Search results for: blood parameters
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 10796

Search results for: blood parameters

10106 Anti-Hypertensive Effect of Proteolysate Generated from Actinopyga lecanora in Rats

Authors: Mahdokht Sadeghvishkaei, Azizah Abdul-Hamid, Amin Ismail, Nazamid Saari

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Hypertension is a common and serious chronic health problem and known as the most important risk factor for development of many diseases such as stroke. Since angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) is the key enzyme involved in blood pressure, one of the well accepted mechanisms to control hypertension is through ACE inhibition. The ACE inhibitory effect of Actinopyga lecanora (stone fish) proteolysate in vitro had been reported. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the ACE inhibitory potential of Actinopyga lecanora proteolysate in vivo in normotensive rats. Therefore the ACE inhibitory capability of the proteolysate to prevent increasing systolic blood pressure, after inducing hypertension by angiotensin I was examined. The pre-fed rats with the proteolysates at various doses (200, 400, 800 mg/kg body weight) revealed the significant (p ≤ 0.05) suppression effect compared with control groups. Furthermore, different doses of the proteolysate (200, 400, 800 mg/kg body weight) were examined to find its optimum effective dose. Results depicted that 800 mg proteolysate/kg body weight significantly reduced systolic blood pressure without negative effect on normal blood pressure (p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, Sub-acute toxicity study based on OECD guideline demonstrated the safety of the proteolysate in vivo. The present study indicated that the proteolysate at a dose of 1000 mg/kg daily for 14 days did not cause toxicity signs such as death, changes in activity, or piloerection. Since there are no significant differences between treated groups and control groups, hematological and biochemical analysis confirmed safety of the proteolysate (p > 0.05). In addition, there were no significant differences between organs weights of the treated groups and the control groups. Morphologically, neither histopathological changes, nor gross abnormalities were observed. However, the proteolysate caused significant decrease in body weight in relation to the control groups (p ≤ 0.05) probably due to appetite stimulation by the proteolysate, leading to decreased food consumption in sub-acute group. It is concluded that the proteolysate generated from Actinopyga lecanora possess a significant anti-hypertensive effect and would be potentially used as natural alternative of ACE inhibitors.

Keywords: ACE inhibition, Actinopyga lecanora, anti-hypertensive activity, bioactive peptides, normotensive rats

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10105 Autologous Blood for Conjunctival Autograft Fixation in Primary Pterygium Surgery: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Authors: Mohamed Abdelmongy

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Autologous Blood for Conjunctival Autograft Fixation in Primary Pterygium Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Hossam Zein1,2, Ammar Ismail1,3, Mohamed Abdelmongy1,4, Sherif Elsherif1,5,6, Ahmad Hassanen1,4, Basma Muhammad2, Fathy Assaf1,3, Ahmed Elsehili1,7, Ahmed Negida1,7, Shin Yamane9, Mohamed M. Abdel-Daim8,9 and Kazuaki Kadonosono9 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30277146 BACKGROUND: Pterygium is a benign ocular lesion characterized by triangular fibrovascular growth of conjunctival tissue over the cornea. Patients complain of the bad cosmetic appearance, ocular surface irritation and decreased visual acuity if the pterygium is large enough to cause astigmatism or encroach on the pupil. The definitive treatment of pterygium is surgical removal. However, outcomes are compromised by recurrence . The aim of the current study is to systematically review the current literature to explore the efficacy and safety of fibrin glue, suture and autologous blood coagulum for conjunctivalautograft fixation in primary pterygium surgery. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of fibrin glue compared to sutures and autologous blood coagulum in conjunctival autografting for the surgical treatment of pterygium. METHODS: During preparing this manuscript, we followed the steps adequately illustrated in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions version 5.3, and reported it according to the preferred reporting of systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement guidelines. We searched PubMed, Ovid (both through Medline), ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Central) through January 2017, using the following keywords “Pterygium AND (blood OR glue OR suture)” SELECTION CRITERIA: We included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that met the following criteria: 1) comparing autologous blood vs fibrin glue for conjunctivalautograft fixation in primary pterygium surgery 2) comparing autologous blood vs sutures for conjunctivalautograft fixation in primary pterygium surgery DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently screened the search results, assessed trial quality, and extracted data using standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. The extracted data included A) study design, sample size, and main findings, B) Baseline characteristics of patients included in this review including their age, sex, pterygium site and grade, and graft size. C) Study outcomes comprising 1) primary outcomes: recurrence rate 2) secondary outcomes: graft stability outcomes (graft retraction, graft displacement), operation time (min) and postoperative symptoms (pain, discomfort, foreign body sensation, tearing) MAIN RESULTS: We included 7 RCTs and The review included662eyes (Blood: 293; Glue: 198; Suture: 171). we assess the 1) primary outcomes: recurrence rate 2) secondary outcomes: graft stability outcomes (graft retraction, graft displacement), operation time (min) and postoperative symptoms (pain, discomfort, foreign body sensation, tearing) CONCLUSIONS: Autologous blood for conjunctivalautograft fixation in pterygium surgery is associated with lower graft stability than fibrin glue or sutures. It was not inferior to fibrin glue or sutures regarding recurrence rate. The overall quality of evidence is low. Further well designed RCTs are needed to fully explore the efficacy of this new technique.

Keywords: pterygium, autograft, ophthalmology, cornea

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10104 Calculation and Comparison of a Turbofan Engine Performance Parameters with Various Definitions

Authors: O. Onal, O. Turan

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In this paper, some performance parameters of a selected turbofan engine (JT9D) are analyzed. The engine is a high bypass turbofan engine which powers a wide-body aircraft and it produces 206 kN thrust force (thrust/weight ratio is 5.4). The objective parameters for the engine include calculation of power, specific fuel consumption, specific thrust, engine propulsive, thermal and overall efficiencies according to the various definitions given in the literature. Furthermore, in the case study, wasted energy from the exhaust is calculated at the maximum power setting (i.e. take off phase) for the engine.

Keywords: turbofan, power, efficiency, trust

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10103 Analysis of the Inverse Kinematics for 5 DOF Robot Arm Using D-H Parameters

Authors: Apurva Patil, Maithilee Kulkarni, Ashay Aswale

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This paper proposes an algorithm to develop the kinematic model of a 5 DOF robot arm. The formulation of the problem is based on finding the D-H parameters of the arm. Brute Force iterative method is employed to solve the system of non linear equations. The focus of the paper is to obtain the accurate solutions by reducing the root mean square error. The result obtained will be implemented to grip the objects. The trajectories followed by the end effector for the required workspace coordinates are plotted. The methodology used here can be used in solving the problem for any other kinematic chain of up to six DOF.

Keywords: 5 DOF robot arm, D-H parameters, inverse kinematics, iterative method, trajectories

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10102 Effect of Green Coffee Bean Extract on Gentamicin Induced Acute Renal Failure in Rats

Authors: Amina Unis, Samah S. El Basateeny, Noha A. H. Nassef

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Introduction: Acute Renal Failure (ARF) is one of the most common problems encountered in hospitalized critically ill patients. In recent years great effort has been focused on the introduction of herbal medicine as a novel therapeutic agent for prevention of ARF. Hence, the current study was designed to investigate the effect of Green Coffee Bean Extract (GCBE) on gentamicin induced ARF in rats. Methods: The study was conducted on 60 male rats divided into six equal groups. Group 1 served as normal control group and GCBE was administered for 7 days at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day in group 2 and 40 mg/kg/day in group 3 to test the effect of GCBE on normal kidneys. ARF was induced by a daily intraperitoneal injection of gentamicin (80 mg/kg) for 7 days in group 4 (model group), group 5 (GCBE 20 mg/kg/day) and group 6 (GCBE 20 mg/kg/day). All rats were sacrificed after 7 days and blood was withdrawn for kidney function tests. Kidneys were removed for determination of renal oxidative stress markers and histopathological examination. Results: The present study showed that rats that received oral GCBE for 7 days without induction of ARF showed no significant change in all the assessed parameters in comparison to the normal control group, while rats in the groups that received oral GCBE for 7 days with induction of ARF showed a significant improvement in kidney functions tests (decrease in serum urea, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen) when compared to the ARF model group. Moreover, there was significant amelioration in renal oxidative stress markers (renal malondialdehyde, renal superoxide dismutase) and renal histopathological changes in the GCBE treated groups along induction of ARF when compared to ARF model group. The most significant improvement was reported in the group where GCBE was administered for 7 days in a dose 40 mg/kg/day, along with induction of ARF. Conclusion: GCBE has a potential role in ameliorating renal damage involved in ARF mostly through its antioxidant effect.

Keywords: green coffee bean extract, gentamicin, acute renal failure, pharmacology

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10101 A Novel Nano-Chip Card Assay as Rapid Test for Diagnosis of Lymphatic Filariasis Compared to Nano-Based Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay

Authors: Ibrahim Aly, Manal Ahmed, Mahmoud M. El-Shall

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Filariasis is a parasitic disease caused by small roundworms. The filarial worms are transmitted and spread by blood-feeding black flies and mosquitoes. Lymphatic filariasis (Elephantiasis) is caused by Wuchereriabancrofti, Brugiamalayi, and Brugiatimori. Elimination of Lymphatic filariasis necessitates an increasing demand for valid, reliable, and rapid diagnostic kits. Nanodiagnostics involve the use of nanotechnology in clinical diagnosis to meet the demands for increased sensitivity, specificity, and early detection in less time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nano-based enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and novel nano-chip card as a rapid test for detection of filarial antigen in serum samples of human filariasis in comparison with traditional -ELISA. Serum samples were collected from an infected human with filarial gathered across Egypt's governorates. After receiving informed consenta total of 45 blood samples of infected individuals residing in different villages in Gharbea governorate, which isa nonendemic region for bancroftianfilariasis, healthy persons living in nonendemic locations (20 persons), as well as sera from 20 other parasites, affected patients were collected. The microfilaria was checked in thick smears of 20 µl night blood samples collected during 20-22 hrs. All of these individuals underwent the following procedures: history taking, clinical examination, and laboratory investigations, which included examination of blood samples for microfilaria using thick blood film and serological tests for detection of the circulating filarial antigen using polyclonal antibody- ELISA, nano-based ELISA, and nano-chip card. In the present study, a recently reported polyoclonal antibody specific to tegumental filarial antigen was used in developing nano-chip card and nano-ELISA compared to traditional ELISA for the detection of circulating filarial antigen in sera of patients with bancroftianfilariasis. The performance of the ELISA was evaluated using 45 serum samples. The ELISA was positive with sera from microfilaremicbancroftianfilariasis patients (n = 36) with a sensitivity of 80 %. Circulating filarial antigen was detected in 39/45 patients who were positive for circulating filarial antigen using nano-ELISA with a sensitivity of 86.6 %. On the other hand, 42 out of 45 patients were positive for circulating filarial antigen using nano-chip card with a sensitivity of 93.3%.In conclusion, using a novel nano-chip assay could potentially be a promising alternative antigen detection test for bancroftianfilariasis.

Keywords: lymphatic filariasis, nanotechnology, rapid diagnosis, elisa technique

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10100 A Closed Loop Audit of Pre-operative Transfusion Samples in Orthopaedic Patients at a Major Trauma Centre

Authors: Tony Feng, Rea Thomson, Kathryn Greenslade, Ross Medine, Jennifer Easterbrook, Calum Arthur, Matilda Powell-bowns

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There are clear guidelines on taking group and screen samples (G&S) for elective arthroplasty and major trauma. However, there is limited guidance on blood grouping for other trauma patients. The purpose of this study was to review the level of blood grouping at a major trauma centre and validate a protocol that limits the expensive processing of G&S samples. After reviewing the national guidance on transfusion samples in orthopaedic patients, data was prospectively collected for all orthopaedic admissions in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh between January to February 2023. The cause of admission, number of G&S samples processed on arrival and need for red cells was collected using the hospital blood bank. A new protocol was devised based on a multidisciplinary meeting which limited the requirement for G&S samples only to presentations in “category X”, including neck-of-femur fractures (NOFs), pelvic fractures and major trauma. A re-audit was completed between April and May after departmental education and institution of this protocol. 759 patients were admitted under orthopaedics in the major trauma centre across two separate months. 47% of patients were admitted with presentations falling in category X (354/759) and patients in this category accounted for 88% (92/104) of those requiring post-operative red cell transfusions. Of these, 51% were attributed to NOFs (47/92). In the initial audit, 50% of trauma patients outwith category X had samples sent (116/230), estimated to cost £3800. Of these 230 patients, 3% required post-operative transfusions (7/230). In the re-audit, 23% of patients outwith category X had samples sent (40/173), estimated to cost £1400, of which 3% (5/173) required transfusions. None of the transfusions in these patients in either audit were related to their operation and the protocol achieved an estimated cost saving of £2400 over one month. This study highlights the importance of sending samples for patients with certain categories of orthopaedic trauma (category X) due to the high demand for post-operative transfusions. However, the absence of transfusion requirements in other presentations suggests over-testing. While implementation of the new protocol has markedly reduced over-testing, additional interventions are required to reduce this further.

Keywords: blood transfusion, quality improvement, orthopaedics, trauma

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10099 Exercise Training for Management Hypertensive Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Authors: Noor F. Ilias, Mazlifah Omar, Hashbullah Ismail

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Exercise training has been shown to improve functional capacity and is recommended as a therapy for management of blood pressure. Our purpose was to establish whether different exercise capacity produces different effect size for Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Exercise characteristic is required in order to have optimal benefit from the training, but optimal exercise capacity is still unwarranted. A MEDLINE search (1985 to 2015) was conducted for exercise based rehabilitation trials in hypertensive patients. Thirty-seven studies met the selection criteria. Of these, 31 (83.7%) were aerobic exercise and 6 (16.3%) aerobic with additional resistance exercise, providing a total of 1318 exercise subjects and 819 control, the total of subjects was 2137. We calculated exercise volume and energy expenditure through the description of exercise characteristics. 4 studies (18.2%) were 451kcal - 900 kcal, 12 (54.5%) were 900 kcal – 1350 kcal and 6 (27.3%) >1351kcal per week. Peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2) increased by mean difference of 1.44 ml/kg/min (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08 to 1.79 ml/kg/min; p = 0.00001) with weighted mean 21.2% for aerobic exercise compare to aerobic with additional resistance exercise 4.50 ml/kg/min (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.57 to 5.42 ml/kg/min; p = 0.00001) with weighted mean 14.5%. SBP was clinically reduce for both aerobic and aerobic with resistance training by mean difference of -4.66 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI]: -5.68 to -3.63 mmHg; p = 0.00001) weighted mean 6% reduction and -5.06 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI]: -7.32 to -2.8 mmHg; p = 0.0001) weighted mean 5% reduction respectively. Result for DBP was clinically reduce for aerobic by mean difference of -1.62 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.09 to -1.15 mmHg; p = 0.00001) weighted mean 4% reduction and aerobic with resistance training reduce by mean difference of -3.26 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI]: -4.87 to -1.65 mmHg; p = 0.0001) weighted mean 6% reduction. Optimum exercise capacity for 451 kcal – 900 kcal showed greater improvement in peak VO2 and SBP by 2.76 ml/kg/min (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47 to 4.05 ml/kg/min; p = 0.0001) with weighted mean 40.6% and -16.66 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI]: -21.72 to -11.60 mmHg; p = 0.00001) weighted mean 9.8% respectively. Our data demonstrated that aerobic exercise with total volume of 451 kcal – 900 kcal/ week energy expenditure may elicit greater changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Higher exercise capacity weekly does not seem better result in management hypertensive patients.

Keywords: blood Pressure, exercise, hypertension, peak VO2

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10098 Optimization of Process Parameters by Using Taguchi Method for Bainitic Steel Machining

Authors: Vinay Patil, Swapnil Kekade, Ashish Supare, Vinayak Pawar, Shital Jadhav, Rajkumar Singh

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In recent days, bainitic steel is used in automobile and non-automobile sectors due to its high strength. Bainitic steel is difficult to machine because of its high hardness, hence in this paper machinability of bainitic steel is studied by using Taguchi design of experiments (DOE) approach. Convectional turning experiments were done by using L16 orthogonal array for three input parameters viz. cutting speed, depth of cut and feed. The Taguchi method is applied to study the performance characteristics of machining parameters with surface roughness (Ra), cutting force and tool wear rate. By using Taguchi analysis, optimized process parameters for best surface finish and minimum cutting forces were analyzed.

Keywords: conventional turning, Taguchi method, S/N ratio, bainitic steel machining

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10097 Development of Electrospun Membranes with Defined Polyethylene Collagen and Oxide Architectures Reinforced with Medium and High Intensity Statins

Authors: S. Jaramillo, Y. Montoya, W. Agudelo, J. Bustamante

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Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are related to affectations of the heart and blood vessels, within these are pathologies such as coronary or peripheral heart disease, caused by the narrowing of the vessel wall (atherosclerosis), which is related to the accumulation of Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) in the arterial walls that leads to a progressive reduction of the lumen of the vessel and alterations in blood perfusion. Currently, the main therapeutic strategy for this type of alteration is drug treatment with statins, which inhibit the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), responsible for modulating the rate of cholesterol production and other isoprenoids in the mevalonate pathway. This enzyme induces the expression of LDL receptors in the liver, increasing their number on the surface of liver cells, reducing the plasma concentration of cholesterol. On the other hand, when the blood vessel presents stenosis, a surgical procedure with vascular implants is indicated, which are used to restore circulation in the arterial or venous bed. Among the materials used for the development of vascular implants are Dacron® and Teflon®, which perform the function of re-waterproofing the circulatory circuit, but due to their low biocompatibility, they do not have the ability to promote remodeling and tissue regeneration processes. Based on this, the present research proposes the development of a hydrolyzed collagen and polyethylene oxide electrospun membrane reinforced with medium and high-intensity statins, so that in future research it can favor tissue remodeling processes from its microarchitecture.

Keywords: atherosclerosis, medium and high-intensity statins, microarchitecture, electrospun membrane

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10096 Quality Control Parameters and Pharmacological Aspects of Less Known Medicinal Plant of India: Plumeria pudica Linn.

Authors: Shweta Shriwas, Sumeet Dwivedi, Raghvendra Dubey

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Plumeria pudica Linn. Family Apocynaceae commonly known as Nag Chmapa is grown wildly in many parts of India. The plant is medium size shrub, grown up to height of 5-10 feet, evergreen with white flowers. In traditional system of medicine, the plant is widely used in the treatment of worms, infection, inflammation, etc. So, far no any systematic and documented study was done to revealed quality control parameters and pharmacological aspect of the selected plant species, therefore, the attempt was made in present investigation to reveal the same. The parameters such as Ash value, FOM, LOD, SI, etc. were studied using various coarsely dried plant materials of the species. Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmentic and anti-microbial activity of various extract was investigated and reported in present work.

Keywords: Plumeria pudica, quality control, pharmacology, parameters

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10095 Application of Genetic Algorithm with Multiobjective Function to Improve the Efficiency of Photovoltaic Thermal System

Authors: Sonveer Singh, Sanjay Agrawal, D. V. Avasthi, Jayant Shekhar

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The aim of this paper is to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system with the help of Genetic Algorithms with multi-objective function. There are some parameters that affect the efficiency of PVT system like depth and length of the channel, velocity of flowing fluid through the channel, thickness of the tedlar and glass, temperature of inlet fluid i.e. all above parameters are considered for optimization. An attempt has been made to the model and optimizes the parameters of glazed hybrid single channel PVT module when two objective functions have been considered separately. The two objective function for optimization of PVT module is overall electrical and thermal efficiency. All equations for PVT module have been derived. Using genetic algorithms (GAs), above two objective functions of the system has been optimized separately and analysis has been carried out for two cases. Two cases are: Case-I; Improvement in electrical and thermal efficiency when overall electrical efficiency is optimized, Case-II; Improvement in electrical and thermal efficiency when overall thermal efficiency is optimized. All the parameters that are used in genetic algorithms are the parameters that could be changed, and the non-changeable parameters, like solar radiation, ambient temperature cannot be used in the algorithm. It has been observed that electrical efficiency (14.08%) and thermal efficiency (19.48%) are obtained when overall thermal efficiency was an objective function for optimization. It is observed that GA is a very efficient technique to estimate the design parameters of hybrid single channel PVT module.

Keywords: genetic algorithm, energy, exergy, PVT module, optimization

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10094 The Effects of Passive and Active Recoveries on Responses of Platelet Indices and Hemodynamic Variables to Resistance Exercise

Authors: Mohammad Soltani, Sajad Ahmadizad, Fatemeh Hoseinzadeh, Atefe Sarvestan

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The exercise recovery is an important variable in designing resistance exercise training. This study determined the effects of passive and active recoveries on responses of platelet indices and hemodynamic variables to resistance exercise. Twelve healthy subjects (six men and six women, age, 25.4 ±2.5 yrs) performed two types of resistance exercise protocols (six exercises including upper- and lower-body parts) at two separate sessions with one-week intervening. First resistance protocol included three sets of six repetitions at 80% of 1RM with 2 min passive rest between sets and exercises; while, the second protocol included three sets of six repetitions at 60% of 1RM followed by active recovery included six repetitions of the same exercise at 20% of 1RM. The exercise volume was equalized. Three blood samples were taken before exercise, immediately after exercise and after 1-hour recovery, and analyzed for fibrinogen and platelet indices. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and rate pressure product (RPP), were measured before, immediately after exercise and every 5 minutes during recovery. Data analyzes showed a significant increase in SBP (systolic blood pressure), HR, rate of pressure product (RPP) and PLT in response to resistance exercise (P<0.05) and that changes for HR and RPP were significantly different between two protocols (P<0.05). Furthermore, MPV and P_LCR did not change in response to resistance exercise, though significant reductions were observed after 1h recovery compared to before and after exercise (P<0.05). No significant changes in fibrinogen and PDW following two types of resistance exercise protocols were observed (P>0.05). On the other hand, no significant differences in platelet indices were found between the two protocols (P>0.05). Resistance exercise induces changes in platelet indices and hemodynamic variables, and that these changes are not related to the type of recovery and returned to normal levels after 1h recovery.

Keywords: hemodynamic variables, platelet indices, resistance exercise, recovery intensity

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10093 Membrane Technologies for Obtaining Bioactive Fractions from Blood Main Protein: An Exploratory Study for Industrial Application

Authors: Fatima Arrutia, Francisco Amador Riera

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The meat industry generates large volumes of blood as a result of meat processing. Several industrial procedures have been implemented in order to treat this by-product, but are focused on the production of low-value products, and in many cases, blood is simply discarded as waste. Besides, in addition to economic interests, there is an environmental concern due to bloodborne pathogens and other chemical contaminants found in blood. Consequently, there is a dire need to find extensive uses for blood that can be both applicable to industrial scale and able to yield high value-added products. Blood has been recognized as an important source of protein. The main blood serum protein in mammals is serum albumin. One of the top trends in food market is functional foods. Among them, bioactive peptides can be obtained from protein sources by microbiological fermentation or enzymatic and chemical hydrolysis. Bioactive peptides are short amino acid sequences that can have a positive impact on health when administered. The main drawback for bioactive peptide production is the high cost of the isolation, purification and characterization techniques (such as chromatography and mass spectrometry) that make unaffordable the scale-up. On the other hand, membrane technologies are very suitable to apply to the industry because they offer a very easy scale-up and are low-cost technologies, compared to other traditional separation methods. In this work, the possibility of obtaining bioactive peptide fractions from serum albumin by means of a simple procedure of only 2 steps (hydrolysis and membrane filtration) was evaluated, as an exploratory study for possible industrial application. The methodology used in this work was, firstly, a tryptic hydrolysis of serum albumin in order to release the peptides from the protein. The protein was previously subjected to a thermal treatment in order to enhance the enzyme cleavage and thus the peptide yield. Then, the obtained hydrolysate was filtered through a nanofiltration/ultrafiltration flat rig at three different pH values with two different membrane materials, so as to compare membrane performance. The corresponding permeates were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry technology in order to obtain the peptide sequences present in each permeate. Finally, different concentrations of every permeate were evaluated for their in vitro antihypertensive and antioxidant activities though ACE-inhibition and DPPH radical scavenging tests. The hydrolysis process with the previous thermal treatment allowed achieving a degree of hydrolysis of the 49.66% of the maximum possible. It was found that peptides were best transmitted to the permeate stream at pH values that corresponded to their isoelectric points. Best selectivity between peptide groups was achieved at basic pH values. Differences in peptide content were found between membranes and also between pH values for the same membrane. The antioxidant activity of all permeates was high compared with the control only for the highest dose. However, antihypertensive activity was best for intermediate concentrations, rather than higher or lower doses. Therefore, although differences between them, all permeates were promising regarding antihypertensive and antioxidant properties.

Keywords: bioactive peptides, bovine serum albumin, hydrolysis, membrane filtration

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10092 Radiation Induced DNA Damage and Its Modification by Herbal Preparation of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (SBL-1): An in vitro and in vivo Study in Mice

Authors: Anuranjani Kumar, Madhu Bala

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Ionising radiation exposure induces generation of free radicals and the oxidative DNA damage. SBL-1, a radioprotective leaf extract prepared from leaves Hippophae rhamnoides L. (Common name; Seabuckthorn), showed > 90% survival in mice population that was treated with lethal dose (10 Gy) of ⁶⁰Co gamma irradiation. In this study, early effects of pre-treatment with or without SBL-1 in blood peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBMCs) were investigated by cell viability assays (trypan blue and MTT). The quantitative in vitro study of Hoescht/PI staining was performed to check the apoptosis/necrosis in PBMCs irradiated at 2 Gy with or without pretreatment of SBL-1 (at different concentrations) up to 24 and 48h. Comet assay was performed in vivo, to detect the DNA strands breaks and its repair mechanism on peripheral blood lymphocytes at lethal dose (10 Gy). For this study, male mice (wt. 28 ± 2g) were administered radioprotective dose (30mg/kg body weight) of SBL-1, 30 min prior to irradiation. Animals were sacrificed at 24h and 48h. Blood was drawn through cardiac puncture, and blood lymphocytes were separated using histopaque column. Both neutral and alkaline comet assay were performed using standardized technique. In irradiated animals, alkaline comet assay revealed single strand breaks (SSBs) that showed significant (p < 0.05) increase in percent DNA in tail and Olive tail moment (OTM) at 24 h while at 48h the percent DNA in tail further increased significantly (p < 0.02). The double strands breaks (DSBs) increased significantly (p < 0.01) at 48 h in neutral assay, in comparison to untreated control. The animals pre-treated with SBL-1 before irradiation showed significantly (p < 0.05) less DSBs at 48 h treatment in comparison to irradiated group of animals. The SBL-1 alone treated group itself showed no toxicity. The antioxidant potential of SBL-1 were also investigated by in vitro biochemical assays such as DPPH (p < 0.05), ABTS, reducing ability (p < 0.09), hydroxyl radical scavenging (p < 0.05), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), superoxide radical scavenging activity (p < 0.05), hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity (p < 0.05) etc. SBL-1 showed strong free radical scavenging power that plays important role in the studies of radiation-induced injuries. The SBL-1 treated PBMCs showed significant (p < 0.02) viability in trypan blue assay at 24-hour incubation.

Keywords: radiation, SBL-1, SSBs, DSBs, FRAP, PBMCs

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10091 Clinical Profile and Outcome of Type I Diabetes Mellitus at a Tertiary Care-Centre in Eastern Nepal

Authors: Gauri Shankar Shah

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Objectives: The Type I diabetes mellitus in children is frequently a missed diagnosis and children presents in emergency with diabetic ketoacidosis having significant morbidity and mortality. The present study was done to find out the clinical presentation and outcome at a tertiary-care centre. Methods: This was retrospective analysis of data of Type I diabetes mellitus reporting to our centre during last one year (2012-2013). Results: There were 12 patients (8 males) and the age group was 4-14 years (mean ± 3.7). The presenting symptoms were fever, vomiting, altered sensorium and fast breathing in 8 (66.6%), 6 (50%), 4 (33.3%), and 4 (33.3%) cases, respectively. The classical triad of polyuria, polydypsia, and polyphagia were present only in two patients (33.2%). Seizures and epigastric pain were found in two cases each (33.2%). The four cases (33.3%) presented with diabetic ketoacidosis due to discontinuation of insulin doses, while 2 had hyperglycemia alone. The hemogram revealed mean hemoglobin of 12.1± 1.6 g/dL and total leukocyte count was 22,883.3 ± 10,345.9 per mm3, with polymorphs percentage of 73.1 ± 9.0%. The mean blood sugar at presentation was 740 ± 277 mg/ dl (544–1240). HbA1c ranged between 7.1-8.8 with mean of 8.1±0.6 %. The mean sodium, potassium, blood ph, pCO2, pO2 and bicarbonate were 140.8 ± 6.9 mEq/L, 4.4 ± 1.8mEq/L, 7.0 ± 0.2, 20.2 ± 10.8 mmHg, 112.6 ± 46.5 mmHg and 9.2 ± 8.8 mEq/L, respectively. All the patients were managed in pediatric intensive care unit as per our protocol, recovered and discharged on intermediate insulin given twice daily. Conclusions: Thus, it shows that these patients have uncontrolled hyperglycemia and often presents in emergency with ketoacidosis and deranged biochemical profile. The regular administration of insulin, frequent monitoring of blood sugar and health education are required to have better metabolic control and good quality of life.

Keywords: type I diabetes mellitus, hyperglycemia, outcome, glycemic control

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10090 [Keynote Talk]: Mathematical and Numerical Modelling of the Cardiovascular System: Macroscale, Mesoscale and Microscale Applications

Authors: Aymen Laadhari

Abstract:

The cardiovascular system is centered on the heart and is characterized by a very complex structure with different physical scales in space (e.g. micrometers for erythrocytes and centimeters for organs) and time (e.g. milliseconds for human brain activity and several years for development of some pathologies). The development and numerical implementation of mathematical models of the cardiovascular system is a tremendously challenging topic at the theoretical and computational levels, inducing consequently a growing interest over the past decade. The accurate computational investigations in both healthy and pathological cases of processes related to the functioning of the human cardiovascular system can be of great potential in tackling several problems of clinical relevance and in improving the diagnosis of specific diseases. In this talk, we focus on the specific task of simulating three particular phenomena related to the cardiovascular system on the macroscopic, mesoscopic and microscopic scales, respectively. Namely, we develop numerical methodologies tailored for the simulation of (i) the haemodynamics (i.e., fluid mechanics of blood) in the aorta and sinus of Valsalva interacting with highly deformable thin leaflets, (ii) the hyperelastic anisotropic behaviour of cardiomyocytes and the influence of calcium concentrations on the contraction of single cells, and (iii) the dynamics of red blood cells in microvasculature. For each problem, we present an appropriate fully Eulerian finite element methodology. We report several numerical examples to address in detail the relevance of the mathematical models in terms of physiological meaning and to illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the numerical methods.

Keywords: finite element method, cardiovascular system, Eulerian framework, haemodynamics, heart valve, cardiomyocyte, red blood cell

Procedia PDF Downloads 252
10089 Physicochemical and Biochemical Characterization of Olea europea Var. Oleaster Oil and Determination of Its Effects on Blood Parameters

Authors: Asma Gherib, Imen Merzougui, Cherifa Henchiri

Abstract:

This present study has allowed to evaluate the physico chemical characteristics, fatty acid composition and the hypolipidemic effect of Oleaster oil Olea europea var. Oleaster, from the area of El Kala, "Eastern Algeria" on rats "Wistar albinos". The physico chemical characteristics: acidity (0,73%), peroxide value (14, 16 meqO2/kg oil) and iodine value (74,08 g iodine/100 g of oil) are consistent with international standards. The dosage of FA revealed a wealth of oil with UFA (76,7%), mainly composed of 65.43% of MUFA whose major fatty acid is oleic acid (63,57%). The experiment on rats receiving a diet rich in saturated fats and hydrogenated oils revealed that the consumption of Oleaster oil at the dose of 10 g and 20 g for 15 and 30 days improves plasma lipid profile by decreasing the rates of TC, TG, TL, and LDL-C with an increase in the rate of HDL-C serum. The importance of these effects depends on the dose and period of treatment.

Keywords: oleaster oil, fatty acid, Olea europea, oleic acid, lipid profile

Procedia PDF Downloads 488
10088 The Determination of Sodium/Potassium Ion Ratio in Selected Edible Leafy Vegetables in North-Eastern Nigeria

Authors: Raymond D. Uzoh, Philip K. Shallsuku, Christopher S. Vaachia

Abstract:

Selected edible leafy vegetables from North-eastern Nigeria were analysed for their sodium and potassium content in mg/100 g and the ratio Na+/K+ worked out. From experimental results, Venonia amydalina (bitter leaf) contained 150 mg (0.15 g) of sodium and 20500 mg (20.5 g) potassium with a ratio of 0.007, Brassica oleracea var capitata (cabbage) contained 300 mg (0.3 g) of sodium and 19000 mg (19 g) of potassium with a ration of 0.012. Others are Telfairia occidentalis (fluted pumpkin) with 400 mg (0.45 g) of sodium and 19500 mg (19.5 g) of potassium with a ratio of 0.020; Hibiscus sabdriffa (sorrel) has 200 mg (0.2 g) of sodium and 600 mg (0.6 g) of potassium with a ratio of 0.300; and Amarantus caudatus (spinach) contained 450 mg (0.45 g) of sodium and 23000 mg (23 g) of potassium with a ratio of 0.020. The presence of sodium and potassium in foods has become increasingly important as recent studies and dietary information gathered in this research has shown that sodium intake is not the sole consideration in elevated blood pressure but its considered as a ratio Na+/K+ fixed at 0.6. This ratio has been found to be a more important factor, suggesting that our diet should contain 67 % more potassium than sodium.

Keywords: vegetables, sodium, potassium, blood pressure, diet, foods

Procedia PDF Downloads 478
10087 Metabolically Healthy Obesity and Protective Factors of Cardiovascular Diseases as a Result from a Longitudinal Study in Tebessa (East of Algeria)

Authors: Salima Taleb, Kafila Boulaba, Ahlem Yousfi, Nada Taleb, Difallah Basma

Abstract:

Introduction: Obesity is recognized as a cardiovascular risk factor. It is associated with cardio-metabolic diseases. Its prevalence is increasing significantly in both rich and poor countries. However, there are obese people who have no metabolic disturbance. So we think obesity is not always a risk factor for an abnormal metabolic profile that increases the risk of cardiometabolic problems. However, there is no definition that allows us to identify the individual group Metabolically Healthy but Obese (MHO). Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between MHO and some factors associated with it. Methods: A longitudinal study is a prospective cohort study of 600 participants aged ≥18 years. Metabolic status was assessed by the following parameters: blood pressure, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated as weight (in kg) divided by height (m2), BMI = Weight/(Height)². According to the BMI value, our population was divided into four groups: underweight subjects with BMI <18.5 kg/m2, normal weight subjects with BMI = 18.5–24.9 kg/m², overweight subjects with BMI=25–29.9 kg/m², and obese subjects who have (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²). A value of P < 0.05 was considered significant. Statistical processing was done using the SPSS 25 software. Results: During this study, 194 (32.33%) were identified as MHO among 416 (37%) obese individuals. The prevalence of the metabolically unhealthy phenotype among normal-weight individuals was (13.83%) vs. (37%) in obese individuals. Compared with metabolically healthy normal-weight individuals (10.93%), the prevalence of diabetes was (30.60%) in MHO, (20.59%) in metabolically unhealthy normal weight, and (52.29%) for metabolically unhealthy obese (p = 0.032). Blood pressure was significantly higher in MHO individuals than in metabolically healthy normal-weight individuals and in metabolically unhealthy obese than in metabolically unhealthy normal weight (P < 0.0001). Familial coronary artery disease does not appear to have an effect on the metabolic status of obese and normal-weight patients (P = 0.544). However, waist circumference appears to have an effect on the metabolic status of individuals (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: This study showed a high prevalence of metabolic profile disruption in normal-weight subjects and a high rate of overweight and/or obese people who are metabolically healthy. To understand the physiological mechanism related to these metabolic statuses, a thorough study is needed.

Keywords: metabolically health, obesity, factors associated, cardiovascular diseases

Procedia PDF Downloads 117
10086 Potential Therapeutic Effect of Obestatin in Oral Mucositis

Authors: Agnieszka Stempniewicz, Piotr Ceranowicz, Wojciech Macyk, Jakub Cieszkowski, Beata Kuśnierz-Cabała, Katarzyna Gałązka, Zygmunt Warzecha

Abstract:

Objectives: There are numerous strategies for the prevention or treatment of oral mucositis. However, their effectiveness is limited and does not correspond to expectations. Recent studies have shown that obestatin exhibits a protective effect and accelerates the healing of gastrointestinal mucosa. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of obestatin administration on oral ulcers in rats. Methods: lingual ulcers were induced by the use of acetic acid. Rats were treated twice a day intraperitoneally with saline or obestatin(4, 8, or 16 nmol/kg/dose) for five days. The study determined: lingual mucosa morphology, cell proliferation, mucosal blood flow, and mucosal pro-inflammatory interleukin-1β level(IL-1β). Results: In animals without induction of oral ulcers, treatment with obestatin was without any effect. Obestatin administration in rats with lingual ulcers increased the healing rate of these ulcers. Obestatin given at the dose of 8 or 16 nmol/kg/dose caused the strongest and similar therapeutic effect. This result was associated with a significant increase in blood flow and cell proliferation in gingival mucosa, as well as a significant decrease in IL-1β level. Conclusions: Obestatin accelerates the healing of lingual ulcers in rats. This therapeutic effect is well-correlated with an increase in blood flow and cell proliferation in oral mucosa, as well as a decrease in pro-inflammatory IL-1β levels. Obestatin is a potentially useful candidate for the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis. Acknowledgment: Agnieszka Stempniewicz acknowledges the support of InterDokMed project no. POWR.03.02.00- 00-I013/16.

Keywords: oral mucositis, ulcers, obestatin, lingual mucosa

Procedia PDF Downloads 73
10085 Back Stepping Sliding Mode Control of Blood Glucose for Type I Diabetes

Authors: N. Tadrisi Parsa, A. R. Vali, R. Ghasemi

Abstract:

Diabetes is a growing health problem in worldwide. Especially, the patients with Type 1 diabetes need strict glycemic control because they have deficiency of insulin production. This paper attempts to control blood glucose based on body mathematical body model. The Bergman minimal mathematical model is used to develop the nonlinear controller. A novel back-stepping based sliding mode control (B-SMC) strategy is proposed as a solution that guarantees practical tracking of a desired glucose concentration. In order to show the performance of the proposed design, it is compared with conventional linear and fuzzy controllers which have been done in previous researches. The numerical simulation result shows the advantages of sliding mode back stepping controller design to linear and fuzzy controllers.

Keywords: bergman model, nonlinear control, back stepping, sliding mode control

Procedia PDF Downloads 382
10084 Optimization of Parameters for Electrospinning of Pan Nanofibers by Taguchi Method

Authors: Gamze Karanfil Celep, Kevser Dincer

Abstract:

The effects of polymer concentration and electrospinning process parameters on the average diameters of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were experimentally investigated. Besides, mechanical and thermal properties of PAN nanofibers were examined by tensile test and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. For this purpose, the polymer concentration, solution feed rate, supply voltage and tip-to-collector distance were determined as the control factors. To succeed these aims, Taguchi’s L16 orthogonal design (4 parameters, 4 level) was employed for the experimental design. Optimal electrospinning conditions were defined using the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio that was calculated from diameters of the electrospun PAN nanofibers according to "the-smaller-the-better" approachment. In addition, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was evaluated to conclude the statistical significance of the process parameters. The smallest diameter of PAN nanofibers was observed. According to the S/N ratio response results, the most effective parameter on finding out of nanofiber diameter was determined. Finally, the Taguchi design of experiments method has been found to be an effective method to statistically optimize the critical electrospinning parameters used in nanofiber production. After determining the optimum process parameters of nanofiber production, electrical conductivity and fuel cell performance of electrospun PAN nanofibers on the carbon papers will be evaluated.

Keywords: nanofiber, electrospinning, polyacrylonitrile, Taguchi method

Procedia PDF Downloads 206
10083 Mathematical Modeling and Optimization of Burnishing Parameters for 15NiCr6 Steel

Authors: Tarek Litim, Ouahiba Taamallah

Abstract:

The present paper is an investigation of the effect of burnishing on the surface integrity of a component made of 15NiCr6 steel. This work shows a statistical study based on regression, and Taguchi's design has allowed the development of mathematical models to predict the output responses as a function of the technological parameters studied. The response surface methodology (RSM) showed a simultaneous influence of the burnishing parameters and observe the optimal processing parameters. ANOVA analysis of the results resulted in the validation of the prediction model with a determination coefficient R=90.60% and 92.41% for roughness and hardness, respectively. Furthermore, a multi-objective optimization allowed to identify a regime characterized by P=10kgf, i=3passes, and f=0.074mm/rev, which favours minimum roughness and maximum hardness. The result was validated by the desirability of D= (0.99 and 0.95) for roughness and hardness, respectively.

Keywords: 15NiCr6 steel, burnishing, surface integrity, Taguchi, RSM, ANOVA

Procedia PDF Downloads 191
10082 The Implantable MEMS Blood Pressure Sensor Model With Wireless Powering And Data Transmission

Authors: Vitaliy Petrov, Natalia Shusharina, Vitaliy Kasymov, Maksim Patrushev, Evgeny Bogdanov

Abstract:

The leading worldwide death reasons are ischemic heart disease and other cardiovascular illnesses. Generally, the common symptom is high blood pressure. Long-time blood pressure control is very important for the prophylaxis, correct diagnosis and timely therapy. Non-invasive methods which are based on Korotkoff sounds are impossible to apply often and for a long time. Implantable devices can combine longtime monitoring with high accuracy of measurements. The main purpose of this work is to create a real-time monitoring system for decreasing the death rate from cardiovascular diseases. These days implantable electronic devices began to play an important role in medicine. Usually implantable devices consist of a transmitter, powering which could be wireless with a special made battery and measurement circuit. Common problems in making implantable devices are short lifetime of the battery, big size and biocompatibility. In these work, blood pressure measure will be the focus because it’s one of the main symptoms of cardiovascular diseases. Our device will consist of three parts: the implantable pressure sensor, external transmitter and automated workstation in a hospital. The Implantable part of pressure sensors could be based on piezoresistive or capacitive technologies. Both sensors have some advantages and some limitations. The Developed circuit is based on a small capacitive sensor which is made of the technology of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The Capacitive sensor can provide high sensitivity, low power consumption and minimum hysteresis compared to the piezoresistive sensor. For this device, it was selected the oscillator-based circuit where frequency depends from the capacitance of sensor hence from capacitance one can calculate pressure. The external device (transmitter) used for wireless charging and signal transmission. Some implant devices for these applications are passive, the external device sends radio wave signal on internal LC circuit device. The external device gets reflected the signal from the implant and from a change of frequency is possible to calculate changing of capacitance and then blood pressure. However, this method has some disadvantages, such as the patient position dependence and static using. Developed implantable device doesn’t have these disadvantages and sends blood pressure data to the external part in real-time. The external device continuously sends information about blood pressure to hospital cloud service for analysis by a physician. Doctor’s automated workstation at the hospital also acts as a dashboard, which displays actual medical data of patients (which require attention) and stores it in cloud service. Usually, critical heart conditions occur few hours before heart attack but the device is able to send an alarm signal to the hospital for an early action of medical service. The system was tested with wireless charging and data transmission. These results can be used for ASIC design for MEMS pressure sensor.

Keywords: MEMS sensor, RF power, wireless data, oscillator-based circuit

Procedia PDF Downloads 589
10081 Antidiabetic and Antihyperlipaemic Effects of Aqueous Neem (Azadirachta Indica) Extract on Alloxan Diabetic Rabbits

Authors: Khalil Abdullah Ahmed Khalil, Elsadig Mohamed Ahmed

Abstract:

Extracts of various plants material capable of decreasing blood sugar have been tested in experimental animal models and their effects confirmed. Neem or Margose (Azadirachta Indica) is an indigenous plant believed to have antiviral, antifungal, antidiabetic and many other properties. This paper deals with a comparative study of the effect of aqueous Neem leaves extract alone or in combination with glibenclamide on alloxan diabetic rabbits. Administration of crude aqueous Neem extract (CANE) alone (1.5 ml/kg/day), as well as the combination of CANE (1.5 ml/kg/day) with glibenclamide (0.25 mg/kg/day) significantly, decreased (P<0.05) the concentrations of serum lipids, blood glucose and lipoprotein VLDL(very low-density lipoproteins) and LDL(low-density lipoproteins) but significantly increased (P<0.05) the concentration of HDL(high-density lipoprotein). The change was observed significantly greater when the treatment was given in combination of CANE and glibenclamid than with CANE alone.

Keywords: neem, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, cholesterol

Procedia PDF Downloads 265
10080 Effect of Process Parameters on Mechanical Properties of Friction Stir Welded Aluminium Alloy Joints Using Factorial Design

Authors: Gurjinder Singh, Ankur Gill, Amardeep Singh Kang

Abstract:

In the present work an effort has been made to study the influence of the welding parameters on tensile strength of friction stir welding of aluminum. Three process parameters tool rotation speed, welding speed, and shoulder diameter were selected for the study. Two level factorial design of eight runs was selected for conducting the experiments. The mathematical model was developed from the data obtained. The significance of coefficients and adequacy of developed models were tested by ‘t’ test and ‘F’ test respectively. The effects of process parameters on mechanical properties have been represented in the form of graphs for better understanding.

Keywords: friction stir welding, aluminium alloy, mathematical model, welding speed

Procedia PDF Downloads 440
10079 Increase of Sensitivity in 3D Suspended Polymeric Microfluidic Platform through Lateral Misalignment

Authors: Ehsan Yazdanpanah Moghadam, Muthukumaran Packirisamy

Abstract:

In the present study, a design of the suspended polymeric microfluidic platform is introduced that is fabricated with three polymeric layers. Changing the microchannel plane to be perpendicular to microcantilever plane, drastically decreases moment of inertia in that direction. In addition, the platform is made of polymer (around five orders of magnitude less compared to silicon). It causes significant increase in the sensitivity of the cantilever deflection. Next, although the dimensions of this platform are constant, by misaligning the embedded microchannels laterally in the suspended microfluidic platform, the sensitivity can be highly increased. The investigation is studied on four fluids including water, seawater, milk, and blood for flow ranges from low rate of 5 to 70 µl/min to obtain the best design with the highest sensitivity. The best design in this study shows the sensitivity increases around 50% for water, seawater, milk, and blood at the flow rate of 70 µl/min by just misaligning the embedded microchannels in the suspended polymeric microfluidic platform.

Keywords: microfluidic, MEMS, biosensor, microresonator

Procedia PDF Downloads 222
10078 Study of Parameters Influencing Dwell Times for Trains

Authors: Guillaume Craveur

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The work presented here shows a study on several parameters identified as influencing dwell times for trains. Three kinds of rolling stocks are studied for this project and the parameters presented are the number of passengers, the allocation of passengers, their priorities, the platform station height, the door width and the train design. In order to make this study, a lot of records have been done in several stations in Paris (France). Then, in order to study these parameters, numerical simulations are completed. The goal is to quantify the impact of each parameter on the dwelling times. For example, this study highlights the impact of platform height and the presence of steps between the platform and the train. Three types of station platforms are concerned by this study : ‘optimum’ station platform which is 920 mm high, standard station platform which is 550 mm high, and high station platform which is 1150 mm high and different kinds of steps exist in order to fill these gaps. To conclude, this study shows the impact of these parameters on dwell times and their impact in function of the size of population.

Keywords: dwell times, numerical tools, rolling stock, platforms

Procedia PDF Downloads 335
10077 Identifying the Mindset of Deaf Benildean Students in Learning Anatomy and Physiology

Authors: Joanne Rieta Miranda

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Learning anatomy and physiology among Deaf Non-Science major students is a challenge. They have this mindset that Anatomy and Physiology are difficult and very technical. In this study, nine (9) deaf students who are business majors were considered. Non-conventional teaching strategies and classroom activities were employed such as cooperative learning, virtual lab, Facebook live, big sky, blood typing, mind mapping, reflections, etc. Of all the activities; the deaf students ranked cooperative learning as the best learning activity. This is where they played doctors. They measured the pulse rate, heart rate and blood pressure of their partner classmate. In terms of mindset, 2 out of 9 students have a growth mindset with some fixed ideas while 7 have a fixed mindset with some growth ideas. All the students passed the course. Three out of nine students got a grade of 90% and above. The teacher was evaluated by the deaf students as very satisfactory with a mean score of 3.54. This means that the learner-centered practices in the classroom are manifested to a great extent.

Keywords: deaf students, learning anatomy and physiology, teaching strategies, learner-entered practices

Procedia PDF Downloads 231