Search results for: brain cells

Authors: M. M. Bashandy, A. R. Ahmed, M. El-Gaffary, Sahar S. Abd El-Rahman

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This study evaluated the acute toxicity and tissue distribution of intravenously administered gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in male rabbits. Rabbits were exposed to single dose of AuNPs (300 µg/ kg). Toxic effects were assessed via general behavior, hematological parameters, serum biochemical parameters and histopathological examination of various rabbits’ organs. Tissue distribution of AuNPs was evaluated at a dose of 300 µg/ kg in male rabbit. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to determine gold concentrations in tissue samples collected at predetermined time intervals. After one week, AuNPs exerted no obvious acute toxicity in rabbits. However, inflammatory reactions in lung and liver cells were induced in rabbits treated at the300 µg/ kg dose level. The highest gold levels were found in the spleen, followed by liver, lungs and kidneys. These results indicated that AuNPs could be distributed extensively to various tissues in the body, but primarily in the spleen and liver.

Keywords: gold nanoparticles, toxicity, pathology, hematology, liver function, kidney function

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Authors: Mohammad Alibakhshikenari, Ernesto Limiti, Bal S. Virdee

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The paper presents a miniature wideband antenna using composite right/left-handed transmission-line (CRLH-TL) metamaterial. The proposed planar antenna has a fractional bandwidth of 100% and is designed to operate in several frequency bands from 800MHz to 2.40GHz. The antenna is constructed using just two CRLH-TL unit cells comprising of two T-shaped slots that are inverted. The slots contribute towards generating the series left-handed (LH) capacitance CL. The rectangular patch on which the slots are created is grounded with spiral shaped high impedance stubs that contribute towards LH inductance LL. The antenna has a size of 14×6×1.6mm3 (0.037λ0×0.016λ0× 0.004λ0, where λ0 is free space wavelength at 800MHz). The peak gain and efficiency of the antenna are 1.5 dBi and ~75%, respectively, at 1.6GHz. Proposed antenna is suitable for use in wireless systems working at UHF/L/S-bands, in particular, AMPS, GSM, WCDMA, UMTS, PCS, cellular, DCS, IMT-2000, JCDMA, KPCS, GPS, lower band of WiMAX.

Keywords: miniature antenna, composite right/left-handed transmission line (CRLH-TL), wideband antenna, communication transceiver, metamaterials

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Authors: Asher John Mohan, Krishna K. L.

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Objectives: (1) To assess the extent of memory impairment induced by Phenytoin (PHT) at normal and reduced dose on temporal lobe epileptic mice. (2) To evaluate the protective effect of Levetiracetam (LEV) on aggravation of memory impairment in temporal lobe epileptic mice by PHT. Materials and Methods: Albino mice of either sex (n=36) were used for the study for a period of 64 days. Convulsions were induced by intraperitoneal administration of pilocarpine 280 mg/kg on every 6th day. Radial arm maze (RAM) was employed to evaluate the memory impairment activity on every 7th day. The anticonvulsant and memory impairment activity were assessed in PHT normal and reduced doses both alone and in combination with LEV. RAM error scores and convulsive scores were the parameters considered for this study. Brain acetylcholine esterase and glutamate were determined along with histopathological studies of frontal cortex. Results: Administration of PHT for 64 days on mice has shown aggravation of memory impairment activity on temporal lobe epileptic mice. Although the reduction in PHT dose was found to decrease the degree of memory impairment the same decreased the anticonvulsant potency. The combination with LEV not only brought about the correction of impaired memory but also replaced the loss of potency due to the reduction of the dose of the antiepileptic drug employed. These findings were confirmed with enzyme and neurotransmitter levels in addition to histopathological studies. Conclusion: This study thus builds a foundation in combining a nootropic anticonvulsant with an antiepileptic drug to curb the adverse effect of memory impairment associated with temporal lobe epilepsy. However further extensive research is a must for the practical incorporation of this approach into disease therapy.

Keywords: anti-epileptic drug, Phenytoin, memory impairment, Pilocarpine

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Authors: Mohamed Sanad, Noha Hassan

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A low wind-load light-weight broad-band multi-beam base station antenna has been developed. It can generate any required number of beams with the required beamwidths. It can have horizontal and vertical sectorization at the same time. Vertical sectorization doubles the overall number of beams. It will be very valuable in LTE-A and 5G. It can be used to serve vertically split inner and outer cells, which improves system performance. The intersection between the beams of the proposed multi-beam antenna can be controlled by optimizing the design parameters of the antenna. The gain at the points of intersection between the beams, the null filling and the overlap between the beams can all be modified. The proposed multi-beam base station antenna can cover an unlimited number of wireless applications, regardless of their frequency bands. It can simultaneously cover all, current and future, wireless technology generations such as 2G, 3G, 4G (LTE), --- etc. For example, in LTE, it covers the bands 450-470 MHz, 690-960 MHz, 1.4-2.7 GHz and 3.3-3.8 GHz. It has at least 2 ports for each band in each beam for ±45° polarizations. It can include up to 72 ports or even more, which could facilitate any further needed capacity expansions.

Keywords: base station antenna, multi-beam antenna, smart antenna, vertical sectorization

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Authors: Shenghu Feng, Jun Cheng

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The molecular mechanism underlying nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. In this study, immunohistochemistry staining result showed that NS5ABP37 protein expression decreased as with increasing degree of HCC malignancy. In agreement, NS5ABP37 protein overexpression significantly suppressed cell proliferation, caused G1/S cell cycle arrest, and induced apoptosis by increasing caspase-3/7 activity and cleaved caspase-3 levels. In addition, NS5ABP37 overexpression resulted in decreased intracellular TG and TC contents, with level reduction in SREBPs and downstream effectors. Furthermore, NS5ABP37 overexpression decreased SREBP1c and SREBP2 levels by inducing their respective promoters. Finally, ROS levels and ER-stress were both induced by NS5ABP37 overexpression. These findings together demonstrate that NS5ABP37 inhibits cancer cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis, by altering SREBP-dependent lipogenesis and cholesterogenesis in HepG2 cells and inducing oxidative stress and ER stress.

Keywords: NS5ABP37, liver cancer, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, ER stress

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Authors: Ali Bayram, Burak Uz, Remzi Yiğiter

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The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression levels of homo sapiens nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells 1, transcript variant 1 (NFKB1*1) mRNA in the peripheral blood of patients with Parkinson to elucidate the role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease (PD). The study group comprised 50 patients with the diagnosis of PD who have applied to Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine, and Department of Neurology. 50 healthy individuals without any neuro degenerative disease are included as controls. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) was obtained from blood samples of patient and control groups. Complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) was obtained from RNA samples using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. The gene expression of NFKB1*1 in patient/control groups were observed to decrease significantly, and the differences between groups with the Mann-Whitney method within 95% confidence interval (p<0.05) were analyzed. This salient finding provide a clue for our hypothesis that reduced activity of NFKB1*1 gene might play a role, at least partly, in the pathophysiology of PD.

Keywords: Parkinson’s Disease, NFKB1, mRNA expression, RT-PCR

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Authors: Zakaria Ahmed, Khaled Charradi, Sherif M. A. S. Keshk, Radhouane Chtourou

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Sulfonated poly ether ether ketone (SPEEK) with a low sulfonation degree was blended using nanofiller Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH, Mg2AlCl) /sepiolite nanostructured material as additive to use as an electrolyte membrane for fuel cell application. Characterization assessments, i.e., mechanical stability, thermal gravimetric analysis, ion exchange capability, swelling properties, water uptake capacities, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of the composite membranes were conducted. The presence of LDH/sepiolite nanoarchitecture material within SPEEK was found to have the highest water retention and proton conductivity value at high temperature rather than LDH/SPEEK and pristine SPEEK membranes.

Keywords: SPEEK, sepiolite clay, LDH clay, proton exchange membrane

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Authors: Mira Zhonyssova, Nurlaym Ongarbayeva, Makpal Atykhanova

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Indicators of quality of grain chickpeas, the absorption of water different temperatures by grain chickpeas studied. Organoleptic and physicochemical changes in the germination of chickpeas studied. The total time of the duration of germination of chickpea grain is determined. As a result of the analysis of experimental data, it was found that the germination time at which the chickpea sprout length was 0.5- 3 mm varies from 21 to 25 hours. The change in the volume of chickpea grain during germination was investigated. It was found that in the first 2 hours the volume of chickpeas changes slightly – by 38%. This is due to the process of adsorption of water to a critical state. From 2 to 9 hours, the process of swelling of chickpea grain is observed – the vital activity of cells increases, enzymatic systems become active, the respiratory coefficient increases; gibberellin, stimulating the formation of a number of enzymes, is released. During this period, there is a sharp increase in the volume of chickpea grains – up to 138%. From 9 to 19 hours, “sprouting” of chickpea grains is observed, no morphological changes occur in the corcule – the grain volume remains at 138%. From 19 hours, the grain growth process begins, while the grain volume increases by 143%.

Keywords: chickpea, seeds, legumes, germination, physic-chemical properties

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Authors: Eman G. Alayad, Mazen G. Aleyad, Mohammed Alshahrani, Ibrahim Alnaami

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Introduction: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare type of cerebrovascular disease that can occur at any age. Patients with CVT commonly present with headache, focal neurological deficit, decreased level of consciousness and seizures. Many etiologic risk factors have been reported for CVT, high altitude and oral contraceptive pill some of them. Case Presentation: A 37-year-old woman living in Abha city in the southeastern area of Saudi Arabia. (about 10,000 feet-3000 m) over the sea. complaining acute onset of severe diffuse headache and generalized tonic clonic convulsions. Followed by loss of consciousness. She was on contraceptive pills for the last 3 years. No significant Medical or surgical history. Brain CT revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage, with MRI findings showing thrombosis in transvers sinus. There was no vascular malformations such as aneurysm, arteriovenous malformation (AVM), or dural arteriovenous fistula. A CVT with subarachnoid hemorrhage was our final diagnosis based on clinical presentation and radiographic findings. Discussion: Patients with CVT had evidence of cortical SAH by 10 of 233, others found 3% of SAH was caused by CVT, indicating that the presence of cortical SAH without involvement of the basal cisterns may provide an early sign of underlying CVT. However, what is more interesting in this case, is the relationship of high altitude with CVT and SAH, which previously undescribed. Conclusion: High-altitude climbing per se was described as a risk factor for the development of CVT, though its occurrence was probably rare. Whether it is primary in etiology due to high altitude induced hypercoagulable state of unknown origin or due to cerebrovascular disturbances there is a need for further investigation especially at this unusual presentation of subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Keywords: cerebral venous thrombosis, high-altitude, subarachnoid hemorrhage, stroke

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Authors: Ala Abobakr Abdulhafidh Al-Dubai

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Biomaterials, specifically metals and ceramics, are indispensable components in the realm of medical science, shaping the landscape of implantology and prosthetics. This study delves into the intricate interplay between these materials and biological systems, aiming to scrutinize their suitability, performance, and biocompatibility. Employing a multi-faceted approach, a range of methodologies were meticulously employed to comprehensively characterize these biomaterials. Advanced material characterization techniques were paramount in this research, with scanning electron microscopy providing intricate insights into surface morphology, and X-ray diffraction unraveling the crystalline structures. These analyses were complemented by in vitro assessments, which gauged the biological response of cells to metals and ceramics, shedding light on their potential applications within the human body. A key facet of our investigation involved a comparative study, evaluating the corrosion resistance and osseointegration potential of both metals and ceramics. Through a series of experiments, we sought to understand how these biomaterials interacted with physiological environments, paving the way for informed decisions in medical applications

Keywords: metals, ceramics, biomaterials, biocompatibility, osseointegration

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Authors: Sushila Jaiswal, Awadhesh Kumar Jaiswal

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Background: Primary melanocytic tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) are uncommon lesions and arise from the melanocytes located within the leptomeninges. Aim and objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical details, histomorphology of the primary melanocytic tumor of CNS. Method: The study was performed by the retrospective review of the case records of the primary melanocytic tumors of CNS diagnosed in our department. The formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue blocks and tissue sections were retrieved and reviewed. Results: Seven cases (6 males, 1 female; age range- 16-40 years; mean age- 27 years) of primary melanocytic tumors of CNS were retrieved over last seven years. The tumor was intracranial (n=5; frontal – 1 case, parietal – 1 case, cerebello-pontine angle- 1 case, occipital -1 case, foramen magnum-1 case) and intra spinal (n=2; cervical – 2 cases). All patients presented with the neurological deficits related to the location of the tumor. Four cases were malignant melanoma; two were melanocytoma of intermediate grade and remaining one was melanocytoma. On histopathology, melanocytoma and melanoma both displayed sheets of well-differentiated melanocytes having round to oval nuclei with finely dispersed chromatin, occasional single eosinophilic nucleoli and a moderate amount of cytoplasm with abundant granular melanin pigment. The absence of mitosis and macronucleoli was noticed in melanocytoma while melanoma showed frequent mitosis and macronucleoli. On immunohistochemistry, both showed diffuse strong HMB45 and S-100 immunopositivity. Conclusion: Primary melanocytic tumors of CNS are rare and predominantly seen in males. It is important to differentiate melanoma from melanocytoma as prognosis of later is good.

Keywords: melanocytoma, melanoma, brain tumor, melanin

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Authors: Mikaela Kutrolli, Noah S. Pereira, Vanessa Scanlon, Mohamadmahdi Samandari, Ali Tamayol

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Bone tissue engineering has drawn significant attention and various biomaterials have been tested. Polymers such as polycaprolactone (PCL) offer excellent biocompatibility, reasonable mechanical properties, and biodegradability. However, PCL scaffolds suffer a critical drawback: a lack of micro/mesoporosity, affecting cell attachment, tissue integration, and mineralization. It also results in a slow degradation rate. While 3D-printing has addressed the issue of macroporosity through CAD-guided fabrication, PCL scaffolds still exhibit poor smaller-scale porosity. To overcome this, we generated composites of PCL, hydroxyapatite (HA), and powdered sucrose (PS). The latter serves as a sacrificial material to generate porous particles after sucrose dissolution. Additionally, we have incorporated dexamethasone (DEX) to boost the PCL osteogenic properties. The resulting scaffolds maintain controlled macroporosity from the lattice print structure but also develop micro/mesoporosity within PCL fibers when exposed to aqueous environments. The study involved mixing PS into solvent-dissolved PCL in different weight ratios of PS to PCL (70:30, 50:50, and 30:70 wt%). The resulting composite was used for 3D printing of scaffolds at room temperature. Printability was optimized by adjusting pressure, speed, and layer height through filament collapse and fusion test. Enzymatic degradation, porogen leaching, and DEX release profiles were characterized. Physical properties were assessed using wettability, SEM, and micro-CT to quantify the porosity (percentage, pore size, and interconnectivity). Raman spectroscopy was used to verify the absence of sugar after leaching. Mechanical characteristics were evaluated via compression testing before and after porogen leaching. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) behavior in the printed scaffolds was studied by assessing viability, metabolic activity, osteo-differentiation, and mineralization. The scaffolds with a 70% sugar concentration exhibited superior printability and reached the highest porosity of 80%, but performed poorly during mechanical testing. A 50% PS concentration demonstrated a 70% porosity, with an average pore size of 25 µm, favoring cell attachment. No trace of sucrose was found in Raman after leaching the sugar for 8 hours. Water contact angle results show improved hydrophilicity as the sugar concentration increased, making the scaffolds more conductive to cell adhesion. The behavior of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) showed positive viability and proliferation results with an increasing trend of mineralization and osteo-differentiation as the sucrose concentration increased. The addition of HA and DEX also promoted mineralization and osteo-differentiation in the cultures. The integration of PS as porogen at a concentration of 50%wt within PCL scaffolds presents a promising approach to address the poor cell attachment and tissue integration issues of PCL in bone tissue engineering. The method allows for the fabrication of scaffolds with tunable porosity and mechanical properties, suitable for various applications. The addition of HA and DEX further enhanced the scaffolds. Future studies will apply the scaffolds in an in-vivo model to thoroughly investigate their performance.

Keywords: bone, PCL, 3D printing, tissue engineering

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Authors: Chrysovalanto Sofia Karatosidi, Dimitra Iordanoglou

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The overlap of leadership skills with personality traits, beliefs, values, and the integration of cognitive abilities, analytical and critical thinking skills into leadership competencies raises the need to segregate further and investigate them. Hence, the domains of cognitive functions that contribute to leadership effectiveness should also be identified. Organizational cognitive neuroscience and neuroleadership can shed light on the study of these critical leadership skills. As the first part of our research, this pilot study aims to explore the relationships between higher-order cognitive functions (executive functions), trait emotional intelligence (EI), personality, and general cognitive ability in leadership. Twenty-six graduate and postgraduate students were assessed on neuropsychological tests that measure important aspects of executive functions (EF) and completed self-reported questionnaires about trait EI, personality, leadership styles, and leadership effectiveness. Specifically, we examined four core EF—fluency (phonemic and semantic), information updating and monitoring, working memory, and inhibition of prepotent responses. Leadership effectiveness was positively associated with phonemic fluency (PF), which involves mental flexibility, in turn, an increasingly important ability for future leaders in this rapidly changing world. Transformational leadership was positively associated with trait EI, extraversion, and openness to experience, a result that is following previous findings. The relationship between specific EF constructs and leadership effectiveness emphasizes the role of higher-order cognitive functions in the field of leadership as an individual difference. EF brings a new perspective into leadership literature by providing a direct, non-invasive, scientifically-valid connection between brain function and leadership behavior.

Keywords: cognitive neuroscience, emotional intelligence, executive functions, leadership

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Authors: Marija Zulić, Vanda Hájková, Nina Brkić–Jovanović, Srećko Potić, Sanja Tomić

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The name cerebral palsy comes from the word cerebrum, which means the brain and the word palsy, which means seizure, and essentially refers to the movement disorder. In the clinical picture of cerebral palsy, basic neuromotor disorders are associated with other various disorders: behavioural, intellectual, speech, sensory, epileptic seizures, and bone and joint deformities. Motor speech disorders are among the most common difficulties present in people with cerebral palsy. Social participation represents an interaction between an individual and their social environment. Quality of social participation of the students with cerebral palsy at school is an important indicator of their successful participation in adulthood. One of the most important skills for the undisturbed social participation is ability of good communication. The aim of the study was to determine relation between social participation of students with cerebral palsy and presence of their speech impairment in primary schools in the Czech Republic. The study was performed in the Czech Republic in mainstream schools and schools established for the pupils with special education needs. We analysed 75 children with cerebral palsy aged between six and twelve years attending up to sixth grade by using the first and the third part of the school function assessment questionnaire as the main instrument. The other instrument we used in the research is the Gross motor function classification system–five–level classification system, which measures degree of motor functions of children and youth with cerebral palsy. Funding for this study was provided by the Grant Agency of Charles University in Prague.

Keywords: cerebral palsy, social participation, speech disorders, The Czech Republic, the school function assessment

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Authors: Adil Elrayah, Jie Weng, Esra Suliman

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The mineral in human bone is not pure stoichiometric calcium phosphate (Ca/P) as it is partially substituted by in organic elements. In this study, the copper ions (Cu²⁺) substituted hydroxyapatite (CuHA) powder has been synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The CuHA powder has been used to fabricate CuHA fiber scaffolds by sol-gel process and the following sinter process. The resulted CuHA fibers have slightly different microstructure (i.e. porosity) compared to HA fiber scaffold, which is denser. The mechanical properties test was used to evaluate CuHA, and the results showed decreases in both compression strength and hardness tests. Moreover, the in vitro used endothelial cells to evaluate the angiogenesis of CuHA. The result illustrated that the viability of endothelial cell on CuHA fiber scaffold surfaces tends to antigenic behavior. The results obtained with CuHA scaffold give this material benefit in biological applications such as antimicrobial, antitumor, antigens, compacts, filling cavities of the tooth and for the deposition of metal implants anti-tumor, anti-cancer, bone filler, and scaffold.

Keywords: fiber scaffold, copper ions, hydroxyapatite, in vitro, mechanical property

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Authors: Adesola C. Odole, Michael O. Ogunlana, Nse A. Odunaiya, Olufemi O. Oyewole, Chidozie E. Mbada, Ogochukwu K. Onyeso, Ayomikun F. Ayodeji, Opeyemi M. Adegoke, Iyanuoluwa Odole, Comfort T. Sanuade, Moyosooreoluwa E. Odole, Oluwagbohunmi A. Awosoga

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Purpose: The Nigerian healthcare industry is bedeviled with infrastructural decay, inadequate funding and staffing, and a dysfunctional healthcare system. This study investigated the influence of health professionals’ well-being and quality of work-life (QoWL) on the quality of care (QoC) of patients in Nigeria. Methods: The study was a multicentre cross-sectional survey conducted at four tertiary health institutions in southwest Nigeria. Participants’ demographic information, well-being, quality of work-life, and quality of care were obtained using four standardized questionnaires. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics of frequency (percentage) and mean (standard deviation). Inferential statistics included Chi-square, Pearson’s correlation, and independent samples t-test analyses. Results: Medical practitioners (n=609) and nurses (n=570) constituted 74.6% of all the health professionals, with physiotherapists, pharmacists, and medical laboratory scientists constituting 25.4%. The mean (SD) participants’ well-being = 71.65% (14.65), quality of life = 61.8% (21.31), quality of work-life = 65.73% (10.52) and quality of care = 70.14% (12.77). Participants’ quality of life had a significant negative correlation with the quality of care, while well-being and quality of work-life had a significant positive correlation with the quality of care. Conclusion: We concluded that health professionals’ well-being and quality of work-life are important factors that influence their productivity and, ultimately, the quality of care rendered to patients. The hospital management and policymakers should ensure improved work-related factors to improve the well-being of health professionals. This will enhance the quality of care given to patients and ultimately reduce brain drain and medical tourism.

Keywords: health professionals, quality of care, quality of life, quality of work-life, well-being

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Authors: Swati Bajpai, S. P. K Jena

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Background: There is dramatic increase in the prevalence and severity of overweight in adolescents, raising concerns about their psychosocial and cognitive consequences, thereby indicating the immediate need to understand the effects of increased weight on scholastic performance. Although the body of research is currently limited, available results have identified an inverse relationship between obesity and cognition in adolescents. Aim: to examine the association between increased Body Mass Index in adolescents and their neurocognitive functioning. Methods: A case –control study of 28 subjects in the age group of 11-17 years (14 Males and 14 females) was taken on the basis of main inclusion criteria (Body Mass Index). All of them were randomized to (experimental group: overweight) and (control group: normal weighted). A complete neurocognitive assessment was carried out using validated psychological scales namely, Color Progressive Matrices (to assess intelligence); Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test (Perceptual motor functioning); PGI-Memory Scale for Children (memory functioning) and Malin’s Intelligence Scale Indian Children (verbal and performance ability). Results: statistical analysis of the results depicted that 57% of the experimental group lack in cognitive abilities, especially in general knowledge (99.1±12.0 vs. 102.8±6.7), working memory (91.5±8.4 vs. 93.1±8.7), concrete ability (82.3±11.5 vs. 92.6±1.7) and perceptual motor functioning (1.5±1.0 vs. 0.3±0.9) as compared to control group. Conclusion: Our investigations suggest that weight gain results, at least in part, from a neurological predisposition characterized by reduced executive function, and in turn obesity itself has a compounding negative impact on the brain. Though, larger sample is needed to make more affirmative claims.

Keywords: adolescents, body mass index, neurocognition, obesity

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Authors: Sanaa AM Elgayar, Sohair A Eltony, Maha Mahmoud Abd El Rouf

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Background: Retinopathy remains an important complication of diabetes. Aim of work: This work was carried out to evaluate the protective effects of genistein from diabetic retinopathy in rat. Material and Methods: Fifteen adult male albino rats were divided into two groups; Group I: control (n=5) and Group II: streptozotocin induced diabetic group (n=10), which is equally divided into two subgroups; IIa (diabetic vehicle control) and IIb (diabetic genistein-treated). Specimens were taken from the retina 12 weeks post induction, processed and examined using light, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural techniques. Blood samples were assayed for the levels of glucose. Results: In comparison with the diabetic non-treated group, the histological changes in macro and microglial glial cells reactivity and retinal blood capillaries were improved in genistein-treated groups. In addition, GFAP and iNOS expressions in the retina and the blood glucose level were reduced. Conclusion: Genistein ameliorates the histological changes of diabetic retinopathy reaching healing features, which resemble that of a normal retina.

Keywords: diabetic retinopathy, genistein, glia, capillaries.

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Authors: Azyuni Aziz, Syed A. Malik, Shahrul Kadri Ayop, Fatin Hana Naning

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Currently, organic-inorganic hybrid thin films have attracted researchers to explore them, where these thin films can give a lot of benefits. Hybrid thin films are thin films that consist of inorganic and organic materials. Inorganic and organic materials give high efficiency and low manufacturing cost in some applications such as solar cells application, furthermore, organic materials are environment-friendly. In this study, poly (3-hexylthiophene) was choosing as organic material which combined with inorganic nanoparticles, Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) quantum dots. Samples were prepared using new technique, Angle Lifting Deposition (ALD) at different weight percentage. All prepared samples were then characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) with Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to study surface of samples and determine their surface roughness. Results show that these inorganic nanoparticles have affected the surface of samples and surface roughness of samples increased due to increasing of weight percentage of CdS in the thin films samples.

Keywords: AFM, CdS, FESEM-EDX, hybrid thin films, P3HT

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Authors: L. Chetibi, D. Hamana, T. O. Busko, M. P. Kulish, S. Achour

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TiO2 nanostructures have attracted much attention due to their optical, dielectric and photocatalytic properties as well as applications including optical coating, photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical solar cells. This work aims to prepare TiO2 nanofibers (NFs) on titanium substrate (Ti) by in situ oxidation of Ti foils in a mixture solution of concentrated H2O2 and NaOH followed by proton exchange and calcinations. Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM) revealed an obvious network of TiO2 nanofibers. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of these nanostructures revealed a broad intense band in the visible light range with a reduced near edge band emission. The PL bands in the visible region, mainly, results from surface oxygen vacancies and others defects. After irradiation with Ti+ ions (the irradiation energy was E = 140 keV with doses of 1013 ions/cm2), the intensity of the PL spectrum decreased as a consequence of the radiation treatment. The irradiation with Ti+ leads to a reduction of defects and generation of non irradiative defects near to the level of the conduction band as evidenced by the PL results. On the other hand, reducing the surface defects on TiO2 nanostructures may improve photocatalytic and optoelectronic properties of this nanostructure.

Keywords: TiO2, nanofibers, photoluminescence, irradiation

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Authors: Franky Michael Hamonangan Siagian, Affan Maulana, Himawan Tri Bayu Murti Petrus, Panut Mulyono, Widi Astuti

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In this study, the feasibility of the direct electrowinning method was used to produce zero-valent iron from red mud. The bauxite residue sample came from the Tayan mine, Indonesia, which contains high hematite (Fe₂O₃). Before electrolysis, the samples were characterized by various analytical techniques (ICP-AES, SEM, XRD) to determine their chemical composition and mineralogy. The direct electrowinning method of red mud suspended in NaOH was introduced at low temperatures ranging from 30 - 110 °C. Variations of current density, red mud: NaOH ratio and temperature were carried out to determine the optimum operation of the direct electrowinning process. Cathode deposits and residues in electrochemical cells were analyzed using XRD, XRF, and SEM to determine the chemical composition and current recovery. The low-temperature electrolysis current efficiency on Redmud can reach 20% recovery at a current density of 920,945 A/m². The moderate performance of the process was investigated with red mud, which was attributed to the troublesome adsorption of red mud particles on the cathode, making the reduction far less efficient than that with hematite.

Keywords: alumina, red mud, electrochemical reduction, iron production

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Authors: Lawal Alkasim, Clement M. Gonah, Zainab S. Aliyu

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This work is focus on recovering silicon form photovoltaic cells and repurposing it toward the use in glass, ceramics or glass ceramics as it is made up of silicon material. Silicon is the main back-bone and responsible for the thermodynamic properties of glass, ceramics and glass ceramics materials. Antireflection silicon is soluble in hot alkali. Successfully the recovered material composed of silicon and silicon nitride of the A.R, with a small amount of silver, Aluminuim, lead & copper in the sunshine of crystalline/non-crystalline silicon solar cell. Aquaregia is used to remove the silver, Aluminium, lead & copper. The recovered material treated with hot alkali highly concentrated to produce sodium silicate, which is an alkali silicate glass (water glass). This type of glass is produced through chemical process, unlike other glasses that are produced through physical process of melting and non-crystalline solidification. It has showed a property of being alkali silicate glass from its solubility in water and insoluble in alcohol. The XRF analysis shows the presence of sodium silicate.

Keywords: unrecyclable solar PV, crystalline silicon, hot conc. alkali, sodium silicate

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Authors: Ishrat Jahan Saifi, Sheelu Shafiq Siddiqi, M. R. Ajmal

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Glycation of protein is very important as well as a harmful process, which may lead to develop DM in human body. Human Serum Albumin (HSA) is the most abundant protein in blood and it is highly prone to glycation by the reducing sugars. 2-¬deoxy d-¬Ribose (dRib) is a highly reactive reducing sugar which is produced in cells as a product of the enzyme thymidine phosphorylase. It is generated during the degradation of DNA in human body. It may cause glycation in HSA rapidly and is involved in the development of DM. In present study, we did in¬vitro glycation of HSA with different concentrations of 2-¬deoxy d-¬ribose and found that dRib glycated HSA rapidly within 4h incubation at 37◦C. UV¬ Spectroscopy, Fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Circular Dichroism (CD) technique have been done to determine the structural changes in HSA upon glycation. Results of this study suggested that dRib is the potential glycating agent and it causes alteration in protein structure and biophysical properties which may lead to development and progression of Diabetes mellitus.

Keywords: 2-deoxy D-ribose, human serum albumin, glycation, diabetes mellitus

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Authors: Rahul Agarwal, Ashutosh Singh

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) also refers as bowel cancer or colon cancer. It involves the development of abnormal growth of cells in colon or rectum part of the body. This work leads to the development of a miRNA database in colorectal cancer. We named this database- miCoRe. This database comprises of all validated colon-rectal cancer miRNAs information from various published literature with an effectual knowledge based information retrieval system. miRNAs have been collected from various published literature reports. MySQL is used for main-framework of miCoRe while the front-end was developed in PHP script. The aim of developing miCoRe is to create a comprehensive central repository of colorectal carcinoma miRNAs with all germane information of miRNAs and their target genes. The current version of miCoRe consists of 238 miRNAs which are known to be implicated in malignancy of CRC. Alongside with miRNA information, miCoRe also contains the information related to the target genes of these miRNA. miCoRe furnishes the information about the mechanism of incidence and progression of the disease, which would further help the researchers to look for colorectal specific miRNAs therapies and CRC specific targeted drug designing. Moreover, it will also help in development of biomarkers for the better and early detection of CRC and will help in better clinical management of the disease.

Keywords: colorectal cancer, database, miCoRe, miRNAs

Procedia PDF Downloads 280

Authors: Maryam Mohammad Hadi, Heather Nesbitt, Hamzah Masood, Hashim Ahmed, Mark Emberton, John Callan, Alexander MacRobert, Anthony McHale, Nikolitsa Nomikou

Abstract:

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) utilises ultrasound in combination with sensitizers, such as porphyrins, for the production of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the confined ablation of tumours. Ultrasound can be applied locally, and the acoustic waves, at frequencies between 0.5-2 MHz, are transmitted efficiently through tissue. SDT does not require highly toxic agents, and the cytotoxic effect only occurs upon ultrasound exposure at the site of the lesion. Therefore, this approach is not associated with adverse side effects. Further highlighting the benefits of SDT, no cancer cell population has shown resistance to therapy-triggered ROS production or their cytotoxic effects. This is particularly important, given the as yet unresolved issues of radiation and chemo-resistance, to the authors’ best knowledge. Another potential future benefit of this approach – considering its non-thermal mechanism of action – is its possible role as an adjuvant to immunotherapy. Substantial pre-clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy and targeting capability of this therapeutic approach. However, SDT has yet to be fully characterised and appropriately exploited for the treatment of cancer. In this study, a formulation based on multistimulus-responsive sensitizer-containing nanoparticles that can accumulate in advanced prostate tumours and increase the therapeutic efficacy of SDT has been developed. The formulation is based on a polyglutamate-tyrosine (PGATyr) co-polymer carrying hematoporphyrin. The efficacy of SDT in this study was demonstrated using prostate cancer as the translational exemplar. The formulation was designed to respond to the microenvironment of advanced prostate tumours, such as the overexpression of the proteolytic enzymes, cathepsin-B and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), that can degrade the nanoparticles, reduce their size, improving both diffusions throughout the tumour mass and cellular uptake. The therapeutic modality was initially tested in vitro using LNCaP and PC3 cells as target cell lines. The SDT efficacy was also examined in vivo, using male SCID mice bearing LNCaP subcutaneous tumours. We have demonstrated that the PGATyr co-polymer is digested by cathepsin B and that digestion of the formulation by cathepsin-B, at tumour-mimicking conditions (acidic pH), leads to decreased nanoparticle size and subsequent increased cellular uptake. Sonodynamic treatment, at both normoxic and hypoxic conditions, demonstrated ultrasound-induced cytotoxic effects only for the nanoparticle-treated prostate cancer cells, while the toxicity of the formulation in the absence of ultrasound was minimal. Our in vivo studies in immunodeficient mice, using the hematoporphyrin-containing PGATyr nanoparticles for SDT, showed a 50% decrease in LNCaP tumour volumes within 24h, following IV administration of a single dose. No adverse effects were recorded, and body weight was stable. The results described in this study clearly demonstrate the promise of SDT to revolutionize cancer treatment. It emphasizes the potential of this therapeutic modality as a fist line treatment or in combination treatment for the elimination or downstaging of difficult to treat cancers, such as prostate, pancreatic, and advanced colorectal cancer.

Keywords: sonodynamic therapy, nanoparticles, tumour ablation, ultrasound

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Authors: N. Drir, L. Barazane, M. Loudini

Abstract:

It is well known that photovoltaic (PV) cells are an attractive source of energy. Abundant and ubiquitous, this source is one of the important renewable energy sources that have been increasing worldwide year by year. However, in the V-P characteristic curve of GPV, there is a maximum point called the maximum power point (MPP) which depends closely on the variation of atmospheric conditions and the rotation of the earth. In fact, such characteristics outputs are nonlinear and change with variations of temperature and irradiation, so we need a controller named maximum power point tracker MPPT to extract the maximum power at the terminals of photovoltaic generator. In this context, the authors propose here to study the modeling of a photovoltaic system and to find an appropriate method for optimizing the operation of the PV generator using two intelligent controllers respectively to track this point. The first one is based on artificial neural networks and the second on fuzzy logic. After the conception and the integration of each controller in the global process, the performances are examined and compared through a series of simulation. These two controller have prove by their results good tracking of the MPPT compare with the other method which are proposed up to now.

Keywords: maximum power point tracking, neural networks, photovoltaic, P&O

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Authors: Damou Mehdi, Nouri Keltoum, Feham Mohammed, Khazini Mohammed, Bouazza Tayb Habibi Chawki

Abstract:

The Half mode SIW filter is treated by two softwares (HFSS (High Frequency Structure Simulator) and CST (Computer Simulation Technology)). The filter HMSIW has a very simple structure and a very compact size. The simulated results by CST are presented and compared with the results simulated by a high-frequency structure simulator. Good agreement between the simulated CST and simulated results by HFSS is observed. By cascading two of them according to design requirement, a X-band bandpass filter is designed and simulated to meet compact size, low insertion loss, good return loss as well as second harmonic suppression. As an example, we designed the proposed HMSIW filter at X band by HFSS. The filter has a pass-band from 7.3 GHz to 9.8 GHz, and its relative operating fraction bandwidth is 29.5 %. There are one transmission zeros are located at 14.4 GHz.

Keywords: substrate integrated waveguide, filter, HMSIW, defected ground structures (DGS), simulation BPF

Procedia PDF Downloads 589

Authors: Andualem Workie

Abstract:

In this study, we examined the sinterability and bioactivity of MgO-SiO₂-P₂O₅-CaO-CaF₂ glass compositions created through spray pyrolysis. We evaluated the bioactivity of the materials by immersing them for varying periods of time in simulated bodily fluid (SBF) and found that bioactivity was related to the sintering temperature and soaking time. The material's pH value during immersion in SBF was within the range of 7.4-8.2, which is below 8.5 and improves compatibility and reduces toxicity in biological applications. We used X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy to determine the phase compositions and morphologies of the samples and found that the 1100°C sintered A-W GC sample exhibited the highest bioactivity after soaking in SBF. This sample was dominated by fluorapatite, wollastonite, and whitlockite crystals scattered throughout the glass matrix. The crystallinity (%) of the A-W GC increased as its bioactivity improved, making it more suitable for use in pharmaceutical applications. We also conducted a cytotoxicity test on A-W GC samples sintered at different temperatures and found that the glass-ceramics were non-toxic to MC3T3-E1 cells at all extraction concentrations, except for those sintered at 700°C at concentrations of 250, 200, and 150 mg/ml where cell viability (%) was below the threshold of 70%.

Keywords: apatite wollastonite glass ceramics, bioactivity, calcination, cell viability

Procedia PDF Downloads 106

Authors: Anna Vildová, H. Hendrychová, J. Kubeš, L. Tůmová

Abstract:

The abiotic elicitation is one of the methods for increasing the secondary metabolites production in plant tissue cultures and it seems to be more effective than traditional strategies. This study verified the use of silver nitrate as elicitor to enhance flavonolignans and flavonoid taxifolin production in suspension culture of Sylibum marianum (L.) Gaertn. Silver nitrate in various concentrations (5.887.10-3 mol/L, 5.887.10-4 mol/L, 5.887.10-5 mol/L) was used as elicitor. The content of secondary metabolites in cell suspension cultures was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The samples were taken after 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 168 hours of treatment. The highest content of taxifolin production (2.2 mg.g-1) in cell suspension culture of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. was detected after silver nitrate (5.887.10-4 mol/L) treatment and 72 h application. Flavonolignans such as silybinA, silybin B, silydianin, silychristin, isosilybin A, isosilybin B were not produced by cell suspension culture of S. marianum after elicitor treatment. Our results show that the secondarymetabolites could be released from S. marianum cells into the nutrient medium by changed permeability of cell wall.

Keywords: Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn., elicitation, silver nitrate, taxifolin

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Authors: Fatima Melit, Nedjemeddine Bounar

Abstract:

Polycrystalline samples of Ce1-xMxO2-δ (x=0.1, 0.15, 0.2)(M=Gd, Y) were prepared by solid-state chemical reaction from mixtures of pre-dried oxides powders of CeO2, Gd2O3 and Y2O3 in the appropriate stoichiometric ratio to explore their use as solid electrolytes for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). Their crystal structures and ionic conductivities were characterised by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and AC complex impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The XRD analyses confirm that all the resulting synthesised co-doped cerium oxide powders are single-phase and crystallise in the cubic structure system with the space group Fm3m. On the one hand, the lattice parameter (a ) of the phases increases with increasing Gd content; on the other hand, with increasing Y-substitution rate, the latter decreases. The results of complex impedance conductivity measurements have shown that doping has a remarkable effect on conductivity. The co-doped cerium phases showed significant ionic conductivity values, making these materials excellent candidates for solid oxide electrolytes at intermediate temperatures.

Keywords: electrolyte, Ceria, X-ray diffraction, EIS, SEM, SOFC

Procedia PDF Downloads 146