Downloads 154

Authors: Mehrnaz Mostafavi

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Recent advances in single-molecule protein identification (ID) and quantification techniques are poised to revolutionize proteomics, enabling researchers to delve into single-cell proteomics and identify low-abundance proteins crucial for biomedical and clinical research. This paper introduces a different approach to single-molecule protein ID and quantification using tri-color amino acid tags and a plasmonic nanopore device. A comprehensive simulator incorporating various physical phenomena was designed to predict and model the device's behavior under diverse experimental conditions, providing insights into its feasibility and limitations. The study employs a whole-proteome single-molecule identification algorithm based on convolutional neural networks, achieving high accuracies (>90%), particularly in challenging conditions (95–97%). To address potential challenges in clinical samples, where post-translational modifications affecting labeling efficiency, the paper evaluates protein identification accuracy under partial labeling conditions. Solid-state nanopores, capable of processing tens of individual proteins per second, are explored as a platform for this method. Unlike techniques relying solely on ion-current measurements, this approach enables parallel readout using high-density nanopore arrays and multi-pixel single-photon sensors. Convolutional neural networks contribute to the method's versatility and robustness, simplifying calibration procedures and potentially allowing protein ID based on partial reads. The study also discusses the efficacy of the approach in real experimental conditions, resolving functionally similar proteins. The theoretical analysis, protein labeler program, finite difference time domain calculation of plasmonic fields, and simulation of nanopore-based optical sensing are detailed in the methods section. The study anticipates further exploration of temporal distributions of protein translocation dwell-times and the impact on convolutional neural network identification accuracy. Overall, the research presents a promising avenue for advancing single-molecule protein identification and quantification with broad applications in proteomics research. The contributions made in methodology, accuracy, robustness, and technological exploration collectively position this work at the forefront of transformative developments in the field.

Keywords: nano proteomics, nanopore-based optical sensing, deep learning, artificial intelligence

Procedia PDF Downloads 111

Authors: Osman Adiguzel

Abstract:

Shape memory effect is a peculiar property exhibited by certain alloy systems and based on martensitic transformation, and shape memory properties are closely related to the microstructures of the material. Shape memory effect is linked with martensitic transformation, which is a solid state phase transformation and occurs with the cooperative movement of atoms by means of lattice invariant shears on cooling from high-temperature parent phase. Lattice twinning and detwinning can be considered as elementary processes activated during the transformation. Thermally induced martensite occurs as martensite variants, in self-accommodating manner and consists of lattice twins. Also, this martensite is called the twinned martensite or multivariant martensite. Deformation of shape memory alloys in martensitic state proceeds through a martensite variant reorientation. The martensite variants turn into the reoriented single variants with deformation, and the reorientation process has great importance for the shape memory behavior. Copper based alloys exhibit this property in metastable β- phase region, which has DO3 –type ordered lattice in ternary case at high temperature, and these structures martensiticaly turn into the layered complex structures with lattice twinning mechanism, on cooling from high temperature parent phase region. The twinning occurs as martensite variants with lattice invariant shears in two opposite directions, <110 > -type directions on the {110}- type plane of austenite matrix. Lattice invariant shear is not uniform in copper based ternary alloys and gives rise to the formation of unusual layered structures, like 3R, 9R, or 18R depending on the stacking sequences on the close-packed planes of the ordered lattice. The unit cell and periodicity are completed through 18 atomic layers in case of 18R-structure. On the other hand, the deformed material recovers the original shape on heating above the austenite finish temperature. Meanwhile, the material returns to the twinned martensite structures (thermally induced martensite structure) in one way (irreversible) shape memory effect on cooling below the martensite finish temperature, whereas the material returns to the detwinned martensite structure (deformed martensite) in two-way (reversible) shape memory effect. Shortly one can say that the microstructural mechanisms, responsible for the shape memory effect are the twinning and detwinning processes as well as martensitic transformation. In the present contribution, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies were carried out on two copper-based ternary alloys, CuZnAl, and CuAlMn.

Keywords: shape memory effect, martensitic transformation, twinning and detwinning, layered structures

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Authors: Behzad Babaei, B. Gangadhara Prusty

Abstract:

The objective of this study is to assess the hypotheses that a restored tooth with a class II occlusal-distal (OD) cavity can be strengthened by designing an optimized cavity geometry, as well as selecting the composite restoration with optimized elastic moduli when there is a sharp de-bonded edge at the interface of the tooth and restoration. Methods: A scanned human maxillary molar tooth was segmented into dentine and enamel parts. The dentine and enamel profiles were extracted and imported into a finite element (FE) software. The enamel rod orientations were estimated virtually. Fifteen models for the restored tooth with different cavity occlusal depths (1.5, 2, and 2.5 mm) and internal cavity angles were generated. By using a semi-circular stone part, a 400 N load was applied to two contact points of the restored tooth model. The junctions between the enamel, dentine, and restoration were considered perfectly bonded. All parts in the model were considered homogeneous, isotropic, and elastic. The quadrilateral and triangular elements were employed in the models. A mesh convergence analysis was conducted to verify that the element numbers did not influence the simulation results. According to the criteria of a 5% error in the stress, we found that a total element number of over 14,000 elements resulted in the convergence of the stress. A Python script was employed to automatically assign 2-22 GPa moduli (with increments of 4 GPa) for the composite restorations, 18.6 GPa to the dentine, and two different elastic moduli to the enamel (72 GPa in the enamel rods’ direction and 63 GPa in perpendicular one). The linear, homogeneous, and elastic material models were considered for the dentine, enamel, and composite restorations. 108 FEA simulations were successively conducted. Results: The internal cavity angles (α) significantly altered the peak maximum principal stress at the interface of the enamel and restoration. The strongest structures against the contact loads were observed in the models with α = 100° and 105. Even when the enamel rods’ directional mechanical properties were disregarded, interestingly, the models with α = 100° and 105° exhibited the highest resistance against the mechanical loads. Regarding the effect of occlusal cavity depth, the models with 1.5 mm depth showed higher resistance to contact loads than the model with thicker cavities (2.0 and 2.5 mm). Moreover, the composite moduli in the range of 10-18 GPa alleviated the stress levels in the enamel. Significance: For the class II OD cavity models in this study, the optimal geometries, composite properties, and occlusal cavity depths were determined. Designing the cavities with α ≥100 ̊ was significantly effective in minimizing peak stress levels. The composite restoration with optimized properties reduced the stress concentrations on critical points of the models. Additionally, when more enamel was preserved, the sturdier enamel-restoration interface against the mechanical loads was observed.

Keywords: dental composite restoration, cavity geometry, finite element approach, maximum principal stress

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Authors: Somnath Bhattacharya, Kamal Sharma, Vaibhav Sonkar

Abstract:

Composite materials emerged in the middle of the 20th century as a promising class of engineering materials providing new prospects for modern technology. Recently, a new class of composite materials known as functionally graded materials (FGMs) has drawn considerable attention of the scientific community. In general, FGMs are defined as composite materials in which the composition or microstructure or both are locally varied so that a certain variation of the local material properties is achieved. This gradual change in composition and microstructure of material is suitable to get gradient of properties and performances. FGMs are synthesized in such a way that they possess continuous spatial variations in volume fractions of their constituents to yield a predetermined composition. These variations lead to the formation of a non-homogeneous macrostructure with continuously varying mechanical and / or thermal properties in one or more than one direction. Lightweight functionally graded composites with high strength to weight and stiffness to weight ratios have been used successfully in aircraft industry and other engineering applications like in electronics industry and in thermal barrier coatings. In the present work, elastic-plastic crack growth problems (using Ramberg-Osgood Model) in an FGM plate under cyclic load has been explored by extended finite element method. Both edge and centre crack problems have been solved by taking additionally holes, inclusions and minor cracks under plane stress conditions. Both soft and hard inclusions have been implemented in the problems. The validity of linear elastic fracture mechanics theory is limited to the brittle materials. A rectangular plate of functionally graded material of length 100 mm and height 200 mm with 100% copper-nickel alloy on left side and 100% ceramic (alumina) on right side is considered in the problem. Exponential gradation in property is imparted in x-direction. A uniform traction of 100 MPa is applied to the top edge of the rectangular domain along y direction. In some problems, domain contains major crack along with minor cracks or / and holes or / and inclusions. Major crack is located the centre of the left edge or the centre of the domain. The discontinuities, such as minor cracks, holes, and inclusions are added either singly or in combination with each other. On the basis of this study, it is found that effect of minor crack in the domain’s failure crack length is minimum whereas soft inclusions have moderate effect and the effect of holes have maximum effect. It is observed that the crack growth is more before the failure in each case when hard inclusions are present in place of soft inclusions.

Keywords: elastic-plastic, fatigue crack, functionally graded materials, extended finite element method (XFEM)

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Authors: Fabrizio Ascione, Martina Borrelli, Rosa Francesca De Masi, Silvia Ruggiero, Giuseppe Peter Vanoli

Abstract:

The refurbishment of public buildings is one of the key factors of energy efficiency policy of European States. Educational buildings account for the largest share of the oldest edifice with interesting potentialities for demonstrating best practice with regards to high performance and low and zero-carbon design and for becoming exemplar cases within the community. In this context, this paper discusses the critical issue of dealing the energy refurbishment of a university building in heating dominated climate of South Italy. More in detail, the importance of using validated models will be examined exhaustively by proposing an analysis on uncertainties due to modelling assumptions mainly referring to the adoption of stochastic schedules for occupant behavior and equipment or lighting usage. Indeed, today, the great part of commercial tools provides to designers a library of possible schedules with which thermal zones can be described. Very often, the users do not pay close attention to diversify thermal zones and to modify or to adapt predefined profiles, and results of designing are affected positively or negatively without any alarm about it. Data such as occupancy schedules, internal loads and the interaction between people and windows or plant systems, represent some of the largest variables during the energy modelling and to understand calibration results. This is mainly due to the adoption of discrete standardized and conventional schedules with important consequences on the prevision of the energy consumptions. The problem is surely difficult to examine and to solve. In this paper, a sensitivity analysis is presented, to understand what is the order of magnitude of error that is committed by varying the deterministic schedules used for occupation, internal load, and lighting system. This could be a typical uncertainty for a case study as the presented one where there is not a regulation system for the HVAC system thus the occupant cannot interact with it. More in detail, starting from adopted schedules, created according to questioner’ s responses and that has allowed a good calibration of energy simulation model, several different scenarios are tested. Two type of analysis are presented: the reference building is compared with these scenarios in term of percentage difference on the projected total electric energy need and natural gas request. Then the different entries of consumption are analyzed and for more interesting cases also the comparison between calibration indexes. Moreover, for the optimal refurbishment solution, the same simulations are done. The variation on the provision of energy saving and global cost reduction is evidenced. This parametric study wants to underline the effect on performance indexes evaluation of the modelling assumptions during the description of thermal zones.

Keywords: energy simulation, modelling calibration, occupant behavior, university building

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