Search results for: gene expression glutathione reductase

Authors: Amir Hossein Allahdadi

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The mystical and intuitive look of Islamic artists inspired by the Koranic and mystical principles and also based on the geometry and mathematics has left unique works whose range extends across the borders of Islam. The relationship between Islamic art and music in the traditional art is of one of the concepts that can be traced back to the other arts by detection of its components. One of the links is the art of painting whose subtleties that can be applicable to both architecture and music. So, architecture and music links can be traced in other arts with a traditional foundation in order to evaluate the equivalents of traditional arts. What is the relationship between physical space of architecture and nonphysical space of music? What is musical architecture? What is the music that tends to architecture? These questions are very small samples of the questions that arise in this category, and these questions and concerns remain as long as the music is played and the architecture is made. Efforts have been made in this area, references compiled and plans drawn. As an example, we can refer to views of ‘Mansour Falamaki’ in the book of architecture and music, as well as the book transition from mud to heart by ‘Hesamodin Seraj’. The method is such that a certain melody is given to an architect and it is tried to design a specified architecture using a certain theme. This study is not to follow the architecture of a particular type of music and the formation of a volume based on a sound. In this opportunity, it is tried to briefly review the relationship between music and architecture in the Iranian original and traditional arts, using the basic definitions of arts. The musician plays, the architect designs, the actor forms his desired space and painter displays his multi-dimensional world in the form of two-dimensions. The expression language is different, but all of them can be gathered in a form, a form which has no clear boundaries. In fact, in any original art, the artist applies his art as a tool to express his insights which are nothing but achieving the world beyond this place and time.

Keywords: architecture, music, geometric proportions, mathematical proportions

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Authors: Ebissa Gadissa Kedir, C. S. P. Ojha, K. S. Hari Prasad

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In the present study, the depth-averaged velocity and boundary shear stress in non-prismatic compound channels with three different converging floodplain angles ranging from 1.43ᶱ to 7.59ᶱ have been studied. The analytical solutions were derived by considering acting forces on the channel beds and walls. In the present study, five key parameters, i.e., non-dimensional coefficient, secondary flow term, secondary flow coefficient, friction factor, and dimensionless eddy viscosity, were considered and discussed. An expression for non-dimensional coefficient and integration constants was derived based on the boundary conditions. The model was applied to different data sets of the present experiments and experiments from other sources, respectively, to examine and analyse the influence of floodplain converging angles on depth-averaged velocity and boundary shear stress distributions. The results show that the non-dimensional parameter plays important in portraying the variation of depth-averaged velocity and boundary shear stress distributions with different floodplain converging angles. Thus, the variation of the non-dimensional coefficient needs attention since it affects the secondary flow term and secondary flow coefficient in both the main channel and floodplains. The analysis shows that the depth-averaged velocities are sensitive to a shear stress-dependent model parameter non-dimensional coefficient, and the analytical solutions are well agreed with experimental data when five parameters are included. It is inferred that the developed model may facilitate the interest of others in complex flow modeling.

Keywords: depth-average velocity, converging floodplain angles, non-dimensional coefficient, non-prismatic compound channels

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Authors: Cristian Soitu, Alexander Feuerborn, Cyril Deroy, Alfonso Castrejon-Pita, Peter R. Cook, Edmond J. Walsh

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Microfluidics now stands as an academically mature technology after a quarter of a century research activities have delivered a vast array of proof of concepts for many biological workflows. However, translation to industry remains poor, with only a handful of notable exceptions – e.g. digital PCR, DNA sequencing – mainly because of biocompatibility issues, limited range of readouts supported or complex operation required. This technology exploits the domination of interfacial forces over gravitational ones at the microscale, replacing solid walls with fluid ones as building blocks for cell micro-environments. By employing only materials used by biologists for decades, the system is shown to be biocompatible, and easy to manufacture and operate. The method consists in displacing a continuous fluid layer into a pattern of isolated chambers overlaid with an immiscible liquid to prevent evaporation. The resulting fluid arrangements can be arrays of micro-chambers with rectangular footprint, which use the maximum surface area available, or structures with irregular patterns. Pliant, self-healing fluid walls confine volumes as small as 1 nl. Such fluidic structures can be reconfigured during the assays, giving the platform an unprecedented level of flexibility. Common workflows in cell biology are demonstrated – e.g. cell growth and retrieval, cloning, cryopreservation, fixation and immunolabeling, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, and proof-of-concept drug tests. This fluid-shaping technology is shown to have potential for high-throughput cell- and organism-based assays. The ability to make and reconfigure on-demand microfluidic circuits on standard Petri dishes should find many applications in biology, and yield more relevant phenotypic and genotypic responses when compared to standard microfluidic assays.

Keywords: fluid walls, micro-chambers, reconfigurable, freestyle

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Authors: Eglė Žurauskaitė, Eglė Gudavičienė

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The goal of this paper is to reveal how polarization is constructed through the use of impoliteness strategies. In general, media helps to spread various ideas very fast, and it means that processes of polarization are best revealed in computer-mediated communication (CMC) contexts. For this reason, data for the research was collected from online texts about a current, very diverse topic in Lithuania - Lithuanian language policy and regulations, because this topic is causing a lot of tension in Lithuanian society. Computer-mediated communication allows users to edit their message before they send it. It means that addressees carefully select verbal expressions to convey their message. In other words, each impoliteness strategy and its verbal expression were created intentionally. Impoliteness strategies in this research are understood as various ways to reach a communicative goal: belittle the other. To reach the goal, the public opinions of various Lithuanian public figures (e. g., cultural people, politicians, officials) were collected from new portals in 2019–2023 and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. First, problematic aspects of the language policy, for which public figures complain, were identified. Then instances when public figures take a defensive position were analyzed: how they express this position and what it reveals about Lithuanian culture. Findings of this research demonstrate how concepts of impoliteness theory can be applied in analyzing the process of polarization in Lithuanian society on issues related to the State language policy. Also, to reveal how polarization is constructed, these tasks were set: a) determine which impoliteness strategies are used throughout the process of creating polarization, b) analyze how they were expressed verbally (e. g., as an advice, offer, etc.).

Keywords: impoliteness, Lithuanian language policy, polarization, impoliteness strategies

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Authors: Sareh Enjavi

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In recent years, the field of visual communication design has seen a significant shift in the way that art is created and consumed, with the advent of new technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. This paper explores the ways in which technology is changing the landscape of visual communication design, and how designers are incorporating new technological tools into their artistic practices. The primary objective of this research paper is to investigate the ways in which technology is influencing the creative process of designers and artists in the field of visual communication design. The paper also aims to examine the challenges and limitations that arise from the intersection of art and technology in visual communication design, and to identify strategies for overcoming these challenges. Drawing on examples from a range of fields, including advertising, fine art, and digital media, this paper highlights the exciting innovations that are emerging as artists and designers use technology to push the boundaries of traditional artistic expression. The paper argues that embracing technological innovation is essential for the continued evolution of visual communication design. By exploring the intersection of art and technology, designers can create new and exciting visual experiences that engage and inspire audiences in new ways. The research also contributes to the theoretical and methodological understanding of the intersection of art and technology, a topic that has gained significant attention in recent years. Ultimately, this paper emphasizes the importance of embracing innovation and experimentation in the field of visual communication design, and highlights the exciting innovations that are emerging as a result of the intersection of art and technology, and emphasizes the importance of embracing innovation and experimentation in the field of visual communication design.

Keywords: visual communication design, art and technology, virtual reality, interactive art, creative process

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Authors: Chengcao Sun, Cuili Yang, Shujun Li, Ruilin Xue, Yongyong Xi, Liang Wang, Dejia Li

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Backgrounds: Inflammation is widely distributed in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and ultimately leads to progressive deterioration of muscle function with the co-effects of chronic muscle damage, oxidative stress, and reduced oxidative capacity. NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) plays a critical role in defending against inflammation in different tissues via activation of phase II enzymes, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). However, whether Nrf2/HO-1 pathway can attenuate muscle inflammation on DMD remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the anti-inflammatory effects of Sulforaphane (SFN) on DMD. Methods: 4-week-old male mdx mice were treated with SFN by gavage (2 mg/kg body weight per day) for 4 weeks. Gastrocnemius, tibial anterior and triceps brachii muscles were collected for related analysis. Immune cell infiltration in skeletal muscles was analyzed by H&E staining and immuno-histochemistry. Moreover, the expressions of inflammatory cytokines,pro-inflammatory cytokines and Nrf2/HO-1 pathway were detected by western blot, qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence assays. Results: Our results demonstrated that SFN treatment increased the expression of muscle phase II enzymes HO-1 in Nrf2 dependent manner. Inflammation in mdx skeletal muscles was reduced by SFN treatment as indicated by decreased immune cell infiltration and lower expressions of the inflammatory cytokines CD45, pro-inflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in the skeletal muscles of mdx mice. Conclusions: Collectively, these results show that SFN can ameliorate muscle inflammation in mdx mice by Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, which indicates Nrf2/HO-1 pathway may represent a new therapeutic target for DMD.

Keywords: sulforaphane, Nrf2, HO-1, inflammation

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Authors: Navneet Kaur, S. D. Tiwari

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Magnetic nanoparticles possess fascinating properties which make their behavior unique in comparison to corresponding bulk materials. Superparamagnetism is one such interesting phenomenon exhibited only by small particles of magnetic materials. In this state, the thermal energy of particles become more than their magnetic anisotropy energy, and so particle magnetic moment vectors fluctuate between states of minimum energy. This situation is similar to paramagnetism of non-interacting ions and termed as superparamagnetism. The magnetization of such systems has been described by Langevin function. But, the estimated fit parameters, in this case, are found to be unphysical. It is due to non-consideration of particle size distribution. In this work, analysis of magnetization data on NiO nanoparticles is presented considering the effect of particle size distribution. Nanoparticles of NiO of two different sizes are prepared by heating freshly synthesized Ni(OH)₂ at different temperatures. Room temperature X-ray diffraction patterns confirm the formation of single phase of NiO. The diffraction lines are seen to be quite broad indicating the nanocrystalline nature of the samples. The average crystallite size are estimated to be about 6 and 8 nm. The samples are also characterized by transmission electron microscope. Magnetization of both sample is measured as function of temperature and applied magnetic field. Zero field cooled and field cooled magnetization are measured as a function of temperature to determine the bifurcation temperature. The magnetization is also measured at several temperatures in superparamagnetic region. The data are fitted to an appropriate expression considering a distribution in particle size following a least square fit procedure. The computer codes are written in PYTHON. The presented analysis is found to be very useful for estimating the particle size distribution present in the samples. The estimated distributions are compared with those determined from transmission electron micrographs.

Keywords: anisotropy, magnetization, nanoparticles, superparamagnetism

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Authors: Rose Lastovicka, Bernard Guy, Diana Burton

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Greek myth and art acted as tools to think with, and a lens through which to explore complex topics as a form of social media. In particular, coins were a form of propaganda to communicate the wealth and power of the city-states they originated from as they circulated from person to person. From this, how can the application of 3D printing technologies explore the infusion of ancient forms with contemporary commentaries to promote discussion? The digital reconstruction of artifacts is a topic that has been researched by various groups all over the globe. Yet, the exploration of Greek myth through artifacts infused with contemporary issues is currently unexplored in this medium. Using the Stratasys J750 3D printer - a multi-material, full-colour 3D printer - a series of coins inspired by ancient Greek currency and myth was created to present commentaries on the adversities surrounding individuals in the LGBT+ community. Using the J750 as the medium for expression allows for complete control and precision of the models to create complex high-resolution iconography. The coins are printed with a hard, translucent material with coloured 3D visuals embedded into the coin to then be viewed in close contact by the audience. These coins as commentaries present an avenue for wider understanding by drawing perspectives not only from sources concerned with the contemporary LGBT+ community but also from sources exploring ancient homosexuality and the perception and regulation of it in antiquity. By displaying what are usually points of contention between anti- and pro-LGBT+ parties, this visual medium opens up a discussion to both parties, suggesting heritage can play a vital interpretative role in the contemporary world.

Keywords: 3D printing, design, Greek mythology, LGBT+ community

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Authors: Anahita Suri

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Myriad cultures form the warp and weft of the fabric of this world. The last century saw mass migration of people across geographical boundaries, owing to industrialization and globalization. These people took with them their cultures, costumes, traditions, and folklore, which mingled with the local cultures to create something new and place it in a different context to make it contemporary. With the surge in population and growth of the fashion industry, there has been an increasing demand for innovative and individual fashion, from street markets to luxury brands. Exhausted by local influences, designers take inspiration from the so called ‘low’ culture and create artistic products, place it in a different context, and the end-product is categorized as ‘high’ culture. It is challenging as to why a design/culture is ‘high’ or ‘low’. Who decides which works, practices, activities, etc., are ‘high’ and which are ‘low’? The justification for this distinction is often found not in the design itself but the context attached to it. Also, the concept of high/ low is relative to time- what is ‘high’ today can be ‘low’ tomorrow and ‘high’ again the day after. This raises certain concerns. Firstly, it is sad that a culture which offers inspiration is looked down upon as ‘low’ culture. Secondly, it is ironic because the so designated ‘high’ culture is a manipulation of the truth from the authentic ‘low’ culture, which is capable of true expression. When you borrow from a different culture, you pretend to be authentic because you actually are not. Finally, it is important to be aware of crossing cultural boundaries and the context attached to a design/product so as to use it a responsible way that communicates the design without offending anyone. Is it ok for a person’s cultural identity to become another person’s fashion accessory? This essay explores the complex, multi-layered subject of fashion appropriation and aims to provoke debate over cultural ‘borrowing’ and create awareness that commodification of cultural symbols and iconography in fashion is inappropriate and offensive and not the same as ‘celebrating cultural differences’.

Keywords: context, culture, fashion appropriation, inoffensive, responsible

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Authors: Shadia Al-Bahlani, Khadija Al-Bulushi, Zuweina Al-Hadidi, Buthaina Al-Dhahl, Nadia Al-Abri

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Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive type of breast cancer, which is defined by the absence of Estrogen (ER), Progesterone (PR) and human epidermal growth factor (Her-2) receptors. The calpain system plays an important role in many cellular processes including apoptosis, necrosis, cell signaling and proliferation. However, the role of calpain in cisplatin (CDDP)-induced apoptosis in TNBC cells is not fully understood. Here, TNBC (MDA-MB231) cells were treated with different concentration of CDDP (0, 20 & 40 µM) and calpain activation and apoptosis were measured by western blot and Hoechst Stain respectively. In addition, calpain modulation by either activation and/or inhibition and its effect on CDDP-induced apoptosis were assessed by the same above approaches. Our findings showed that CDDP induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and thus Calcium release and subsequently activate calpain α-fodrin cleavage indicated by the increase in GRP78 and Calmodulin protein expression and respectively in MDA-MB231 cells. It also induced apoptosis as measured by Hoechst stain and caspase-12 cleavage. Calpain activation by both Cyclopiazonic acid and Thapsigargin showed similar effect and enhanced the sensitivity of these cells to CDDP treatment. On the other hand, calpain inhibition by either specific siRNA and/or exogenous inhibitor (Calpeptin) had an adverse effect where it attenuated calpain activation and thus CDDP- induced apoptosis in these cells. Altogether, these findings suggested that calpain activation play an essential role in sensitizing the TNBC cells to CDDP-induced apoptosis. This might lead to the discovery of novel treatment to over this aggressive type of breast cancer.

Keywords: calpain, cisplatin, apoptosis, breast cancer

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Authors: Debabrata Biswas

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The current trend in the development of antibiotic resistance by multiple bacterial pathogens has resulted in a troubling loss of effective antibiotic options for human. The emergence of multi-drug-resistant pathogens has necessitated higher dosages and combinations of multiple antibiotics, further exacerbating the problem of antibiotic resistance. Zoonotic bacterial pathogens, such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (such as enterohaemorrhagic E. coli or EHEC), and Listeria are the most common and predominant foodborne enteric infectious agents. It was observed that these pathogens gained/developed their ability to survive in the presence of antibiotics either in farm animal gut or farm environment and researchers believe that therapeutic and sub-therapeutic antibiotic use in farm animal production might play an important role in it. The mechanism of action of antimicrobial components used in farm animal production in genomic interplay in the gut and farm environment, has not been fully characterized. Even the risk of promoting the exchange of mobile genetic elements between microbes specifically pathogens needs to be evaluated in depth, to ensure sustainable farm animal production, safety of our food and to mitigate/limit the enteric infection with multiple antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens. Due to the consumer’s demand and considering the current emerging situation, many countries are in process to withdraw antibiotic use in farm animal production. Before withdrawing use of the sub-therapeutic antibiotic or restricting the use of therapeutic antibiotics in farm animal production, it is essential to find alternative natural antimicrobials for promoting the growth of farm animal and/or treating animal diseases. Further, it is also necessary to consider whether that compound(s) has the potential to trigger the acquisition or loss of genetic materials in zoonotic and any other bacterial pathogens. Development of alternative therapeutic and sub-therapeutic antimicrobials for farm animal production and food processing and preservation and their effective implementation for sustainable strategies for farm animal production as well as the possible risk for horizontal gene transfer in major enteric pathogens will be focus in the study.

Keywords: food safety, natural antimicrobial, sustainable farming, antibiotic resistance

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Authors: Minoru Moriguchi

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This research introduces the concept of a monolingual Japanese dictionary for non-native speakers of Japanese, whose temporal title is Dictionary of Contemporary Japanese for Advanced Learners (DCJAL). As the language market is very small compared with English, a monolingual Japanese dictionary for non-native speakers, containing sufficient entries, has not been published yet. In such a dictionary environment, Japanese-language learners are using bilingual dictionaries or monolingual Japanese dictionaries for Japanese people. This research started in 2017, as a project team which consists of four Japanese and two non-native speakers, all of whom are linguists of the Japanese language. The team has been trying to propose the concept of a monolingual dictionary for non-native speakers of Japanese and to provide the entry list, the definition samples, the list of defining vocabulary, and the writing manual. As the result of seven-year research, DCJAL has come to have 28,060 head words, 539 entry examples, 4,598-word defining vocabulary, and the writing manual. First, the number of the entry was determined as about 30,000, based on an experimental method using existing six dictionaries. To make the entry list satisfying this number, words suitable for DCJAL were extracted from the Tsukuba corpus of the Japanese language, and later the entry list was adjusted according to the experience as Japanese instructor. Among the head words of the entry list, 539 words were selected and added with lexicographical information such as proficiency level, pronunciation, writing system (hiragana, katakana, kanji, or alphabet), definition, example sentences, idiomatic expression, synonyms, antonyms, grammatical information, sociolinguistic information, and etymology. While writing the definition of the above 539 words, the list of the defining vocabulary was constructed, based on frequent vocabulary used in a Japanese monolingual dictionary. Although the concept of DCJAL has been almost perfected, it may need some more adjustment, and the research is continued.

Keywords: monolingual dictionary, the Japanese language, non-native speaker of Japanese, defining vocabulary

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Authors: Abdul Soofi, Katherine Wolf, Egon Ranghini, Gregory Dressler

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Obesity and its associated complications, such as insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, are reaching epidemic proportions. In mice, the TGF-β superfamily is implicated in the regulation of white and brown adipose tissues differentiation. The Kielin/Chordin-like Protein (KCP) is a secreted regulator of the TGF-β superfamily pathways that can inhibit both TGF-β and Activin signals while enhancing the Bone Morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. However, the effects of KCP on metabolism and obesity have not been studied in animal models. Thus, we examined the effects of KCP loss or gain of function in mice that were maintained on either a regular or a high fat diet. Loss of KCP sensitized mice to obesity and associated complications such as hepatic steatosis and glucose intolerance. In contrast, transgenic mice that expressed KCP in the kidney, liver and adipose tissues were resistant to developing high fat diet induced obesity and had significantly reduced white adipose tissue. KCP over-expression was able to shift the pattern of Smad signaling in vivo, to increase the levels of P-Smad1 and decrease P-Smad3, resulting in resistance to high fat diet induced hepatic steatosis and glucose intolerance. In aging mice, loss of KCP promoted liver pathology even when mice were fed a normal diet. The data demonstrate that shifting the TGF-β superfamily signaling with a secreted inhibitor or enhancer can alter the physiology of adipose tissue to reduce obesity and can inhibit the initiation and progression of hepatic steatosis to significantly reduce the effects of high fat diet induced metabolic disease.

Keywords: adipose tissue, KCP, obesity, TGF-β, BMP, hepatic steatosis, metabolic syndrome

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Authors: Worku Dejene Bekele, András Marczika Csilla Sörös

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Silver nanoparticles are silver metal with a size of 1-100nm. The most common source of silver nanoparticles is inorganic salts. Nanoparticles can be ingested through our foods and constitute nanoparticles and silver ions, whether as an additive or by migrants and, in some cases, as a pollutant. Silver nanoparticles are the most widely applicable engineered nanomaterials, especially for antimicrobial function. Ag nanoparticles give different advantages in the case of food safety, quality, and overall acceptability; however, they affect the health of humans and animals, putting them at risk of health problems and environmental pollution. Silver nanoparticles have been used widely in food packaging technologies, especially in water treatments, meat and meat products, fruit, and many other food products. This is for bio-preservation from food products. The primary goal of this review is to determine the safety and health impact of Ag nanoparticles application in food packaging and analysis of the human organs more affected by this preservative technology, to assess the implications of a nanoparticle on food safety, to determine the effects of nanoparticles on consumers health and to determine the impact of nanotechnology on product acceptability. But currently, much research has demonstrated that there is cause to believe that silver nanoparticles may have toxicological effects on biological organs and systems. The silver nanoparticles affect DNA expression, gastrointestinal barriers, lungs, and other breathing organs illness. Silver particles and molecules are very toxic. During its application in food packaging, food industries used the thinnest particle. This particle can potentially affect the gastrointestinal tracts-it suffers from mucus production, DNA, lungs, and other breezing organs. This review is targeted to demonstrate the knowledge gap that industrials use in the application of silver nanoparticles in food packaging and preservation and its health effects on the consumer.

Keywords: food preservatives, health impact, nanoparticle, silver nanoparticle

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Authors: Tanakrit Doltanakarn

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Introduction: These days, cannabis is being accepted in many countries due to the fact that cannabis could be use in medical. The medical cannabis is used to treat and reduce the pain many diseases. For example, neuropathic pain, Parkinson, autism disorders, cancer pain reduce the adverse effect of chemotherapy, diabetes, and migraine. Active ingredients in cannabis that modulate patients' perceptions of their conditions include Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), flavonoids, and terpenes. However, there is an adverse effect of cannabis, cardiovascular effects, psychosis, schizophrenia, mood disorder, and cognitive alternation. These effects are from the THC and CBD ingredients in the cannabis. The metabolize processes of delta-9 THC to 11-OH-delta 9 -THC (inactive form), THC were cause of adverse effects. Interestingly, the distributions of CYP2C9 gene (CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3, poor metabolizer) that might affect incidences of adverse effects in patients who treated with medical cannabis. Objective: The aim of this study we want to investigate the association between genetic polymorphism of CYP2C9 frequency and Thai patients who treated with medical cannabis. Materials and Methods:We recruited sixty-five unrelated Thai patients from the College of Pharmacy, Rangsit University. DNA were extracted using Genomic DNA Mini Kit. Genotyping of CYP2C9*2 (430C>T, rs1799853) and CYP2C9*3 (1075A>C, rs1057910) were genotyped by the TaqMan Real-time PCR assay. Results: Among these 31 medicals cannabis-induced ADRs patients, they were diagnosed with 22 (33.85%) tachycardia and 3 (4.62%) arrhythmia. There were 34 (52.31%) medical cannabis-tolerant controls who were included in this study.40 (61.53%) Thai patients were female, and 25 (38.46%) were male, with median age of 57 (range 27 – 87) years. In this study, we found none of the medical cannabis-induced ADRs carried CYP2C9*2 variant along with medical cannabis-tolerant control group. CYP2C9*3 variant (intermediate metabolizer, IM) was found just only one of thirty-one (3.23%) in the medical cannabis-induced ADRs and two of thirty-fourth (5.88%) in the tolerant controls. Conclusions: Thus, the distribution of CYP2C9 alleles offer a comprehensive view of pharmacogenomics marker in Thai population that could be used as a reference for worldwide to investigate the pharmacogenomics application.

Keywords: medical cannabis, adverse effect, CYP2C9, thai patients

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Authors: John Tate

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In 2004, the French Parliament banned the “hijab” in public schools, and in 2010 it prohibited the “burqa” and “niqab” in “public places.” The result was a “secular” outcome involving the removal of these garments, often identified with Islamic religious and cultural practice, from the French public sphere. Yet in 2016, the French local council bans on the “burqini” were overruled by France’s highest administrative court, the Conseil d’État, allowing for their retention in the public sphere. Unlike the burqa and hijab bans, the burqini bans produced significant divisions at the highest echelons of the French political class, with the Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, and the President, François Hollande, finding themselves at odds on the issue. This article seeks to achieve four aims. It seeks to (a) explain the contrary outcomes between key French state institutions, such as the Conseil d’État and the French Parliament, concerning the hijab and burqa bans, and the Conseil d’État and French local councils, concerning the burqini bans; (b) to do so by identifying two qualitatively distinct, and at times incompatible, conceptions of laïcité, present within official French public discourse, and applied by these French state institutions to underwrite these respective outcomes; (c) explain why, given these contrary conceptions of laïcité, and these contrary outcomes, the widespread identification of laïcité with “secularism” is both misleading and inaccurate; and (d) provide an explanation why senior members of the French political class were divided on the burqini bans when they were not divided on the nation-wide prohibitions of the hijab in public schools and the burqa in public places. In regard to this last question, the article seeks to ask why the Burqini was “different”?

Keywords: liberalism, republicanism, laïcité, citizenship

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Authors: Yangwon Hyun

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Nowadays, business settings are becoming increasingly multilingual and multicultural under the conditions of globalization. When people from different linguistic and cultural background interact, their divergent cultural conceptualizations may result in communicative problems. Even though intercultural business communication between Thais and South Koreans has become increasingly significant along with the development of international trade relations, there have been very few attempts to conduct research on interactional problems in that context. Based on a Cultural Linguistics perspective, this study analyzes Thai cultural conceptualizations that underly interactional problems with Koreans at Korean business organizations where were located in Thailand. The data was gathered through in-depth interviews with ten Korean and ten Thai employees as well as through six months of field observations. The results indicate that there are three cultural pragmatic schemas that underly problems of interaction between the two groups; (1) the schema of kreng-jai as a communicative strategy of withholding one’s intentions in order to not hurt another’s emotion, (2) the schema of mai-pen-rai as a linguistic strategy of inducing interlocutors to not be concerned about substantial matters so as to avoid confrontations, and (3) the schema of jai-yen as a linguistic expression used for persuading interlocutors to maintain a calm state of mind in order to avoid conflicts. The linguistic behaviors of Thai employees in relation to these three cultural schemas had led to misunderstandings and interpersonal conflicts with Korean supervisors and co-workers. These interactional problems were caused not only because Koreans were unfamiliar with Thai cultural conceptualizations, but also because these conceptualizations were incompatible with goal-oriented Korean business discourse. The findings of this study can enhance mutual understandings between Thai and Korean employees. Thus, it contributes to the promotion of smooth intercultural communication in the workplace.

Keywords: business context, cultural conceptualizations, cultural linguistics, intercultural communication, thai culture

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Authors: V. Kuzhandai Velu, R. Ramesh

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Background and objectives: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most common cause of mortality and morbidity. Over the last decade, microRNAs (miRs) have emerged as a potential marker for detecting AMI. The current study evaluates the kinetics and importance of miRs in the differential diagnosis of ST-segment elevated MI (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI) and its correlation to conventional biomarkers and to predict the immediate outcome of AMI for arrhythmias and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Materials and Method: A total of 100 AMI patients were recruited for the study. Routine cardiac biomarker and miRNA levels were measured during diagnosis and serially at admission, 6, 12, 24, and 72hrs. The baseline biochemical parameters were analyzed. The expression of miRs was compared between STEMI and NSTEMI at different time intervals. Diagnostic utility of miR-1, miR-133, miR-208, and miR-499 levels were analyzed by using RT-PCR and with various diagnostics statistical tools like ROC, odds ratio, and likelihood ratio. Results: The miR-1, miR-133, and miR-499 showed peak concentration at 6 hours, whereas miR-208 showed high significant differences at all time intervals. miR-133 demonstrated the maximum area under the curve at different time intervals in the differential diagnosis of STEMI and NSTEMI which was followed by miR-499 and miR-208. Evaluation of miRs for predicting arrhythmia and LV dysfunction using admission sample demonstrated that miR-1 (OR = 8.64; LR = 1.76) and miR-208 (OR = 26.25; LR = 5.96) showed maximum odds ratio and likelihood respectively. Conclusion: Circulating miRNA showed a highly significant difference between STEMI and NSTEMI in AMI patients. The peak was much earlier than the conventional biomarkers. miR-133, miR-208, and miR-499 can be used in the differential diagnosis of STEMI and NSTEMI, whereas miR-1 and miR-208 could be used in the prediction of arrhythmia and LV dysfunction, respectively.

Keywords: myocardial infarction, cardiac biomarkers, microRNA, arrhythmia, left ventricular dysfunction

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Authors: Jana Stepanovska, Roman Matejka, Jozef Rosina, Marta Vandrovcova, Lucie Bacakova

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The aim of this study was to develop a system for mechanical and also electrical stimulation controlling in vitro osteogenesis under conditions more similar to the in vivo bone microenvironment than traditional static cultivation, which would achieve good adhesion, growth and other specific behaviors of osteogenic cells in cultures. An engineered culture system for mechanical stimulation of the mesenchymal stem cells on the charged surface was designed. The bioreactor allows efficient mechanical loading inducing an electrical response and perfusion of the culture chamber with seeded cells. The mesenchymal stem cells were seeded to specific charged materials, like polarized hydroxyapatite (Hap) or other materials with piezoelectric and ferroelectric features, to create electrical potentials for stimulating of the cells. The material of the matrix was TiNb alloy designed for these purposes, and it was covered by BaTiO3 film, like a kind of piezoelectric material. The process of mechanical stimulation inducing electrical response is controlled by measuring electrical potential in the chamber. It was performed a series of experiments, where the cells were seeded, perfused and stimulated up to 48 hours under different conditions, especially pressure and perfusion. The analysis of the proteins expression was done, which demonstrated the effective mechanical and electrical stimulation. The experiments demonstrated effective stimulation of the cells in comparison with the static culture. This work was supported by the Ministry of Health, grant No. 15-29153A and the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic grant No. GA15-01558S.

Keywords: charged surface, dynamic cultivation, electrical stimulation, ferroelectric layers, mechanical stimulation, piezoelectric layers

Procedia PDF Downloads 288

Authors: Yuexin Liu, Gordon B. Mills, Russell R. Broaddus, John N. Weinstein

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The lethality of endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC) is primarily attributable to the high-stage diseases. However, there are no available biomarkers that predict EEC patient staging at the time of diagnosis. We aim to develop a predictive scheme to help in this regards. Using reverse-phase protein array expression profiles for 210 EEC cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we constructed a Protein Scoring of EEC Staging (PSES) scheme for surgical stage prediction. We validated and evaluated its diagnostic potential in an independent cohort of 184 EEC cases obtained at MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) using receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to examine the association of PSES score with patient outcome, and Ingenuity pathway analysis was used to identify relevant signaling pathways. Two-sided statistical tests were used. PSES robustly distinguished high- from low-stage tumors in the TCGA cohort (area under the ROC curve [AUC]=0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68 to 0.82) and in the validation cohort (AUC=0.67; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.76). Even among grade 1 or 2 tumors, PSES was significantly higher in high- than in low-stage tumors in both the TCGA (P = 0.005) and MDACC (P = 0.006) cohorts. Patients with positive PSES score had significantly shorter progression-free survival than those with negative PSES in the TCGA (hazard ratio [HR], 2.033; 95% CI, 1.031 to 3.809; P = 0.04) and validation (HR, 3.306; 95% CI, 1.836 to 9.436; P = 0.0007) cohorts. The ErbB signaling pathway was most significantly enriched in the PSES proteins and downregulated in high-stage tumors. PSES may provide clinically useful prediction of high-risk tumors and offer new insights into tumor biology in EEC.

Keywords: endometrial carcinoma, protein, protein scoring of EEC staging (PSES), stage

Procedia PDF Downloads 216

Authors: M. Nita-Lazar, E. Manea, C. Bumbac, A. Banciu, C. Stoica

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The population and economic growth have generated a significant new number of pollutant compounds which have to be degraded before reaching the environment. The wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been the last barrier between the domestic and/or industrial wastewaters and the environment. At present, the conventional WWTPs have very high operational costs, most of them linked to the aeration process (60-65% from total energy costs related to wastewater treatment). In addition, they have had a low efficiency in pollutants removal such as pharmaceutical and other resilient anthropogenic compounds. In our study, we have been focused on new wastewater treatment strategies to enhance the efficiency of pollutants removal and decrease the wastewater treatment operational costs. The usage of mixed microalgae-bacteria granules technology generated high efficiency and low costs by a better harvesting and less expensive aeration. The intertrophic relationships between microalgae and bacteria have been characterized by the structure of the population community to their metabolic relationships. The results, obtained by microscopic studies, showed well-organized and stratified microalgae-bacteria granules where bacteria have been enveloped in the microalgal structures. Moreover, their population community structure has been modulated as well as their nitrification, denitrification processes (analysis based on qPCR genes expression) by the type of the pollutant compounds and amounts. In conclusion, the understanding and modulation of intertrophic relationships between microalgae and bacteria could be an economical and technological viable alternative to the conventional wastewater treatment. Acknowledgements: This research was supported by grant PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2016-0865 from the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation CNCS/CCCDI-UEFISCDI.

Keywords: activated sludge, bacteria, granules, microalgae

Procedia PDF Downloads 105

Authors: Ahmed M. Kabel, Maaly A. Abd Elmaaboud

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Scleroderma is one of the connective tissue disorders characterized by skin and systemic fibrosis. Its pathogenesis involves multiple interrelated processes of autoimmunity, vasculopathy, inflammation, and oxidative stress. This study was a trial to explore the possible ameliorative effects of sodium valproate on an experimental model of skin fibrosis induced by bleomycin. Forty male BALB/c mice were divided into four equal groups as follows: control group; bleomycin group; bleomycin + sodium valproate group, and sodium valproate group. Mice were assessed for their body weight every four days throughout the whole study. Skin tissues were used to evaluate the oxidative stress parameters, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 15, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Skin fibrosis was evaluated by measuring dermal thickness and staining the skin tissues with Masson trichrome stain. Also, the skin tissues were immunostained with alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Administration of sodium valproate to bleomycin-treated mice resulted in the restoration of the body weight with a significant decrease in the dermal thickness, amelioration of oxidative stress, suppression of TGF-β1 and mTOR expression, and significant reduction of the percentage of α-SMA immunostaining and the proinflammatory cytokine levels compared to mice treated with bleomycin alone. In conclusion, sodium valproate has an antifibrotic effect on skin fibrosis which may represent a beneficial therapeutic modality for the management of scleroderma.

Keywords: scleroderma, bleomycin, sodium valproate, skin fibrosis

Procedia PDF Downloads 70

Authors: Dong-Gyu Leem, Ji-Sun Shin, Sang Yoon Choi, Kyung-Tae Lee

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In this study, we focused on the anti-proliferative effects of panaxydol, a C17 polyacetylenic compound derived from Panax ginseng roots, against various human cancer cells. We treated with panaxydol to various cancer cells and panaxydol treatment was found to significantly inhibit the proliferation of human lung cancer cells (A549) and human pancreatic cancer cells (AsPC-1 and MIA PaCa-2), of which AsPC-1 cells were most sensitive to its treatment. DNA flow cytometric analysis indicated that panaxydol blocked cell cycle progression at the G1 phase in A549 cells, which accompanied by a parallel reduction of protein expression of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 2, CDK4, CDK6, cyclin D1 and cyclin E. CDK inhibitors (CDKIs), such as p21CIP1/WAF1 and p27KIP1, were gradually upregulated after panaxydol treatment at the protein levels. Furthermore, panaxydol induced the activation of p53 in A549 cells. In addition, panaxydol also induced apoptosis of AsPC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 cells, as shown by accumulation of subG1 and apoptotic cell populations. Panaxydol triggered the activation of caspase-3, -8, -9 and the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Reduction of mitochondrial transmembrane potential by panaxydol was determined by staining with dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide. Furthermore, panaxydol suppressed the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins, XIAP and Bcl-2, and increased the levels of proapoptotic proteins, Bax and Bad. In addition, panaxydol inhibited the activation of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and activated the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPK). Our results suggest that panaxydol is an anti-tumor compound that causes p53-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in various cancer cells.

Keywords: apoptosis, cancer, G1 arrest, panaxydol

Procedia PDF Downloads 309

Authors: Marzieh Khedmati, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt

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Vegetative Filter Strips (VFS) are used for controlling the volume of runoff and decreasing contaminant concentrations in runoff before entering water bodies. Many studies have investigated the role of VFS in sediment and nutrient removal, but little is known about their efficiency for the removal of emerging contaminants such as antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Vegetative Filter Strip Modeling System (VFSMOD) was used to simulate the efficiency of VFS in this regard. Several studies demonstrated the ability of VFSMOD to predict reductions in runoff volume and sediment concentration moving through the filters. The objectives of this study were to calibrate the VFSMOD with experimental data and assess the efficiency of the model in simulating the filter behavior in removing ARGs (ermB) and tylosin. The experimental data were obtained from a prior study conducted at the University of Nebraska (UNL) Rogers Memorial Farm. Three treatment factors were tested in the experiments, including manure amendment, narrow grass hedges and rainfall events. Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) was defined as the filter efficiency and the related experimental and model values were compared to each other. The VFS Model generally agreed with the experimental results and as a result, the model was used for predicting filter efficiencies when the runoff data are not available. Narrow Grass Hedges (NGH) were shown to be effective in reducing tylosin and ARGs concentration. The simulation showed that the filter efficiency in removing ARGs is different for different soil types and filter lengths. There is an optimum length for the filter strip that produces minimum runoff volume. Based on the model results increasing the length of the filter by 1-meter leads to higher efficiency but widening beyond that decreases the efficiency. The VFSMOD, which was proved to work well in estimation of VFS trapping efficiency, showed confirming results for ARG removal.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance genes, emerging contaminants, narrow grass hedges, vegetative filter strips, vegetative filter strip modeling system

Procedia PDF Downloads 125

Authors: Khushbu Priyadarshi, Chandramani Pathak

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Cancer cells can develop resistance to conventional therapies especially chemotherapeutic drugs. Resistance to chemotherapy is another challenge in cancer therapeutics. Therefore, it is important to address this issue. Gallic acid (GA) is a natural plant compound that exhibits various biological properties including anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial. Despite of the wide spectrum biological properties GA has cytotoxic response and low bioavailability. To overcome this problem, GA was conjugated with the Polyamidoamine(PAMAM) dendrimer for improving the bioavailability and efficient delivery in drug-resistant HCT-116 Colon Cancer cells. Gallic acid was covalently linked to 4.0 G PAMAM dendrimer. PAMAM dendrimer is well established nanocarrier but has cytotoxicity due to presence of amphiphilic nature of amino group. In our study we have modified surface of PAMAM dendrimer with Gallic acid and examine their anti-proliferative effects in drug-resistant HCT-116 cells. Further, drug-resistant colon cancer cells were established and thereafter treated with different concentration of PAMAM-GA to examine their anti-proliferative potential. Our results show that PAMAM-GA conjugate induces apoptotic cell death in HCT-116 and drug-resistant cells observed by Annexin-PI staining. In addition, it also shows that multidrug-resistant drug transporter P-gp protein expression was downregulated with increasing the concentration of GA conjugate. After that we also observed the significant difference in Rh123 efflux and accumulation in drug sensitive and drug-resistant cancer cells. Thus, our study suggests that conjugation of anti-cancer agents with PAMAM could improve drug resistant property and cytotoxic response to treatment of cancer.

Keywords: drug resistance, gallic acid, PAMAM dendrimer, P-glycoprotein

Procedia PDF Downloads 138

Authors: Mohammadamin Esmaeilzadehazimi, Morteza Shayan Arani, Mohammad Toorani, Aouni Lakis

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This study uses a hybrid finite element method to predict the dynamic behavior of both fully and partially-filled truncated conical shells stiffened with ring stiffeners. The method combines classical shell theory and the finite element method, and employs displacement functions derived from exact solutions of Sanders' shell equilibrium equations for conical shells. The shell-fluid interface is analyzed by utilizing the velocity potential, Bernoulli's equation, and impermeability conditions to determine an explicit expression for fluid pressure. The equations of motion presented in this study apply to both conical and cylindrical shells. This study presents the first comparison of the method applied to ring-stiffened shells with other numerical and experimental findings. Vibration frequencies for conical shells with various boundary conditions and geometries in a vacuum and filled with water are compared with experimental and numerical investigations, achieving good agreement. The study thoroughly investigates the influence of geometric parameters, stiffener quantity, semi-vertex cone angle, level of water filled in the cone, and applied boundary conditions on the natural frequency of fluid-loaded ring-stiffened conical shells, and draws some useful conclusions. The primary advantage of the current method is its use of a minimal number of finite elements while achieving highly accurate results.

Keywords: finite element method, fluid–structure interaction, conical shell, natural frequency, ring-stiffener

Procedia PDF Downloads 62

Authors: Kim Byeong-Gon, Lee Pureun-Haneul, Hong Jisu, Jang An-Soo

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Background: Diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) lead to trigger airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and airway dysfunction or inflammation in respiratory systems. Whether tight junction protein changes can contribute to development or exacerbations of airway diseases remain to be clarified. Objective: The aim of this study was to observe the effect of DEP on tight junction proteins in one airway both nose and lung in a mouse model. Methods: Mice were treated with saline (Sham) and exposed to 100 μg/m³ DEPs 1 hour a day for 5 days a week for 4 weeks and 8 weeks in a closed-system chamber attached to a ultrasonic nebulizer. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was measured and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, nasal lavage (NAL) fluid, lung and nasal tissue was collected. The effects of DEP on tight junction proteins were estimated using western blot, immunohistochemical in lung and nasal tissue. Results: Airway hyperresponsiveness and number of inflammatory cells were higher in DEP exposure group than in control group, and were higher in 4 and 8 weeks model than in control group. The expression of tight junction proteins CLND4, -5, and -17 in both lung and nasal tissue were significantly increased in DEP exposure group than in the control group. Conclusion: These results suggesting that CLDN4, -5 and -17 may be involved in the airway both nose and lung, suggesting that air pollutants cause to disruption of epithelial and endothelial cell barriers. Acknowledgment: This research was supported by Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE) as 'The Environmental Health Action Program' (2016001360009) and Soonchunhyang University Research Fund.

Keywords: diesel exhaust particles, air pollutant, tight junction, Claudin, Airway inflammation

Procedia PDF Downloads 133

Authors: Kirsten Wilson, Patrick M. Brauer, Sandra Babic, Diana Golubeva, Jessica Van Eyk, Tinya Wang, Avanti Karkhanis, Tim A. Le Fevre, Andy I. Kokaji, Allen C. Eaves, Sharon A. Louis, , Nooshin Tabatabaei-Zavareh

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Long-lived plasma cells are rare, non-proliferative B cells generated from antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) following an immune response to protect the host against pathogen re-exposure. Despite their therapeutic potential, the lack of in vitro protocols in the field makes it challenging to use B cells as a cellular therapeutic tool. As a result, there is a need to establish robust and reproducible methods for the generation of B cells. To address this, we have developed a culture system for generating B cells from hematopoietic stem and/or progenitor cells (HSPCs) derived from human umbilical cord blood (CB) or pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). HSPCs isolated from CB were cultured using the StemSpan™ B Cell Generation Kit and produced CD19+ B cells at a frequency of 23.2 ± 1.5% and 59.6 ± 2.3%, with a yield of 91 ± 11 and 196 ± 37 CD19+ cells per input CD34+ cell on culture days 28 and 35, respectively (n = 50 - 59). CD19+IgM+ cells were detected at a frequency of 31.2 ± 2.6% and were produced at a yield of 113 ± 26 cells per input CD34+ cell on culture day 35 (n = 50 - 59). The B cell receptor loci of CB-derived B cells were sequenced to confirm V(D)J gene rearrangement. ELISpot analysis revealed that ASCs were generated at a frequency of 570 ± 57 per 10,000 day 35 cells, with an average IgM+ ASC yield of 16 ± 2 cells per input CD34+ cell (n = 33 - 42). PSC-derived HSPCs were generated using the STEMdiff™ Hematopoietic - EB reagents and differentiated to CD10+CD19+ B cells with a frequency of 4 ± 0.8% after 28 days of culture (n = 37, 1 embryonic and 3 induced pluripotent stem cell lines tested). Subsequent culture of PSC-derived HSPCs increased CD19+ frequency and generated ASCs from 1 - 2 iPSC lines. This method is the first report of a serum- and feeder-free system for the generation of B cells from CB and PSCs, enabling further B lineage-specific research for potential future clinical applications.

Keywords: stem cells, B cells, immunology, hematopoiesis, PSC, differentiation

Procedia PDF Downloads 40

Authors: Marinna Madrid, Nabiha Saklayen, Marinus Huber, Nicolas Vogel, Christos Boutopoulos, Michel Meunier, Eric Mazur

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Delivering material into cells is important for a diverse range of biological applications, including gene therapy, cellular engineering and imaging. We present a plasmonic substrate for delivering membrane-impermeable material into cells at high throughput and high efficiency while maintaining cell viability. The substrate fabrication is based on an affordable and fast colloidal self-assembly process. When illuminated with a femtosecond laser, the light interacts with the electrons at the surface of the metal substrate, creating localized surface plasmons that form bubbles via energy dissipation in the surrounding medium. These bubbles come into close contact with the cell membrane to form transient pores and enable entry of membrane-impermeable material via diffusion. We use fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry to verify delivery of membrane-impermeable material into HeLa CCL-2 cells. We show delivery efficiency and cell viability data for a range of membrane-impermeable cargo, including dyes and biologically relevant material such as siRNA. We estimate the effective pore size by determining delivery efficiency for hard fluorescent spheres with diameters ranging from 20 nm to 2 um. To provide insight to the cell poration mechanism, we relate the poration data to pump-probe measurements of micro- and nano-bubble formation on the plasmonic substrate. Finally, we investigate substrate stability and reusability by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to inspect for damage on the substrate after laser treatment. SEM images show no visible damage. Our findings indicate that self-assembled plasmonic substrates are an affordable tool for high-throughput, high-efficiency delivery of material into mammalian cells.

Keywords: femtosecond laser, intracellular delivery, plasmonic, self-assembly

Procedia PDF Downloads 520

Authors: Merve Sagiroglu

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The earthquake-resistant steel structure design is required taking into account the behavior of beam-column connections besides the basic properties of the structure such as material and geometry. Beam-column connections play an important role in the behavior of frame systems. Taking into account the behaviour of connection in analysis and design of steel frames is important due to presenting the actual behavior of frames. So, the behavior of the connections should be well known. The most important force which transmitted by connections in the structural system is the moment. The rotational deformation is customarily expressed as a function of the moment in the connection. So, the moment-rotation curves are the best expression of behaviour of the beam-to-column connections. The designed connections form various moment-rotation curves according to the elements of connection and the shape of placement. The only way to achieve this curve is with real-scale experiments. The experiments of some connections have been carried out partially and are formed in the databank. It has been formed the models using this databank to express the behavior of connection. In this study, theoretical studies have been carried out to model a real behavior of the top and seat angles connections with angles. Two stiffeners in the top and seat angle to increase the stiffness of the connection, and two stiffeners in the beam web to prevent local buckling are used in this beam-to-column connection. Mathematical models have been performed using the database of the beam-to-column connection experiments previously by authors. Using the data of the tests, it has been aimed that analytical expressions have been developed to obtain the moment-rotation curve for the connection details whose test data are not available. The connection has been dimensioned in various shapes and the effect of the dimensions of the connection elements on the behavior has been examined.

Keywords: top and seat angle connection, stiffener, moment-rotation curves, analytical study

Procedia PDF Downloads 167