bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estudio sobre las propiedades mecánicas de cementos óseos preparados con metacrilatos funcionalizados
Authors: Islas Blancas M.E. , Cervantes-UC J.M , Cauich Rodriguez J.V.
Published: August 2020

Los cementos óseos son materiales poliméricos que se utilizan con el objeto de fijar prótesis metálicas.

Han estado en el mercado por casi 40 años desde que Sir John Charnley propuso su uso en ortopedia.

Los cementos óseos convencionales exhiben altos calores de reacción, alta contracción y un elevado

contenido de monómero residual; estas propiedades se traducen en un comportamiento mecánico inadecuado

y finalmente en el aflojamiento de la prótesis. Nuevas formulaciones hacen uso de activadores de

baja toxicidad, monómeros de bajo calor de reacción y cerámicos bioactivos para mejorar la

biocompatibilidad. En este trabajo reportamos el uso de mezclas de metacrilato de metilo con ácido

metacrílico (MAA) o dietil amino etil metacrilato (DEAEMA) en la síntesis de cementos óseos. Tiempos

de curado y propiedades en tensión, compresión y flexión son reportadas en muestras sin y con acondicionamiento

en fluido corporal simulado.

Tiempos de curado cortos fueron observados en cementos preparados con MAA mientras que tiempos

largos fueron obtenidos en muestras que contenían DEAEMA. Los ensayos mecánicos mostraron un

aumento en la resistencia a la compresión y flexión en aquellos cementos que contenían ácido metacrílico

comparada con la exhibida por los cementos preparados sin comonómero. Elevadas temperaturas de

transición vítrea fueron asociadas a este comportamiento. Los cementos óseos preparados con DEAEMA

en altas concentraciones presentaron una resistencia a la tensión, flexión y compresión menor a la obtenida

con el cemento preparado sin comonómero. En general, las propiedades mecánicas exhibidas por

estos cementos experimentales fueron comparables a las propiedades de cementos óseos comerciales

disponibles en México. Sin embargo, las muestras acondicionadas en fluido corporal simulado presentaron

una reducción en sus propiedades después de 3 meses de acondicionamiento. Pese a esto, el valor

mínimo de resistencia a la compresión sugerido para su uso como cemento óseos (70 MPa) fue cumplido

en todas las formulaciones excepto en aquellas preparadas con DEAEMA en altas concentraciones.
Mechanical properties and cytotoxic evaluation of the Ti-3Nb-13Zr alloy
Authors: Schneider S.G. , Nunes C.A. , Rogero S.O. , Higa O.Z. , Bressiani J.C.
Published: August 2020

Ti-13Nb-13Zr is a new titanium alloy that was originally developed for medical implant applications.

This alloy combines a low elastic modulus, high strength, excellent hot and cold workability,

and superior corrosion resistance. Research on this alloy has shown that the mechanical properties

can be controlled over a significant range through hot working, heat treatment and cold-working.

The present study describes the mechanical properties and cytotoxic evaluation of the Ti-13Nb-13Zr

alloy, which was produced by furnace arc melting in argon atmosphere. The elemental constituents

were unalloyed Ti, Nb and Zr sheets.

The obtained ingots, which initial diameter were about 15 mm, have undergone sequences of

cold-working and heat treatments in order to achieve a final diameter of 6 mm. The tensile strength

of Ti-13Nb-13Zr achieved 1270 MPa (cold-worked – 60% reduction in area) and 860 MPa after

heat treatment (60% reduction in area + 1000 o C/1h + water quenched). The elastic module were 52

GPa and 60 GPa respectively.

Furthermore, the toxic effect of this alloy on cells was evaluated by a cytotoxicity test, a quantitative

method of colony suppression assay using Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cultured cells in

contact with diluted extracts of the biomaterials. The results showed that Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy obtained

by furnace arc melting isn’t cytotoxic.
Modificaciones de la amplitud articular de tobillo durante la marcha en niños afectos de PCI y pie equino tratados con TBA
Authors: Barceló O. , Guijarro I. , García-Muro F. , Busturia I. , García P. , Pascual-Pascual I. , García-Rama L. , Vergara F.
Published: August 2020

El objetivo de este estudio fue comprobar el efecto de la TBA (BOTOXâ) en la amplitud articular

del tobillo durante la marcha en pacientes afectos de PCI. La muestra estuvo formada por 9 niños

con una media de 6 años de edad distribuyéndose en 4 grupos de estudio: control, hemipléjico,

dipléjico I y dipléjico II. Las variables cuantificadas fueron la máxima flexión dorsal y plantar

realizadas durante la marcha (calzados y descalzos) así como los porcentajes del CM en el que se

alcanzaron estos máximos. La técnica instrumental utilizada fue un sistema de fotogrametría vídeo

3D con el software Kinescan-IBV. Interrelacionando las cuatro variables sometidas a estudio, los

resultados obtenidos demostraron que cada grupo evolucionó de forma distinta. Mientras que el

grupo hemipléjico alcanzó los mejores resultados entre los 3 meses y 5 meses dependiendo de la

condición, el grupo dipléjico I lo consiguió a los 5 meses y 3 semanas el dipléjico II a los 9 meses y

3 semanas. La TBA permitió una mayor movilidad en la articulación del tobillo, sin embargo para

que también mejorara la marcha fue necesario que transcurriera un cierto tiempo para reeducarla,

necesitando un incremento de este periodo y del número de dosis de TBA cuanto mayor es la

alteración de la marcha.
Influencia de algunas variables fisicoquímicas sobre recubrimiento electroforético de hidroxiapatita sintética
Authors: Guzmán A. , Randall C. , Brown P.W. , Delgado E.
Published: August 2020

La deposición electroforética es un método alterno de poco uso para formar recubrimientos

sobre sustratos conductores. En este trabajo se sintetizó hidroxiapatita( HA ) por dos métodos, los

productos se caracterizaron por análisis químico, difracción de rayos X ( DRX ) espectroscopía

infrarroja ( FTIR ) y se determinó su distribución de tamaño de partícula. Se determinó la curva de

potencial zeta vs pH de la HA para proceder a trabajar sus suspensiones acuosas. Se determinó la

influencia del gradiente de potencial, del tiempo transcurrido, de la corriente y de la fracción

sólida de las suspensiónes en la masa de HA depositada electroforéticamente tanto en suspensión

acuosa como suspendida en etanol absoluto. El depósito se caracterizó por DRX y microscopía

electrónica de barrido ( MEB ). Se hallaron dos problemas que son la aglomeración y la formación

de grietas en el secado. Se ensayaron algunas soluciones obteniéndose recubrimientos satisfactorios.
Electrochemical study of the corrosion of Ti- Pd and Ti-6Al-4V electrodes in sodium chloride solutions
Authors: Ramires I. , Guastaldi A.C.
Published: August 2020

The electrochemical behavior of Ti-Pd and Ti-6Al-4V alloys in 0.9% NaCl solution were

studied by single triangular potential sweep, potentiodynamic polarization curves, and

electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques (EIS). The complicated corrosion mechanism

can be interpreted as at least one electrodissolution process and the posterior formation of a

corrosion films. The results from EIS indicate that, on each electrode, the corrosion layer is formed

by different mechanisms.
Activation of a neural stem cell transcriptional program in parenchymal astrocytes
Authors: Magnusson Jens P , Zamboni Margherita , Santopolo Giuseppe , Mold Jeff E , Barrientos-Somarribas Mauricio , Talavera-Lopez Carlos , Andersson Björn , Frisén Jonas
Published: August 2020

Adult neural stem cells, located in discrete brain regions, generate new neurons throughout life. These stem cells are specialized astrocytes, but astrocytes in other brain regions do not generate neurons under physiological conditions. After stroke, however, striatal astrocytes undergo neurogenesis in mice, triggered by decreased Notch signaling. We used single-cell RNA sequencing to characterize neurogenesis by Notch-depleted striatal astrocytes in vivo. Striatal astrocytes were located upstream of neural stem cells in the neuronal lineage. As astrocytes initiated neurogenesis, they became transcriptionally very similar to subventricular zone stem cells, progressing through a near-identical neurogenic program. Surprisingly, in the non-neurogenic cortex, Notch-depleted astrocytes also initiated neurogenesis. Yet, these cortical astrocytes, and many striatal ones, stalled before entering transit-amplifying divisions. Infusion of epidermal growth factor enabled stalled striatal astrocytes to resume neurogenesis. We conclude that parenchymal astrocytes are latent neural stem cells and that targeted interventions can guide them through their neuronal differentiation.
Investigation of Attitudes and Success of Secondary School 7th Grade Students Towards Turkish Language Lesson in Terms of Various Variables
Authors: Fatih Özcan Mehmet
Published: August 2020

The study was conducted to investigate the success and attitudes of the secondary school 7th grade students towards Turkish language lesson in terms of various variables. The study is a descriptive study and based on data collection. In this study, a 27-item attitude scale and a personal information protocol consisting of 5 questions were used. In addition, a pre-prepared multiple-choice Turkish course achievement test consisting of a total of 30 questions was applied. Students’ attitudes towards Turkish language lesson were measured and compared with success and other variables. The attitude scale, personal information protocol and achievement test were applied to 48 students in total. The population of the study consists of the students studying in Sarıkamış county of Kars province. The sample of the study consists of 7th grade students studying in Halit Paşa Secondary School and Şehit Taner Baran Regional Boarding Secondary School in Sarıkamış county of Kars province. The obtained data was interpreted by conducting t test, variance analysis with SPSS 20 package program. As a result of the findings, it was determined that there was a difference in the attitudes of the students in terms of gender and the number of the siblings. It was found out that the attitudes of the students towards Turkish language lesson did not differentiate in terms of mother educational background and interest in the lesson.
Exploring Potential Correlation Between CEFR Grammar Profile in English and Learners’ Overall Grammar Knowledge: An Exploratory Study of “that”
Authors: Janjaroongpak Kasin
Published: August 2020

This preliminary study explored the possibility of using an opaque polysemous grammatical unit as a representation for the whole grammatical knowledge of a learner. There were two groups of informants, a group with a certified language proficiency level at CEFR B1-B2 and a learner group at A1-A2 level. The informants were asked to provide a Thai translation of an English text as faithful as possible. The first group consistently and correctly answered the questions by supplying the right translation of polysemous “that” while the answers from the second group were divided in that some could correctly identify C2 function of the word, “that”, though their overall grammatical knowledge was considered to be at A1 but other A2 students failed to identify C2 function of the word in question. The result indicated that the grammatical construction in question could not be used as a key predictor for learners’ syntactic representation as the lineage relation between CEFR level of the grammatical unit corresponded with the translated texts provided to a limited extent. On pedagogical implications, insights provided suggested that instructors should spend more time explaining challenging advanced grammatical functions as they were points that learners were struggling with and one possible way to check whether they did understand syntactic meaning of a function word was by asking students to supply a translation.
An Investigation of Suicide Notes: An ESP Genre Analysis
Authors: Abaalkhail Atekah
Published: August 2020

Suicide notes are considered important texts used to understand the suicidal act. Most studies focused on these notes psychologically to test hypothesis. Less research has been done discursively from the perspective of language studies. The purpose of this study is to investigate suicide notes, written by English speaking males and females between the years 1945-1954 and 1983-1984, from the perspective of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) genre approach. Specifically, the study examines the communicative purpose(s) and the rhetorical move/step structure in a corpus of 86 suicide notes. The findings suggest that suicide notes share common communicative purposes and rhetorical structure, and, therefore, constitute a genre from the ESP perspective. By examining the rhetorical move structure of suicide notes, this study proposes a model of suicide notes structure, the moves writers use and suggests that suicide notes do constitute a genre without a visible discourse community. The study adds to the existing body of knowledge in genre theory and makes a theoretically based contribution to the fields of genre studies, suicidology, and, potentially, forensic linguistics.
There is no magic bullet: the importance of testing reference gene stability in RT-qPCR experiments across multiple closely related species
Authors: Foquet Bert , Song Hojun
Published: August 2020

Reverse Transcriptase quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) is the current gold standard tool for the study of gene expression. This technique is highly dependent on the validation of reference genes, which exhibit stable expression levels among experimental conditions. Often, reference genes are assumed to be stable a priori without a rigorous test of gene stability. However, such an oversight can easily lead to misinterpreting expression levels of target genes if the references genes are in fact not stable across experimental conditions. Even though most gene expression studies focus on just one species, comparative studies of gene expression among closely related species can be very informative from an evolutionary perspective. In our study, we have attempted to find stable reference genes for four closely related species of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) that together exhibit a spectrum of density-dependent phenotypic plasticity. Gene stability was assessed for eight reference genes in two tissues, two experimental conditions and all four species. We observed clear differences in the stability ranking of these reference genes, both between tissues and between species. Additionally, the choice of reference genes clearly influenced the results of a gene expression experiment. We offer suggestions for the use of reference genes in further studies using these four species, which should be taken as a cautionary tale for future studies involving RT-qPCR in a comparative framework.
Gut microbiota of obese and diabetic Thai subjects and interplay with dietary habits and blood profiles
Authors: Gruneck Lucsame , Kullawong Niwed , Kespechara Kongkiat , Popluechai Siam
Published: August 2020

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have become major public health issues globally. Recent research indicates that intestinal microbiota play roles in metabolic disorders. Though there are numerous studies focusing on gut microbiota of health and obesity states, those are primarily focused on Western countries. Comparatively, only a few investigations exist on gut microbiota of people from Asian countries. In this study, the fecal microbiota of 30 adult volunteers living in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand were examined using next-generation sequencing (NGS) in association with blood profiles and dietary habits. Subjects were categorized by body mass index (BMI) and health status as follows; lean (L) = 8, overweight (OV) = 8, obese (OB) = 7 and diagnosed T2DM = 7. Members of T2DM group showed differences in dietary consumption and fasting glucose level compared to BMI groups. A low level of high-density cholesterol (HDL) was observed in the OB group. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed that microbial communities of T2DM subjects were clearly distinct from those of OB. An analogous pattern was additionally illustrated by multiple factor analysis (MFA) based on dietary habits, blood profiles, and fecal gut microbiota in BMI and T2DM groups. In all four groups, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the predominant phyla. Abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, a butyrate-producing bacterium, was significantly higher in OB than that in other groups. This study is the first to examine the gut microbiota of adult Thais in association with dietary intake and blood profiles and will provide the platform for future investigations.
Molecular mechanism underlying the effect of illumination time on the growth performance of broilers via changes in the intestinal bacterial community
Authors: Wang Yongfen , Zhang Zhen , Yang Pengkun , Zhang Miaorui , Xi Lei , Liu Qiong , Li Jingang
Published: August 2020

The circadian rhythms associated with light have important effects on the growth, metabolism, immunity and reproduction of broilers. However, there is a lack of systematic evaluations of the effect of the light cycle on intestinal microbes and the nutritional metabolism of these microbes in broilers. This study was designed to study the effects of the light cycle on the intestinal bacterial community structure and growth of broilers. In this study, Arbor Acre (AA) broilers were fed under a short photoperiod (1L:23D), a long photoperiod (23L:1D), and a normal photoperiod (16L:8D), respectively. The feed conversion ratio of the broilers was calculated, and the levels of endocrine hormones, such as melatonin, insulin and glucagon, were determined. Intestinal contents were collected from the small intestines of the broilers after slaughtering, and the V3+V4 region of the 16s rDNA gene was sequenced. The results demonstrated that changes in the light cycle could affect the synthetic rhythms of melatonin, insulin and glucagon. Compared to short and normal photoperiod, long photoperiod significantly increased the abundances of Barnesiella species in intestinal microbes and decreased the abundances of Bacteroides and Alistipes species. Cluster of Orthologous Groups of proteins analysis indicated that prolongation of the illumination increased the abundances of bacterial genes with glycometabolic and membrane transport functions in intestinal microorganisms. A model was established in this study, and our results showed that prolonged illumination altered the intestinal microbial community structures of broilers, increased the absorption and utilization of polysaccharides in broilers, and reduced the feed-to-meat ratios. To the best of our knowledge, this is also the first study to describe the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of the light cycle on the uptake and utilization of nutrients that occur via modification of the intestinal microbial community structure in broilers.
Identification of DNA methylation patterns and biomarkers for clear-cell renal cell carcinoma by multi-omics data analysis
Authors: Liu Pengfei , Tian Weidong
Published: August 2020

Background

Tumorigenesis is highly heterogeneous, and using clinicopathological signatures only is not enough to effectively distinguish clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and improve risk stratification of patients. DNA methylation (DNAm) with the stability and reversibility often occurs in the early stage of tumorigenesis. Disorders of transcription and metabolism are also an important molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis. Therefore, it is necessary to identify effective biomarkers involved in tumorigenesis through multi-omics analysis, and these biomarkers also provide new potential therapeutic targets.

Method

The discovery stage involved 160 pairs of ccRCC and matched normal tissues for investigation of DNAm and biomarkers as well as 318 cases of ccRCC including clinical signatures. Correlation analysis of epigenetic, transcriptomic and metabolomic data revealed the connection and discordance among multi-omics and the deregulated functional modules. Diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers were obtained by the correlation analysis, the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and the LASSO-Cox methods. Two classifiers were established based on random forest (RF) and LASSO-Cox algorithms in training datasets. Seven independent datasets were used to evaluate robustness and universality. The molecular biological function of biomarkers were investigated using DAVID and GeneMANIA.

Results

Based on multi-omics analysis, the epigenetic measurements uniquely identified DNAm dysregulation of cellular mechanisms resulting in transcriptomic alterations, including cell proliferation, immune response and inflammation. Combination of the gene co-expression network and metabolic network identified 134 CpG sites (CpGs) as potential biomarkers. Based on the LASSO and RF algorithms, five CpGs were obtained to build a diagnostic classifierwith better classification performance (AUC > 99%). A eight-CpG-based prognostic classifier was obtained to improve risk stratification (hazard ratio (HR) > 4; log-rank test, p-value < 0.01). Based on independent datasets and seven additional cancers, the diagnostic and prognostic classifiers also had better robustness and stability. The molecular biological function of genes with abnormal methylation were significantly associated with glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and signal transduction.

Conclusion

The present study provides a comprehensive analysis of ccRCC using multi-omics data. These findings indicated that multi-omics analysis could identify some novel epigenetic factors, which were the most important causes of advanced cancer and poor clinical prognosis. Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers were identified, which provided a promising avenue to develop effective therapies for ccRCC.
Adoption of Integrated Rice-fish Farming Technology in Ebonyi State Nigeria: Sources of Information and Level of Use
Authors: Onoh Lucy A. , Onoh Charles C. , Agomuo Christiana I. , Ogu Theresa C. , Onwuma Evajoy O. , Anaeto Frank C.
Published: August 2020

Background: Integrated rice-fish farming is one of the most viable, reliable and profitable of any farming enterprise. It contributes immensely to the economic empowerment of many families especially in the rural communities. It enables the farmer to be productive all year round and fully maximize its production.

Aim: To identify the sources of information available to farmers on integrated rice-fish farming and assess the level of use of integrated rice-fish farming technologies by the farmers in the study area.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study. 243 farmers were assessed to ascertain their sources of information and level of use of integrated rice-fish farming technologies in the study area.

Methodology: Primary data were obtained from the field using structured questionnaire. The questionnaire contained questions that address the objectives of the study. Farmers were asked to identify the sources of information and the level of use of integrated rice-fish technology on a 4- Likert scale.

Results: The result revealed that 78.2% of the farmers got information on integrated rice-fish farming technology using phone, 75.0% said they heard about it on radio, 70.0% got theirs from friends /relatives while 67.9% indicated getting their information from co-operatives. It revealed that the farmers used the following technologies: use of net guard (M = 3.17) skills in harvesting of fish before rice (M=3.17) stocking of carp fish (M=3.09) use of organic fertilizers (M=3.05) transplanting the rice seedling (M=2.95) and use of pest and disease resistant varieties (M=2.85), while technologies like use of bamboo guard (M=1.97) skills in harvesting of rice before fish (M=1.96) stocking of tilapia fish (M=1.93) construction of trenches (M=1,88) and use of terracing (M=1.86) are not used.

Conclusion: Most of the farmers (78.2%) got their information from the electronic media such as mobile phones and radio. Use of net guard (M= 3.17) skills in harvesting of fish before the rice (M= 3.17), stocking of carp fish (M= 3.09) and use of organic fertilizers (M= 3.05) were the technologies mostly used by the farmers.

 Recommendations: For effective communication and information dissemination to be sustained on rice-fish farming, the Federal and State governments should support the farmers by providing mobile phones and radios because farmers will always prefer information channels that are cheaper, accessible and convenient.
Children with Myocarditis: Clinical Profile and Electrocardiographic Changes and Their Prognostic Significance: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Gohil Jayendra R. , Agarwal Tushar S.
Published: August 2020

Aims and Objective: To study the clinical profile and electrocardiographic changes in children with myocarditis and their prognostic significance.

Methods: 223 children presented with signs and symptoms of myocarditis from June 2016 to May 2017. Amongst them, 21 children with congenital heart disease or rheumatic heart disease and 166 children with negative cardiac markers were excluded. The remaining 36 patients with myocarditis and elevated levels of both SGOT and CKMB were studied. The patient outcome was recorded as expired or discharged. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test.

Results: Majority (13; 36%) were infants. Post infancy, there was a uniform age distribution of cases. Myocarditis was commonly seen in association with culture-negative (probably viral) pneumonia, and diphtheria. Bradycardia and A-V block, although seen less frequently, were having a significant association with mortality. Congestive cardiac failure (28.6%) and cardiomegaly (25.0%) were not significantly associated with mortality. ECG changes like Sinus tachycardia and T wave inversion (most common) and ST elevation, Q waves and low amplitude (less common) were insignificantly associated with mortality.  

Conclusion: In children, myocarditis should be suspected especially in infants with unexplained breathlessness or fatigue, arrhythmia, or signs of acute cardiac decompensation. It was seen more with bacterial-culture-negative (viral) pneumonia and diphtheria. Continuous ECG monitoring and chest X-ray should be done. Congestive cardiac failure and cardiomegaly, though observed in a quarter of patients were not significantly associated with mortality. Bradycardia and A-V block have a poor prognosis and cardiac pacing should be considered. Echocardiography should be available in-house.
Comparative Effects of Different Levels of Kolgrace Organic Fertilizer on the Growth and Yield Attributes of Greengram (Vigna radiata (L) Wilczek) in the Screenhouse
Authors: Ihejiofor P. N. , Ukwu U. N. , Adeoye G. O.
Published: August 2020

Aim: To investigate growth and yield response of greengram to different levels of Kolgrace organic fertilizer with a view to determining the most favorable application rate for greengram production.

Study Design: Completely randomized design (CRD) with treatments replicated five (5) times.

Place and Duration of Study: Screenhouse of the Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, between July to November 2016.

Methodology: Six levels of kolgrace organic fertilizer were used (0.00, 0.50, 1.00, 2.00, 4.00 and 8.00 t ha-1). Top soil (0 -15 cm) was collected from the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Agronomy, and leached of nutrients by soaking and washing in water for 24 hours. 2 kg of air-dry soil was mixed with the appropriate fertilizer rate and filled in each pot. 3 seeds were sown per pot and thinned to 1 seed at 2 weeks after sowing (WAS). Chemical analysis of air-dry soil sample and Kolgrace fertilizer were done at the soil chemistry laboratory of the Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, to ascertain their elemental composition. Soil particle size distribution [1], Soil pH [2], exchangeable K and Na [3], exchangeable Mg and Ca [4], exchangeable acidity [5], organic matter and organic carbon [6], available P [7], Nitrogen [8] and micronutrients (Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn) [4] were determined.

Results: Application rates were significant (p<0.05) for all the traits measured. 0.5 t ha-1 was significantly higher in plant height (39.5), number of pods (7.0) and dry pod weight (4.98). Application rate of 1 t ha-1 was higher in number of leaves (18.0) although was comparable to application rate of 0.5 t ha-1.

Conclusion: Application rate of 0.5 t ha-1 was best for three of the five traits measured and is hereby recommended.
Effect of Aqueous Ethanol Stem Extract of Entada africana Guill. Et Perrott. on Castor Oil and Magnesium Sulphate-Induced Diarrhoea Models in Mice
Authors: Mu’azu Abubakar Bilyamini , Usman Muhammad Ibrahim
Published: August 2020

This study investigated the phytochemical, elemental analysis, acute toxicity study of aqueous ethanol stem bark extract of Entada africana, as well as its antidiarrhoeal activity in mice and its effects on isolated rabbit jejunum. The preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins and terpenoids. Elemental analysis of the extract showed the presence of magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and sodium (Na) while acute toxicity study revealed intraperitoneal median lethal dose (LD50) values for the extract to be 774.6 mg/kg body weight. The antidiarrheal effect of the extract was studied using castor-oil and magnesium sulphate induced diarrhoeal models (dropping test) and gastrointestinal transit test in mice. The result showed that the extract produced a dose-dependent protection against diarrhoea induced by castor oil and magnesium sulfate, with the highest protection (80 and 100%), obtained at 100 and 200 mg/kg. The extract significantly (p≤0.01) reduced the small intestinal transit of charcoal meal in mice at all doses tested. The extract (0.4-3.2 mg/ml) produced a concentration dependent relaxation of the rabbit jejunum, and the effects were blocked by propranolol (0.04 and 0.64 μg/ml). The results of this study showed that the extract contain pharmacologically active substance with antidiarrhoeal properties mediated through inhibition of hyper secretion and reduced gastrointestinal motility. These properties may explain the rationale for use of it’s stem bark as antidiarrhoeal remedy in traditional medicine.
Food and Feeding Ecology of Double-spurred Francolin (Pternitis bicalcaratus Linn.) in Ekiti State, Nigeria
Authors: Owolabi O. C. , Akinpelu A. I.
Published: August 2020

Double-spurred francolin (Pternitis bicalcaratus) is a bird with wide range of economic importance. In spite of this, there has been no previous studies on food and feeding ecology of the species in Ekiti State, Nigeria. 150 (male 69, female 81) bird specimens were collected through hunters, the crop and gizzard contents were sorted. Thirty food species having plants and animal origins were recovered. Plant and animal matters constituted 93.22% and 6.2% respectively. Mann Whitney U- test showed that there was no significant difference in the consumption of plant matters among sexes (p> 0.05) but a significant difference in the consumption of animal matters among sexes (p< 0.05).
Effects of Cytokinins on in vitro Culture of Bauhinia purpurea L.
Authors: Singh Belai Meeta Suwal
Published: August 2020

Bauhinia purpurea L. is a moderate-sized tree with multipurpose value tree yields gum, its bark contains tannin and leaves are used as fodder. It is distributed in sub-Himalayan tracts. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different cytokinins on growth parameters of B. purpurea and develop a standard micropropagation protocol for nodes and shoot proliferations. The cytokinins used in this study were N-Benzyl-9(2-tetrahydropyranyl) (BPA), 6-furfurylaminopurine, Kinetin (Kn), 6-(4-Hydroxy-3-methyl-trans-2-butenylaminopurine) (Zeatin) (Zin), 2-isopentenyl aminopurine, (2-iP) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) at four different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 5.0 µM). Murashige and Skoog (1962) (MS) medium was used for the experimental purpose. Multiplication rate of plants was recorded after 8 weeks of culture. Such propagated best grown plants were acclimatized and transferred to the field. All the collected data were worked out statistically with SPSS, a system of analytical procedure
Phytochemicals and Vitamin Properties of Smoothie Flavoured with Mint Leaves Extract
Authors: Aduloju A. T. Victor- , Nwanja N. M. , Ezegbe C. C. , Okocha K. S. , Aduloju T. A.
Published: August 2020

This study was undertaken to assess the phytochemicals, vitamin A and vitamin C properties of different samples of smoothie produced from mixed tropical fruits flavoured with mint leaves extract. The smoothie was produced from three different fruits, (watermelon, apple and banana) then flavoured with mint leaf extract. The concentration of mint extract differs in each smoothie samples, ranging from 0-8% concentrate. The sample devoid of mint leaf extract served as control. The nine smoothie samples were examined for their phytochemical properties, vitamin A and vitamin C content. The study revealed that, the phytochemical content of different samples of smoothie gave these ranges: alkaloids (0.62-1.34%), saponin (1.07-1.46%), tannin (1.87-2.41%), phenol (0.02-0.41 mg/ml), flavonoid (1.62-3.33%), cyanogenic glycosides (0.00-0.05%). From the result, it was discovered that the phytochemical properties of the smoothie increases with increased mint leaf concentrate. The vitamins content of the samples ranges from; vitamin A (466-642 IU), vitamin C (9.30-10.83 mg/100 ml). The smoothie sample with high contents of mint extract are potentially good source of phytochemicals and vitamins.
Green Tamarind Extract Catalyzed Synthesis of 4-Amino-1,2,4-Triazole Derivatives and Their In-vitro Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Verma Diksha , Sharma Sunita , Sahni Tanvi , Arora Geetika
Published: August 2020

In several organic synthesis and chemical transformations, the use of green chemistry has decreased the reaction time and chemical waste. Due to the tremendous advantages of green chemistry, the paper presents the synthesis of benzylidene derivatives of 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole by reacting it with various substituted aldehydes/benzaldehydes using different catalytic amount(ln mL) of tamarind extract/glacial acetic acid as a catalyst by conventional and microwave method.  All the synthesized compounds (1-7) were characterized using spectroscopic techniques viz. UV, IR, and 1H NMR. Antimicrobial activity of all the compounds was done using negative gram bacteria i.e. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp., and Enterobacter sp. against standard Ampicillin. Compound 2 containing 4-nitro substitution increased the antimicrobial activity as compared to other Enterobacter sp, but none of them showed better In-vitro antimicrobial potential than standard ampicillin. All the synthesized Schiff bases differed significantly from one another within the range of test concentrations.
Recent Status of Global Polychlorinated Biphenyls Contamination
Authors: Sil Anirban , Barman Mainak , Ghosh Saipayan , Pramanik Kaushik , Sen Sourav , Saha Kunal
Published: August 2020

Organic pollutants are continuously disrupting the equilibrium of nature. Polychlorinated Biphenyls are a member of the broad family of man-made organic chemicals well-known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. Due to their chemical stability, high boiling point and electrical insulating properties, non-flammability, Polychlorinated Biphenyls are used in various commercial as well as industrial applications. Polychlorinated Biphenyls residues remain in the ecosystem and bioaccumulate in various organisms due to their persistent nature and resistance against natural breakdown agents. This leads to the enlisting of approximately 209 chlorinated congeners in the list of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention. Their residues have been detected in various environmental components even though their production has been banned for more than a decade. High residues of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in water bodies, aquatic faunas, soils and sediments, air, and biota samples have been reported. Therefore, the current review aims at depicting the source and dynamics of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the environment as well as the exploitation of various detection tools for the analysis of Polychlorinated Biphenyls. Besides, it provides a critical description of worldwide contamination scenarios of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and the need for further advancement in the detection and extensive identification.
A Comparative Study of Solving Methods of Transportation Problem in Linear Programming Problem
Authors: Rafi Farzana Sultana , Islam Safiqul
Published: August 2020

The paper is related with the basic transportation problem (TP)which is one kind of linear programming problem (LPP). There are some existing methods for solving transportation problem and in this paper all the standard existing methods has been discussed to understand which one is the best method among them. Among all of existing methods, the Vogel’s Approximation Method (VAM) is considered the best method which gives the better optimal result then other methods and North-West Corner Rule is considered as simplest but gives worst result. A C programming code for Vogel’s Approximation Method have been added in the appendix.
Hypothesis: Bradykinin Blockers Might Reduce the Need for Ventilators for COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Oluwasanmi Olusayo Louise-
Published: August 2020

The symptoms of COVID-19, leading to pulmonary edema and the need for ventilators may be due to the fact that the virus increases bradykinin levels. If true, administering bradykinin blockers can provide a cheap way to reduce the severity of the symptoms and the burden on hospital resources, and, ultimately, the fatality rate.
Prone Position in Non-intubated Patients with COVID-19, a Useful Maneuver to Avoid Mechanical Ventilation: A Literature Review
Authors: Daniel Juárez-Villa , Pablo Mora-Ruiz , Carlos Sáenz-Luna , Luis Zavala-Jonguitud , Arturo Olascoaga-Lugo , Guillermo Flores , Iván Zepeda-Quiroz
Published: August 2020

The spectrum of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ranges from asymptomatic to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Prone position has been widely used in ARDS patients with mechanical ventilation and its benefits have been proven. This maneuver can be extrapolated to non-intubated patients with COVID-19, avoiding mechanical ventilation in some patients. Previous reports have demonstrated the benefits of this intervention.
Evaluation of Thrombocytopenia in Hematological Malignancies
Authors: Sripati Tirumala Kanakadurga , Govindarajan . , Ganapathy Hemalatha
Published: August 2020

Thrombocytopenia is defined as platelet count < 1.5 lakhs/cumm. It is the commonest platelet abnormality observed in clinical practice with different clinical expression. Thrombocytopenias in hematological malignancies are clonal proliferations of the malignant hematopoietic stem cells characterized by the accumulation of blasts principally in the marrow at the cost of impaired production of normal blood cells. The aim of the present study was to evaluate thrombocytopenia in cases of hematological malignancies with study of clinical profile and laboratory parameters in patients with thrombocytopenia. The present study had maximum numbers of patients were in the age group 20-39 years (8 cases). Patients with platelet count more than 150 x 109/L, patients presented with massive hemorrhage, and who received massive colloid or crystalloid transfusion for volume loss are not included in our study. The maximum number of patients presenting with thrombocytopenia were males (18 cases). It was concluded that chronic lymphocytic leukemia are more common than other hematological malignancy cases.
Phytochemical and Pharmacological Screening for Antidiabetic Activity of Salvia aegyptiaca L. Ethanolic Leaves Extract
Authors: Ahmad Fazil , Subaie Abeer Mohammed Al- , Shaik Rasheed Ahemad , Mohamed J. Muthu , Mohammad Abdul Saleem
Published: August 2020

Diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disorder of carbohydrate, fat, and protein, which results in high levels of glucose in the body after a meal or fasting. This disease is caused by the absence or reduction of insulin secretion. Accordingly, diabetes is usually classified into two types, Type 1(IDDM) and Type II (NIDDM). The aim of the present study is to carry the phytochemical analysis and antidiabetic activity of Salvia aegyptiaca L ethanolic leaves extract. Phytochemical study was carried out by standard methods, shows the presence of various phytochemical constituents such as, phenols, flavonoids, steroids, proteins, glycosides, carbohydrates, lipids, alkaloids, tannins and terpenoids, while saponins shown to be absent. Antidiabetic activity of Salvia aegyptiaca L were carried out in both normoglycemic and diabetic induced rats. Normoglycemic animal group were fed with ethanolic leaves extract of Salvia aegyptiaca L at a dose of 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg alone for 14days, showed decrease in blood glucose level. In diabetic animal group the rats were made diabetic by intraperitoneal(i.p) injection of 100 mg/kg alloxan monohydrate, then followed by administration of ethanolic leaves extract of Salvia aegyptiaca (250mg/kg and 500mg/kg) and standard Tolbutamide (50mg/kg,p.o) for14 days. The results of the diabetic induced group also showed decrease in glucose levels. The results of the current investigation demonstrate that various phytochemical present in Salvia aegyptiaca L ethanolic leaves extracts, might be responsible for antidiabetic effect, due to its known antioxidant property.
Damping correction formula considering the period‐dependent characteristics of the design response spectra of long‐period ground motions for the hypothetical Nankai Trough earthquake: An investigation of the simplified spectra and waveform example provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Authors: Kobayashi Masahito , Kataoaka Yuto
Published: July 2020

In June 2016, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in Japan announced a countermeasure against the Nankai Trough’s long‐period ground motions. However, the response spectrum method provided in the Ministry of Construction notification Vol. 2009 was not included in the countermeasure because it could not reflect the influence of long‐period ground motions. Therefore, this paper proposes a damping correction formula for long‐period ground motions considering the period‐dependent characteristics of the earthquake response spectra for the design. The applicability of the proposed damping correction formula to seismically isolated buildings is verified by comparing the result by the response spectrum method using this formula with those of a time‐history analysis using the single‐degree‐of‐freedom models.
A Study on Puncture Resistance of Composite Metal Foam Core Sandwich Panels
Authors: Rabiei Afsaneh , Portanova Marc , Marx Jacob , Scott Christopher , Schwandt Jerod
Published: July 2020

Steel–steel composite metal foam‐core sandwich panels (S‐S CMF‐CSP) with variety of thicknesses of components (face sheets and cores) are manufactured by attaching stainless steel face sheets to a S‐S CMF core using either solid‐state diffusion bonding or adhesion bonding. Scanning electron microscope imaging is used to evaluate the microstructure of diffusion bonded panels particularly at the interface of the core and face sheets. The puncture resistance of the sandwich panels is evaluated using a 0.50 caliber Mann gun barrel, modified to fire 2.54 and 3.175 cm diameter steel balls creating kinetic puncture energies up to 14 500 J. But, no complete penetrations through any of the sandwich panels are achieved. At lower impact velocities, tensile stresses resulted from the sudden changes in mechanical impedance between various layers of the sandwich panel recoil the ball back while at higher impact velocities, the high strain rate deformation at the point of impact along with the friction heat between the ball and panel surface fuses the ball to the target instantly resulting in debonding of adhesively bonded panels, whereas the diffusion bonded panels resist better. Sandwich panels with higher areal densities and thicker face sheets did not show major advantages over the panels with thinner face sheets.
One‐Step Fabrication of Universal Slippery Lubricated Surfaces
Authors: Chen Liwei , Park Sohyeon , Yoo Jin , Hwang Hyesun , Kim Hyeonjin , Lee Junghoon , Hong Jinkee , Wooh Sanghyuk
Published: July 2020

Among the various liquid‐repellent surfaces studied in recent times, lubricant‐impregnated surfaces (LISs) with a mobile lubricant top surface exhibit distinctive liquid repellency. For the fabrication of LISs with stable lubricant impregnation, there are two surface requirements: i) a porous/textured structure and ii) a hydrophobic surface. These limitations require complex processes to be overcome and impede the fabrication of a variety of potential substrates. Herein, a stable and homogeneous lubricant thin layer fabricated by a simple one‐step heating process is introduced on a nonhydrophobic surface with no porous/textured structures. Since the reaction minimizes the interfacial energy, a surface with a stable mobile lubricant thin layer, named “lubricated surface” (LuS), is fabricated. The LuS exhibits outstanding liquid repellency, anti‐biofouling properties against bacteria, and anticorrosivity for metals, along with excellent self‐healing characteristics. Additionally, the LuS can be applied on various materials and structures, including completely flat, nonporous surfaces. These superior virtues of the LuS can open new pathways for the production of universal slippery lubricant thin films for various potential applications.
Voltage Induced Molecular Motors Constitute the Smallest Self‐Assembled Molecular Electronic Counter
Authors: Dagar Parveen , Bera Jayanta , Gandi Appala Naidu , Daukiya Lakshya , Vyas Giriraj , Sahu Satyajit
Published: August 2020

An electronic counter is an integral component in an analog to digital (A/D) or digital to analog signal conversion circuit. The number of flip‐flops (n) in these devices decides the quality of the conversion as the output is proportional to 2n. Since each flip‐flop is a combination of transistors, and each transistor occupies some space, there is a limitation in the quality of conversion. The smallest 4‐bit asynchronous counter is built by using a self‐assembled redox‐active organic molecule 2,3‐Dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐1,4‐benzoquinone (DDQ), where each DDQ molecule is acting as an individual flip‐flop which is the building block of a counter. These molecules reduce the size of the counter by two orders. The output of the counter is obtained by tracking the translational motion of a group of molecules which are oscillating about the average value concerning the applied bias. Sixteen new spatial locations are obtained corresponding to sixteen distinct analog inputs (bias voltage) to the flip‐flops. So, unconventional conversion of an analog signal to ultra‐digital (UD) signal is possible by using an n‐bit counter consisting of as many numbers of flip‐flops and thus can become a system for the conversion of A/UD signal.