Analyzer Research Articles

Evaluation of lignin waste as potential carriers for phosphate solubilizing bio-fertilizers: A zero waste technology

Purpose Incineration of plant biomass and refusing lignin rich effluent from paper industry to water bodies were seen as usual practice. This product-oriented research had a promising solution for recycling agro waste. Likewise, high quality handmade papers from dead-dry leaves of Ficus citrifolia, Swietenia mahagoni, Pinus roxburgii and Musa acuminate were obtained. Lignin was found to improve soil fertility and nutrient reservoir for microbial growth. So, this research managed and utilized lignin as liquid carriers to phosphate solubilizing bio-fertilizers (PSBs)- Meyerozyma gullerimondi and Providencia rettgeri. Method Handmade papers made were checked for quality by determining breaking length, burst factor, and gram per square meter (GSM). The essential nutrients in lignin waste were analyzed using FESEM-EDX (Field emission scanning electron microscope- energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy). This confirmed suitability of lignin as fermenting carrier media for phosphate solubilizing biofertilizer (PSBs). After fermentation, nutrients were quantified using Carbon Hydrogen Nitrogen Sulphur (CHNS analyzer), Inductively Coupled Plasma- Atomic Emission Spectroscopy and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The nutritional uptake studies of lignin PSBs were done on Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp. Results Musa acuminate produced handmade papers with the highest breaking length and burst factor (1160 m, 10.43 kg/cm2) followed by Ficus citrifolia (960 m, 7.2 kg/cm2), Swietenia mahagoni (480 m, 13.75 kg/cm2) and Pinus roxburgii (546 m, 4.0 kg/cm2) leaves. This lignin PSBs increased the growth of Vigna unguiculata (L) plant. Conclusion High quality handmade papers were made from waste leaves. The lignin spent from pulping industry could be utilized as carriers to phosphate solubilizers.

Medidas en oído real mediante sonda microfónica. Definición y aplicaciones

Las medidas de oído real ha permitido al audioprotesista disponer de un criterio para la valoración de la adaptación de audífonos fiable y válido. El uso de estas medidas en la estimación de la bondad de la adaptación nos permite, entre otras ventajas, tener en cuenta las diferencias individuales al facilitarnos parámetros referidos al rendimiento del audífono en oído real. En el presente artículo llevaremos a cabo una revisión de las principales medidas que pueden registrarse con audioanalizador y sonda microfónica en oído real y sus principales aplicaciones.

Cryptocurrency Analyzer and Predictor

Cryptocurrency Analyzer and Predictor

Estimation of SPAD value in waterlogged winter wheat based on characteristic indices of hyperspectral and digital image.

To explore the optimal monitoring method for soil and plant analyzer development (SPAD) of winter wheat under waterlogging stress based on hyperspectral and digital image techno-logy, the correlations between SPAD of the waterlogged winter wheat and fifteen indices of hyperspectral characteristic and fourteen indices of digital image feature were analyzed under a micro-plot which could be irrigated and drainage separately. Then, the BP neural network models for SPAD estimation were constructed based on the optimal monitoring feature indices. Compared with the normal winter wheat, SPAD and the value of hyperspectral reflectance did not change under short-term waterlogging (less than 7 d), whereas the SPAD was significantly decreased after more than 12 d waterlogging treatment with the value being close to zero at the late stage of growth. The estimation accuracy based on the digital image characteristics of green minus red, excess red index, norma-lized redness index and excess green index showed similar results compared to that using the BP network model based on the characteristics of the corresponding hyperspectral band. The highest R2 between the measured value and the predicted value was 0.86, while the root mean square error (RMSE) was 3.98. Compared with the BP network models built with the digital image feathers, the accuracy of the models based on the four hyperspectral characteristic indices (carotenoid reflex index, yellow edge amplitude, normalized difference vegetation index and structure insensitive pigment index) for SPAD was significantly improved, with the highest R2 of 0.97 and the lowest RMSE of 1.95. Our results suggest that both hyperspectral and digital image technology could be used to estimate SPAD value of waterlogged winter wheat and that the BP network model based on hyperspectral characteristic indices performed better in the estimation accuracy.

A review on the methods of determining ecological thresholds.

The drastic changes or threshold phenomena of ecosystems in response to environmental changes are main research focuses in ecology. However, the difficulty in quantitative detection of ecological thresholds hinders the further research progress and application of this topic. Based on typical cases, we analzyed the driving-response mechanism of S-shaped curve type, subsidy-stress type, step type of the potential ecological thresholds. Seven methods to determine ecological thre-shold were summarized, including locally weighted scatterplot smoothing, piecewise regression, Gaussian model, change-point analyzer, regime shift detection, threshold indicator taxa analysis and system dynamics simulation model. The advantages, disadvantages and applicability of those methods were also addressed. This study could provide references for quantitative detection of ecological threshold.

Community Forest Carbon Assessment in Eastern Thailand from Forest Conservation Management by Local People

One measure of increasing carbon sequestration areas is community forest conservation, which is the way to maintain common forest areas linking with human livelihoods. The first step towards implementing incentive mechanism of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) at the national level is to assess the amount of forest carbon. This is important for REDD inspections and subsequent funding from public funds or carbon markets. The objective is to find the carbon stock in soil, aboveground and belowground biomass for estimated carbon price in the community forest. The study site was carried out at Ban Phrao community forest, Sa Kaeo Province, East of Thailand. Field data were collected from temporary 16 plots the diversity of plant species, to assess forest biomass carbon storage based on the allometric equation, and to estimate the proportion of carbon contents in plant and soil by using CHN analyzer.

Assessment of air pollutant emissions from healthcare waste incinerators of different design features

The aim of this paper was to e valuate the levels of gaseous emissions from four different healthcare wastes incinerators in three regional hospitals and one national hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The incinerators studied differ in terms of capacity (kg/h) and design features. Five gaseous air pollutants (CO, CO2, NOx, and SO2) were analyzed in the sampled flue gases using a portable desktop combustion gas analyzer (model KANE900 Plus). About 29, 30, 34 and 40 consecutive runs were conducted for each incinerator at Amana, Temeke, Mwananyamala, and Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), respectively. Other properties of the flue gas analyzed include temperature (FT), combustion efficiency (CE), percent excess air, and CO/CO2 ratio. Results showed lower CE range (lowest at Ilala regional hospital (51.4%) and highest at MNH (60.0%). The highest flue temperature was detected at MNH (911°C). The CE and pollutants concentration increased with FT and decreased with percent excess air. Results indicated poor performance of the incinerators, due to higher gaseous emissions above US-EPA standards, putting communities around these hospitals at occupational and public health risks. Installation of various air pollution control devices (APCDs) as well as monitoring and inspection programs is strongly recommended. Key words: Incinerator, combustion efficiency, healthcare waste, flue gas, acidic gaseous emissions, excess air, flue gas temperature.

Adiponectin alleviates liver injury in sepsis rats through AMPK/MTOR pathway.

To investigate the influences of adiponectin (APN) on the liver injury in sepsis rats and to explore whether it exerts a therapeutic effect through the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. A rat model of sepsis was established through cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) (CLP group), and APN treatment group (APN group) and control group were also set. The changes in the liver function-related indicators, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), were determined by automatic biochemistry analyzer, and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1, and IL-6 were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was employed to detect liver tissue injury, and the hepatocyte apoptosis and necrosis after intervention with APN were evaluated using in situ fluorescence staining. Moreover, the mRNA expression of APN in liver tissues was detected via quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR), and the expression levels of phosphorylated AMPK and mTOR proteins in liver tissue samples were determined using Western blotting. In terms of changes in liver function-related indicators, the concentrations of ALT and AST were substantially raised in the CLP group, and compared with those in the control group, the concentrations of the two indicators significantly declined in the APN group, showing statistically significant differences (p<0.05). CLP and APN group had evidently higher levels of inflammatory factors than the control group, but their levels in APN group were notably lower than those in the CLP group (p<0.05). It was found through the HE staining that the sepsis rats in CLP group had massive inflammatory cell infiltration, and that the inflammatory cells were remarkably decreased in the APN group after APN treatment. According to the in-situ fluorescence staining detection results, CLP group exhibited a notable increase in the cell apoptosis rate, and APN group had substantially reduced apoptotic cells (p<0.05). The determination results of APN expression revealed that CLP group had a lowered level of APN, and that the level of APN in APN group was markedly higher than that in the control group. Based on the results of Western blotting, the level of phosphorylated AMPK was remarkably elevated, and that of phosphorylated mTOR was lowered in the CLP group compared with those in the control group, while in comparison with CLP group, APN group showed a considerable elevation of phosphorylated AMPK level and a distinct decline in the phosphorylated mTOR level. APN can activate the AMPK/mTOR pathway and reduce hepatocyte apoptosis to alleviate liver injury in sepsis rats.

Simulation study on measurement characteristics of ion energy analyzer

The ion energy analyzer (IEA), also known as the retarding potential analyzer (RPA), is widely used as an important tool for measuring plasma energy in situ and is widely used in ionospheric detection satellites. The ion energy of the ionosphere is too low to be stabilized, thus the measurement characteristics of the IEA can’t be effectively studied through experiments. As there is no such problem in simulation, simulation has become a powerful tool for studying IEA. This paper analyzes the low-energy ion measurement characteristics of the IEA through the simulation software COMSOL, introduces the working principle of the IEA, and gives a comprehensive formula derivation for the ion measurement process. Based on simulation and analysis of three candidate design schemes, one of the schemes whose transmission curve is closest to the ideal step function is chosen. In theory, the measurement results of this scheme have the least error. The comprehensive error analysis results at various ion temperatures also show that the gap between the measurement results and the theoretical value of the scheme is narrow. The ion energy distribution can be measured more accurately. Finally, the effects of electric field distortion, plasma sheath, grid alignment and ion temperature are studied. According to these simulations, some experimental phenomena can be reasonably explained.

Nutritional Analysis of Varied Processing and Complementary Food Formulations with Sorghum, Cowpea and Carrot

The effects of sorghum cultivars (pelpeli and chakalari white), sorghum processing methods (undehulled, roasted and malted), cowpea (0%, 30%) and carrot (0%, 10%) supplementations on amino acids profiles and micronutrients of complementary food produced from several formulations were evaluated. The flours of sorghum, cowpea and carrot were blended guided by 2x2x3x2 factorial design experiment plus one commercial sample as control in producing 25 complementary food formulations. Amino acid profile, vitamin and mineral contents of complementary food produced from 25 complementary food formulations were determined using standard methods. Amino acid profile was determined with Technicon Sequential Multi sample (TSM) Amino Acid Analyzer after the samples have been dried, defatted, hydrolyzed and evaporated. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) were used to determine minerals and vitamins contents of the complementary foods, respectively. Data obtained were statistically analyzed. Complementary foods that were fortified with cowpea had higher scores of most of the essential amino acids than in unprocessed samples. There was slight increase in vitamins in malted fortified formulations than in unprocessed and unfortified formulations. Malted Sorghum cultivars that were fortified with cowpea and carrot had higher mineral contents than roasted samples. Malting had significantly improved the minerals of the complementary food formulations.

Comparación de rendimiento de antenas microstrip con diferentes frecuencias y polarización

El trabajo de investigación se basa en el análisis del funcionamiento de las antenas microstrip para lo cual se realizó el diseño de tres antenas diferentes, que trabajen en bandas que van desde los 800 MHz – hasta los 5,5 GHz comprobando que la funcionalidad sea eficiente y que no interfieran con otras bandas de frecuencias, existen muchas ventajas que se pueden tomar en consideración al momento de implementar antenas con la tecnología microstrip, como son el costo, la fácil fabricación, trabaja a grandes frecuencias y la suficiente cantidad de información en los diferentes repositorios, para poder realizar las pruebas, primero se tiene que diseñar el modelo de la antena en el software Ansoft Designer, posteriormente se tiene que realizar el análisis de resonancia de frecuencias y patrón de radiación, determinando la frecuencia en la que trabaja, así como el ancho de banda y la ganancia de cada una de ellas, una vez comprobado el correcto funcionamiento de las antenas se procede a la fabricación de la antena, se tiene que seleccionar el material, el grosor del material, así como los conectores y los puntos de suelda que se realicen, todos estos factores influyen en el óptimo funcionamiento de las antenas, finalmente para poder realizar las pruebas de campo es necesario trabajar con un analizador de espectros radioeléctrico, el mismo generar diferentes señales con ganancias e impedancias diferentes, que permitirán determinar en qué banda de frecuencias está trabajando.

Preparation of Nano/Submicron Ganoderma Tsugae and Its Stability

The preparation and stability of nano/submicrometer-sized Ganoderma tsugae (G. tsugae) was explored. The fruit body of G. tsugae was treated by homogenization and media-milling. Three sizes (0.8, 0.3, and 0.2 mm) of media were employed for consecutive milling. The final product was obtained by centrifugation (10,000 g, 10 min). Particle sizes were determined by using a laser-light particle size analyzer and further examined by using transmission electron microscopy. The removal of large particles resulted in better stability. After being stored at25°C for 21 days, the volume-average diameter of supernatant III increased from 0.105 to 0.137 μm. Freeze-drying resulted in particle aggregation and an increase in particle size. Twenty percent of the particles in the freeze-dried supernatant III were smaller than 100 nm, with an average diameter greater than 1 μm. Nevertheless, autoclaving did not result in severe instability of supernatant III. After being stored at 25°C for 12 months, about 40% of the particles were smaller than 100 nm, with an average diameter of 373 nm. In addition, the contents of bioactive compounds such as β-(1,3)-D-glucans, crude triterpenoids, total dietary fiber and chitin in media-milled products were much greater than those present in the hot-water extract.

Clinical significance of nucleated red blood cell count in pediatric patients with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia

Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the count of nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) as a potential marker of erythropoietic stress and transfusion therapy adequacy. To achieve this goal, we evaluated the performance of the Sysmex XN-1000 hematology analyzer and flow cytometry (FC) in counting NRBCs in comparison with manual microscopic counting (MC). Background NRBCs recognition by manual and automatic technologies has been widely evaluated. As transfusion of packed red blood cells is a principal supportive intervention for patients with thalassemia major, monitoring markers of an adequate transfusion therapy is essential in their management. Patients and methods NRBC percentages from 61 thalassemia major patients were analyzed by automated technologies, Sysmex XN-1000 analyzer and FC, and the results were compared with traditional MC as a reference method. Markers of ineffective erythropoiesis were estimated for all patients. Results Pretransfusion hemoglobin levels showed significant negative correlation with NRBC% obtained by Sysmex XN-1000 (r=−0.302, P = 0.018). Furthermore, NRBC% was positively correlated with reticulocyte% (r = 0.852, P Conclusion Monitoring of NRBC% by Sysmex XN-1000 analyzer has many advantages over manual counting and can help to optimize transfusion therapy for patients with beta thalassemia major.

Il calcolo urinario. Proposta di un nuovo metodo di determinazione: dati preliminari

Introduzione: La visualizzazione soggettiva delle reazioni utilizzate per l’identificazione e la quantificazione delle sostanze presenti nel calcolo urinario presentano notevoli problemi.&#x0D; Metodi: Viene descritta una nuova procedura per la determinazione del calcolo urinario. La rilevazione dei carbonati e le concentrazioni di calcio, fosforo, magnesio, ammonio, acido urico (dosaggi quantitativi su analizzatore COBAS 6000 ditta Roche) ed ossalato e cistina (determinazioni adattate su Viva E ditta Siemens) si inseriscono in un foglio Excel per ottenere i possibili principali calcoli urinari (calcio ossalato, acido urico, urato di ammonio, cistina, struvite, brushite, apatite, carbonato apatite) e più in generale “calcio fosfato”. Le determinazioni di chimica clinica sono simili a quelle utilizzate effettuate per lo studio metabolico sulle urine delle 24h in cui il dosaggio fotometrico della cistina all’acido fosfotungstico, non essendo commercializzato, è stato costruito ed adattato su analizzatore Viva E. Particolarmente utile risulta l’uso del rapido metodo quantitativo al ferro-solfosalicilico, non commercializzato e costruito nel nostro laboratorio, per la determinazione dell’ossalato nel calcolo.&#x0D; Risultati: Il software proposto converte le concentrazioni degli analiti in mmoli/dL e, partendo dalla struvite, definisce successivamente l’eventuale presenza di calcio ossalato, urato di ammonio ed i diversi calcio fosfato, determinati a seconda del rapporto Ca/P. La conversione finale in concentrazione delle diverse componenti presenti nel calcolo, assieme ad un eventuale residuo inorganico, da la presentazione dei dati in percentuale.&#x0D; Conclusioni: I dati ottenuti, specie se riferiti a concrezioni formate da più componenti, evidenziano buoni risultati se confrontati con la tecnica di riferimento FTIR suggerendo una metodica di laboratorio pratica, rapida ed affidabile.&#x0D; &#x0D; A new laboratory procedure is described for the determination of urinary calculus. The detection of carbonates (production of carbon dioxide with the use of concentrated sulfuric acid) and the concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, ammonium, uric acid (quantitative dosages carried out on COBAS 6000 analyzer of the Roche company) and oxalate and cystine (determinations adapted by us on the Siemens Viva E instrument) they are inserted in an Excel sheet created by us in order to obtain the main possible urinary calculations (calcium oxalate, uric acid, ammonium urate, cystine, struvite, brushite, apatite, carbonate apatite and more generally "calcium phosphate." The clinical chemistry determinations are similar to those used for the metabolic study carried out on the urine of 24 hours in which the photometric dosage of cystine with phosphotungstic acid, not being marketed, was built by us and adapted on Viva E analyzer. The use of the rapid quantitative method, with non-commercial sulfosalicylic acid, is particularly useful zato and then built in our laboratory, for the determination of oxalate in the calculation.&#x0D; The software proposed by us converts all the concentrations of the above mentioned analytes to mmoles / dL and, starting from struvite (molecular ratios: 1P - 1Mg - 1NH4), the possible presence of calcium oxalate is subsequently defined (molecular ratios: 1Ca - 1Ox ), that of ammonium urate and the different calcium phosphate (brushite, apatite / carbonate apatite and "calcium phosphate"), the latter determined according to the Ca / P ratio (brushite: &lt;1.155; 1.155≥ "calcium phosphate" &lt;1 , 45; apatite ≥1.45). The final conversion into concentration of the various components present in the calculation, together with any inorganic residue, determines the presentation of the data as a percentage.&#x0D; The data obtained, especially if referring to concretions formed by several components, show good results when compared with the FTIR reference technique.&#x0D;

Can Yin-Chai-Xiao-Du decoction be useful of COVID-19? The mechanism research based on network pharmacology

Background: In this study, we preliminarily investigated the mechanism of Yin-Chai-Xiao-Du decoction for the treatment of COVID-19 by the method of network pharmacology. Methods: The potential targets and pathways of Yin-Chai-Xiao-Du decoction for the treatment of COVID-19 were examined using network pharmacology; the ingredient and active targets of Yin-Chai-Xiao-Du decoction were collected from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform and PharmMapper databases; the COVID-19-related targets were obtained from the online Mendelian inheritance in man, GeneCards, and GeneMANIA databases; the STRING database and Cytoscape were used to build a protein-protein interaction network, and a Network Analyzer tool was used to perform topology analysis to screen for the key ingredients and targets; the ClueGO and KOBAS 3.0 databases were for the enrichment analysis of gene function (Gene Oncology) and gene pathway (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes); the herb-ingredient-target-pathway network diagram was constructed by Cytoscape. Results: The core herbs screened by the network pharmacological analysis were Jinyinhua (Lonicerae japonicae flos), Lianqiao (Forsythia suspensa), Chaihu (Bupleuri radix), Huangqin (Scutellariae radix), Yinchen (Herba Artemisiae Scopariae), Guanghuoxiang (Pogostemonis herba), Roudoukou (Semen myristicae) and Qinghao (Artemisiae annuae herba). A total of 293 active ingredients were screened by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform, and the key ingredients were quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol, and luteolin. Yin-Chai-Xiao-Du decoction has 138 COVID-19-related targets, and the key targets were mitogen-activated protein kinase 3, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor, vascular endothelial growth factor A, and CC motif ligand 2. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed 120 enriched gene pathways, and the key pathways were signaling by interleukins, immune system, cytokine signaling in the immune system, and the signaling pathways of interleukin-17, tumor necrosis factor, and relaxin. Conclusion: The core herbs of Yin-Chai-Xiao-Du decoction are Jinyinhua (Lonicerae japonicae flos), Lianqiao (Forsythia suspensa), Chaihu (Bupleuri radix), Huangqin (Scutellariae radix), Yinchen (Herba Artemisiae Scopariae), Guanghuoxiang (Pogostemonis herba), Roudoukou (Semen myristicae) and Qinghao (Artemisiae annuae herba). The key ingredients are quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol; the critical targets are luteolin, interleukin-6, mitogen-activated protein kinase 3, tumor necrosis factor, and CC motif ligand 2; and the core signaling pathways are those mediated by interleukin-17, tumor necrosis factor, and relaxin.

Efficacy of Xuebijing injection for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 via network pharmacology

Background: To evaluate the mechanism of Chinese patent drug Xuebijing (XBJ) injection in the treatment of a new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. Methods: The TCMSP database was employed to collect and screen the active ingredients of the Chinese herb contained in the XBJ injection. The GeneCards database and STRING database were applied to collect and expand the targets of COVID-19 and compare and screen the related targets of COVID-19 by XBJ injection. Cytoscape was employed to build a network connecting Chinese medicine, compounds, targets, disease, and topology analysis was performed via the Network Analyzer to screen the key ingredients and targets. The software of Schrodinger molecular docking was used to verify the binding activity of the key ingredients of XBJ injection and the key targets of COVID-19. Metascape platform and DAVID database were utilized to conduct Gene Ontology analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis on the key targets of COVID-19 treated by XBJ injection. Results: Eight key compounds and 15 key targets were screened and verified by molecular docking; these key compounds included luteolin, quercetin, baicalein, and kaempferol. The key targets included DPP4, AR, ESR1, CALM1, and protein kinase 1. Gene Ontology analysis involved an apoptosis and hypoxia reaction and the changes in blood vessel morphology. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis involved signaling pathways of hypoxia inducible factor-1, VEGF, and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB. Conclusion: The mechanism of XBJ injection when used to treat COVID-19 should be further investigated as the key compounds in XBJ regulated the expression of key targets such as protein kinase 1, VEGF-A, B-cell lymphoma-2, and TNF, which affected the COVID-19 receptors such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and signaling pathways like hypoxia inducible factor-1, PI3K-Akt, and NF-κB, which alleviated the inflammation, respiratory distress, and hypoxia caused by COVID-19 infection.

Process Simulation of Ethanol Production from Jerusalem Artichoke Stalk

Lignocellulosic biomass can serve as raw material for ethanol production. However, lignocellulosic biomass is a complex mixture of carbohydrates that need additional processes for efficient ethanol production, such as pretreatment and hydrolysis before fermented into ethanol. Therefore, this work mainly focused on the creation and simulation of a model of ethanol production from Jerusalem artichoke stalk (JAS) following experimental data and using the commercial software ASPEN Plus with and without a heat exchanger network (HEN). Alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment (AHP) was the first step for this process. The optimal conditions of AHP were a mixture of 2% w/w sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and 4% v/v hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at 10% (w/v) solid-liquid ratio and 121°C for 90 min. After treatment, 10% AHP-JAS loading was fed to enzymatic hydrolysis at 50°C and the fermentation process at 30°C. The simulation suggested that a feedstock of 60,000 kg of JAS could yield 3,482.16 kg ethanol. The purification section by the extractive distillation system had 12 stages, a distillate to feed mole ratio (D/F) of 0.13, and a reflux mole ratio (R/R) of 1.5. The purity of the ethanol product was higher than 97 wt%. After the model simulation, HEN was designed by using Aspen Energy Analyzer. After the installation of HEN in this process, the ethanol plant with HEN showed a better result, which at 16.24 percentages reduced total cost compared to the process without HEN.

Oxycodone inhibits myocardial cell apoptosis after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats via RhoA/ROCK1 signaling pathway.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of oxycodone on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats through the Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA)/Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) signaling pathway. A total of 48 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, oxycodone group, and inhibitor group, with 12 rats in each group. The rats in the sham operation group only underwent thoracotomy without ischemia-reperfusion injury, those in the model group were used to prepare the myocardial ischemia-reperfusion model with normal saline intervention, those in the oxycodone group were used to prepare the myocardial ischemia-reperfusion model with oxycodone intervention, and those in the inhibitor group were utilized to prepare the myocardial ischemia-reperfusion model with AG490 intervention. Then, the expressions of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) were detected by immunohistochemistry, the relative protein expressions of RhoA and ROCK1 were examined via Western blotting, and the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expressions of Bcl-2 and BAX were measured by quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR). Thereafter, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) was adopted for apoptosis detection, and the levels of creatine kinase-muscle/brain (CK-MB), and cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) in serum were detected using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Immunohistochemistry results showed that compared with those in the sham operation group, the positive expression of BAX was remarkably increased (p<0.05), while that of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased (p<0.05) in the model group, oxycodone group, and inhibitor group. Compared with the model group, oxycodone group and inhibitor group had an evidently reduced positive expression of BAX (p<0.05) and an evidently raised positive expression of Bcl-2 (p<0.05). No differences were found in the positive expressions of BAX and Bcl-2 between oxycodone group and inhibitor group (p>0.05). According to Western blotting results, the relative protein expressions of RhoA and ROCK1 in the model group, oxycodone group, and inhibitor group were notably increased compared with those in the sham operation group (p<0.05). In comparison with those in the model group, the relative protein expressions of RhoA and ROCK1 in the oxycodone group and inhibitor group were predominantly reduced (p<0.05). There were no differences in the relative protein expressions of RhoA and ROCK1 between oxycodone group and inhibitor group (p>0.05). Moreover, it was discovered from qRT-PCR results that compared with those in the sham operation group, the mRNA expression of BAX was markedly raised (p<0.05), whereas that of Bcl-2 was decreased predominantly (p<0.05) in the model group, oxycodone group, and inhibitor group. Compared with the model group, oxycodone group, and inhibitor group had an evidently reduced mRNA expression of BAX (p<0.05) and a significantly raised mRNA expression of Bcl-2 (p<0.05). No differences were found in the mRNA expressions of BAX and Bcl-2 between oxycodone group and inhibitor group (p>0.05). In addition, TUNEL assay results manifested that compared with sham operation group, model group, oxycodone group, and inhibitor group had a markedly elevated apoptosis rate (p<0.05). In comparison with the model group, the apoptosis rate in oxycodone group and inhibitor group was remarkably reduced (p<0.05). There was no difference in the apoptosis rate between oxycodone group and inhibitor group (p>0.05). According to biochemical analysis results, the serum levels of CK-MB and cTnI in model group, oxycodone group, and inhibitor group were significantly increased compared with those in the sham operation group, with statistically significant differences (p<0.05). The levels of serum CK-MB and cTnI in the oxycodone group and inhibitor group were substantially lowered in comparison with those in the model group, displaying statistically significant differences (p<0.05). Besides, the levels of serum CK-MB and cTnI in the oxycodone group were not different from those in the inhibitor group (p>0.05). Oxycodone inhibits myocardial cell apoptosis after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by suppressing the RhoA/ROCK1 signaling pathway.

EKSPLORASI KONSTRUKSI BAMBU RECIPROCAL-DEPLOYABLE GRIDSHELL

Abstrak - Adanya keterbutuhan akan naungan semi-permanen atau sementara yang mudah dan cepat dibangun untuk sesuatu peristiwa tertentu. Pada penelitian ini menggali potensi struktur bentang lebar transformatif dengan menggabungkan dan mengembangkan sistem struktur konstruksi deployable dan reciprocal dalam bentuk struktur atap bidang gridshell bambu, menjadi sebuah konfigurasi mandiri tersusun dari variasi komposisi modul dengan bantuan komputasional mengikuti kebutuhan desain arsitektur. Hal ini dilakukan dengan mengetahui potensi sistem struktur, pola desain, dan sistem sambungan pada beberapa objek studi yang dievaluasi secara kualitatif dengan metode komparasi pada sistem struktur, sambungan, karakter batang, penyaluran beban, sistem penguncian struktur, dan deployability.Manfaat penelitian berfokus pada penelitian struktur bambu untuk menjadi inovasi baru dalam keteknikan material bambu yang dapat meningkatkan nilai lokalitas Indonesia dengan dapat digunakan masyarakat terutama dalam menggunakan material bambu untuk pengembangan naungan sementara maupun permanen.Pembahasan mengenai kriteria sistem struktur sesuai tujuan penelitian merupakan hasil dari analisa objek studi dimana struktur transformasi berdasarkan karakter struktur deployable sedangkan struktur reciprocal merupakan sistem yang menyokong untuk memberikan kestabilan dan sistem penguncian mandiri. Kedua struktur ini merupakan sistem struktur yang fleksible dan mudah diduplikasi sehingga untuk memenuhi fungsi sebagai struktur bentang lebar, sistem struktur didesain membentuk gridshell. Bentuk gridshell ini yang diolah dengan bantuan komputasional untuk membentuk sistem struktur reciprocal-deployable secara efektif.Penelitian yang bersifat eksplorasi, eksperimen dilakukan pada pola reciprocal hingga menemukan pola paling stabil dan mengubah karakter batang lurus pada reciprocal menjadi batang deployable berupa scissor-like element, lalu mengembangkan jenis sambungan dengan analisa potensi dan kendala tiap sambungan. Eksperimen menghasilkan sistem struktur baru dengan menggabungkan kedua sistem struktur didapatkan struktur yang dapat bertransformasi, memiliki sistem penguncian mandiri, dan dapat membentang lebar dengan bentuk gridshell.

Rapid Screening of Blood Mitochondrial D310 and D315 Mutations in Breast Cancer Patients

Aims: 'Poly C' stretch extending from 303 to 315 nucleotide positions known as (D310) by GeneBank within the non-coding region HVR-II of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been identified as a mutational hotspot of primary cancer. We aimed to find this mutation in Bangladeshi breast cancer patients and control samples for screening the changes in poly C stretches. Materials and Methods: We have analyzed a total of 98 breast cancer blood samples and 98 healthy control blood samples and extracted DNA from blood samples for direct sequencing using ABI®3130 Genetic Analyzer. Results: We observed 70.41% C insertion at 310 regions (P<0.001, OR = 16.30 and 95% CI=7.83-33.93) in breast cancer patient whereas it is present only in 12.24% healthy individuals. No alterations were observed in 29.59% breast cancer samples. We also check the mutation pattern at D315 regions, but no significant observation was found (P=1.00). Conclusions: This is the first study from Bangladeshi breast cancer (BC) patients indicating a relatively high frequency of D310 mutations, which suggests that mtDNA instability at D310 may be a common characteristic of BC, study also supports the hypothesis that mtDNA D310 screening may represent additional blood based biomarker for breast cancer prognosis.