Duration Of Experiment Research Articles

Features of lung damage in baclofen poisoning

To reveal pathological lung changes in baclofen poisoning and to assess their dynamics. The experiment included 20 mature (at age 20 weeks) male rats of Wistar line weighing 290-350 gr. The animals were divided into 3 study groups (5 rats in each) depending on experiment's duration after 85 mg/kg baclofen administration: 3, 4.5 and 24 h in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd groups, respectively. Control group consisted of 5 animals without baclofen administration. A number of pathological reactions, including circulatory disorder (venular and capillary congestion, hemorrhage in interalveolar septa, alveoli, sludge) and the appearance of emphysema loci (interalveolar septa at emphysema loci are thinned), alternating with atelectases and dystelectases. The area taken up by vessels after 4.5 h. baclofen administration was statistically significantly higher than in control group, and after 24 h. - statistically significantly higher than in 4.5 h. The area with white blood cells and WBC/IAP ratio after 4.5 h of baclofen administration were statistically significantly higher than in control group after 3 and 24 h of administration. The number of white blood cells, giving PAS positive reaction, increases during baclofen administration. The complex of pathological lung changes, revealed by ourselves, has a certain dynamics. The data on morphological lung changes combined with results of chemical examination can be used to diagnose baclofen poisoning and to determine the time elapsed since this medicine administration.

Experimental assessment of diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) protocols.

Diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) is an increasingly used digital complement, supplement, or alternative to traditional dissection-based anatomical research. The diceCT protocol, which has evolved and expanded over the past decade, employs passive diffusion of Lugol's iodine (KI3) to increase soft tissue radiodensity and improve structure contrast in the CT or microCT imaging of specimens. The development and application of diceCT has focused largely on specimens under 1 kg, and the varying reporting of methods on studies of both small and large specimens has initiated, but not yet established, an effective diceCT protocol for larger specimens based on monitored experiments of several fundamental variables (e.g., Lugol's iodine concentration, duration, and impacts of Lugol's iodine on tissues). In this study, we have experimentally assessed the efficacy of diceCT protocols for imaging whole-body specimens of the 1-4.5 kg Australian brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) using sequential CT imaging assessment across experimental conditions. We assessed the impact of varying Lugol's iodine concentration, the presence/absence of skin, solution volume and agitation on tissue radiodensity changes through weekly CT-based monitoring of tissue radiodensities over an 8-week experimental period. We have also quantified tissue volumetric changes across our experiment to assess the impact of diceCT applications on subsequent analyses of imaging datasets. Our results indicate that substantial changes in both soft-tissue radiodensity and soft-tissue volume occur within the first 28 days of Lugol's iodine treatment, followed by a slower rate of progressive soft-tissue radiodensity and volume changes across the experiment duration. Our results demonstrate the negligible benefit of skinning larger specimens to improve solution diffusion, and document significant soft-tissue volumetric changes with high concentration solutions (e.g., 10%) and long-duration exposure (e.g., beyond 5 weeks) that should guide individual diceCT protocol design and/or quantification and analysis for mammal specimens above 1 kg.

Assessment of histological changes in the lungs and Bax and Bcl-2 expression in bronchial epithelium, alveolar type 1 cells and neutrophils of rats in poisoning with baclofen

To study the histological changes in lung of rats, evaluate their dynamics and determine the Bax and Bcl-2 genes expression in bronchial epithelium, alveolar type 1 cells and neutrophils at different times after the administration of baclofen. The experiment was conducted on 20 mature (at the age of 20 weeks) male Wistar rats with a mass of 290-350 g, distributed in 4 groups (5 rats in each). Animals in the control group did not receive baclofen. Rats in experimental groups received baclofen at a dose of 85 mg/kg: in the 1st group, the experiment duration was 3 hours (time to maximum observed blood drug concentration); in the 2nd group - 4.5 h (drug half-life and time to maximum observed concentration of the main drug's metabolite - beta-[p-chlorophenyl])-gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in the blood); in the 3rd group - 24 h. A complex of pathological reactions developed in lungs of experimental animals when baclofen muscle relaxant was administered, namely circulatory disturbances at all levels of the microvasculature (venular and capillary congestion, hemorrhages in the interalveolar septums, alveoli, sludge), emphysema, sites of which punctuated with atelectases and dystelectases. The complex of pathological changes in the lungs had a certain dynamics and reached its highest severity by the 24th hour. Bax expression was strong, while Bcl-2 expression was moderate in the immunohistochemical (IHC) study of bronchical epithelium and alveolar type 1 cells, Bax and Bcl-2 expression in neutrophils was moderate in rats of the 1st group. The expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was strong in the bronchial epithelium and alveolar type 1 cells, the expression of Bax in neutrophils was moderate, and BCL-2 - strong in animals of the 2nd group. The expression of Bax in bronchial epithelium and alveolar type 1 cells was moderate, expression of Bcl-2 in bronchial epithelium and alveolar type 1 cells - strong, expression of Bax in neutrophils - weak and expression of Bcl-2 - strong among the rats of the 3rd group. The complex of pathological changes in lungs had a certain dynamic. Data on the histological changes in lungs in combination with the results of the chemical study, can be used to diagnose the poisoning by baclofen and to establish the time since the drug was administered. The results obtained during the IHC study suggest the involvement of apoptosis in the development of lesion of bronchial epithelium and alveolar type 1 cells. In addition, the expression of Bcl-2 in epithelial cells may play a role in the process of their regeneration.

Examining the alignment between subjective effort and objective force production.

Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) are frequently used to prescribe exercise intensity. A central assumption of using RPE scales is that the subjective perception of effort maps onto objective performance in a consistent way. However, the degree and shape of how RPE aligns with objective performance is not fully understood. Here, we investigate the degree and shape of alignment, as well as how time (i.e., how frequently an effort needs to be performed) and mental effort (i.e., if one has to invest mental effort and physical effort) correspond with the alignment. In a randomized within-subjects experiment, we used a grip-to-scale method that asked participants (N = 43) to repeatedly squeeze a handgrip dynamometer with four to-be-produced RPE target levels relative to their subjective maximum strength (representing 20%, 40%, 60%, or 80%). We found that the RPE-force alignment was not the same across RPE-levels: Whereas subjective differences from 20-40% and 40-60% were met by comparable differences in produced force, a substantially larger difference was observed for the 60-80% interval. Interestingly, exploratory post-hoc analyses revealed that this was mirrored by an increase in variance at the higher effort levels. In addition, at constant RPE-levels, participants produced less force over time, and this effect was more pronounced at lower RPE target levels. Lastly, anticipating mental effort after the physical effort slightly altered the alignment as a function of the to-be-produced RPE-level and experimental duration. Taken together, our results indicate that the mapping of perceived effort on objective performance is intricate, and several factors affect the degree and shape of how RPE and performance align. Understanding the dynamic adjustment of RPE-performance alignment across different RPE levels is particularly relevant for contexts that use RPE as a tool for training load prescription.

Thermo-catalytic decomposition of cotton seed press cake over nickel doped zeolite Y, hydrogen: enhanced yield of bio-oil with highly selective fuel-range hydrocarbons.

This research reports the yield of bio-oil from cotton seed press cake (CSPC) via an optimized thermo-catalytic pyrolysis using nickel impregnated zeolite Y, hydrogen catalyst. The catalyst, raw biomass and catalyst impregnated biomass were characterized using different analytical techniques. The ideal temperature, duration, and catalyst concentration for pyrolysis experiments were determined to be 300 °C, 20 minutes, and 5% of Ni-doped zeolite Y, hydrogen, respectively, in order to achieve the best bio-oil yield (35%). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of pyrolytic bio-oil depicted the presence of C2-C26 hydrocarbons. The findings of this investigation showed that the synthesis of bio-oil with highly selective fuel-range hydrocarbons could be efficiently induced through the pyrolysis of CSPC biomass employing nickel impregnated zeolite Y, hydrogen catalyst. Moreover, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of cotton seed press cake with catalyst was carried out at various heating rates to find out the kinetic parameters. Employing Kissinger model, activation energy (E a) and frequency factor (A) for various components of biomass i.e., hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin were calculated as 83.14 kJ mol-1, 99.76 kJ mol-1, 124.71 kJ mol-1 and 1.9 × 107 min-1, 1.0 × 108 min-1, 1.0 × 1010 min-1, respectively. It can be concluded from the results that cotton seed press cake waste has potential for use as a pyrolysis feedstock in large-scale bio-fuel production.

Sub-20 fs, 80 W, up to 2 mJ Yb-based laser multi-pass-cell post-compression: Experimental and numerical results

We report here on the experimental pulse duration compression down to sub-20fs of up to 2mJ, 330fs pulses of an 80W Ytterbium laser, using argon-filled multi-pass-cell reproduced by numerical calculations stressing the role of the driver pulse profile.

Bioaccumulation of lead in different organs of Ctenopharyngodon Idella (grass fish) and Tor putitora (Mahseer) fish.

Bioaccumulation of toxic heavy metals in the human body can give rise to adverse health effects, the severity of which depends upon their dosage and duration of exposure. In this study, yearlings of two different species of edible fish, i.e., Tor putitora (Mahseer) and Ctenopharyngodon Idella (grass carp), were exposed to different concentrations of lead nitrate in a controlled environment of aquarium for three different lengths of duration (14, 28, and 60 days). The bioaccumulation of lead in different organs, including gills, skin, muscles, liver, intestine, and swim bladder of the fish, was assessed using atomic absorption spectrometry. Generally, the highest lead concentration was observed in the gills and lowest in the muscles for both species at each experimental dosage and duration. In 14-days exposure, the relative pattern of bioaccumulation in different organs was observed as gill > liver > skin > intestine > swim bladder > muscle for both fish species. Similarly, the pattern of bioaccumulation observed in 28-days exposure was as: gill > liver > intestine > skin > swim bladder > muscle in both species. Whereas, pattern in 60-days exposure was observed as gill > liver > intestine > swim bladder > muscle > skin. The data shows that grass carp had stored higher concentrations of lead than Mahseer, which may be attributed to the fact that they are omnivorous. Furthermore, the lowest bioaccumulation was recorded in the muscles until the 56th day of the exposure, after which the concentration steadily increased in the muscles. The observed pattern highlights the importance of exposure's duration to lead; chronic exposure could result in its bioaccumulation at toxic concentrations in the muscles, which is particularly of concern because the fish muscles are heavily consumed as food worldwide.

Development of a predictive model for thermal conductivity in graphene nanoplatelets-infused damper oil using ANN/RSM

This study aims to develop a predictive model for the thermal conductivity of graphene nanoplatelets/SAE10W oil nanofluids using artificial neural networks and response surface methodology. Generally, the property of thermal conductivity has been measured to enhance the heat transfer efficiency of traditional heat transfer fluids. Experiments were conducted using a thermal constants analyzer at different operating conditions, such as varying the volume concentrations of nanoparticles from 0.050% to 0.150% and increasing the temperature from 20?C to 80?C. Results showed an improvement in the thermal conductivity of the nanofluid, ranging from 19% to 41%. A single hidden layer with 12 neurons was found to be the most effective architecture for the artificial neural network model. Additionally, a response surface was closely fitted to experimental data points in the response surface methodology. Then, mean squared error, root mean square error, and R-squared values were employed to validate the accuracy of the predicted models. The correlation coefficients of the artificial neural network and response surface methodology models were 0.99761 and 0.9877, respectively. Also, the accuracy of the models was assessed in terms of margins of deviation. The margin of deviation for the artificial neural network model ranged between +0.3926% and -0.4640%, whereas for the response surface methodology model, it was between +0.4137% and -0.4166%. The comparison of the artificial neural network model indicates greater accuracy than the response surface methodology technique. This method for predicting the thermal conductivity of graphene nanoplatelets /SAE10W oil nanofluids is both cost-effective and inventive, minimizing experimental research durations.

A generalized physical principle of development of plasma channel of a high-voltage pulse spark discharge in a dielectric

Goal. Development of the generalized physical principle of development of plasma channel of a high-voltage electrical pulse spark discharge in the homogeneous dielectric of the different aggregate state. Methodology. Basis of physical optics, theoretical electrical engineering, electrophysics bases of technique of high-voltage and large pulse currents, bases of high-voltage pulse technique and measuring technique. Results. Development of physical principle of development of plasma channel of an electric pulse spark discharge is executed in a homogeneous gas dielectric on the applied example of the use in calculations and experiments of the double-electrode discharge system (DEDS) with a long air interval, testing action of standard interconnect аperiodic pulse of high-voltage of temporal shape of Tm/Тd≈200 μs/1990 μs of positive polarity. The generalized formula is got for the calculation of total length of lc of the real way of development of an pulse spark discharge in an air dielectric, which allowed to formulate the offered physical principle in the following kind: «The plasma channel of an pulse spark discharge in a gas dielectric spreads from one of its points to other after a way length of lc, providing the least falling on it of electric voltage of Uc». It is shown that this principle in the first approaching can be applied and to the homogeneous liquid and hard dielectrics. Comparison of the developed physical principle of distribution of plasma channel of an electrical spark discharge is executed in a dielectrical environment with fundamental Fermat physical principle (a law) for distribution of light in an optically transparent environment, which specifies on mathematical likeness and closeness on destiny of these physical principles. Calculation estimations of falling of electric voltage of Uc on total length of lc of the real zigzag way of development in the air dielectric of DEDS a «edge-plane» with the least length of its discharge interval of lmin=1,5 m is presented, that a value Uc does not exceed 9 % from the experimental level of aggressive voltage of Umd≈611,6 кV in this DEDS for the аperiodic pulse of voltage of Tm/Тd≈200 μs/1990 μs. It is set that the estimated time of td advancement of leader channel of electric pulse discharge in air DEDS (lmin=1,5 m) on its real way total length of lc≈1,53 m makes td≈15,3 μs, and experimental duration of cut of Tdc of the indicated аperiodic impulse of voltage utilized in experiments, characterizing time of short circuit by the plasma channel of discharge of air interval in DEDS, appears equal Тdc≈td≈17 μs. Originality. The generalized physical principle of development of plasma channel of a high-voltage electrical pulse spark discharge is first developed in the homogeneous dielectric of the different aggregate state. Practical value. Application in electrical engineering practice and high-voltage pulse technique of the offered principle of distribution in the dielectrics of plasma channel of an pulse spark discharge will allow to develop both new and to perfect the existent methods of computer design of electro-discharge processes in the gas, liquid and hard insulation of different high-voltage electrical power engineering and electrophysics devices, directed on the increase of reliability of their operation.

Potential and performance of anisotropic 19F NMR for the enantiomeric analysis of fluorinated chiral active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Controlling the enantiomeric purity of chiral drugs is of paramount importance in pharmaceutical chemistry. Isotropic 1H NMR spectroscopy involving chiral agents is a widely used method for discriminating enantiomers and quantifying their relative proportions. However, the relatively weak spectral separation of enantiomers (1H Δδiso(R, S)) in frequency units at low and moderate magnetic fields, as well as the lack of versatility of a majority of those agents with respect to different chemical functions, may limit the general use of this approach. In this article, we investigate the analytical potential of 19F NMR in anisotropic chiral media for the enantiomeric analysis of fluorinated active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) via two residual anisotropic NMR interactions: the chemical shift anisotropy (19F-RCSA) and dipolar coupling ((19F-19F)-RDC). Lyotropic chiral liquid crystals (CLC) based on poly-γ-benzyl-L-glutamate (PBLG) show an interesting versatility and adaptability to enantiodiscrimination as illustrated for two chiral drugs, Flurbiprofen® (FLU) and Efavirenz® (EFA), which have very different chemical functions. The approach has been tested on a routine 300 MHz NMR spectrometer equipped with a standard probe (5 mm BBFO probe) in a high-throughput context (i.e., ≈10 s of NMR experiments) while the performance for enantiomeric excess (ee) measurement is evaluated in terms of trueness and precision. The limits of detection (LOD) determined were 0.17 and 0.16 μmol ml-1 for FLU and EFA, respectively, allow working in dilute conditions even with such a short experimental duration. The enantiodiscrimination capabilities are also discussed with respect to experimental features such as CLC composition and temperature.

Rebuttal to "Comments on 'Decoding Brain Representations by Multimodal Learning of Neural Activity and Visual Features' ".

Bharadwaj et al. [1] present a comments paper evaluating the classification accuracy of several state-of-the-art methods using EEG data averaged over random class samples. According to the results, some of the methods achieve above-chance accuracy, while the method proposed in [2], that is the target of their analysis, does not. In this rebuttal, we address these claims and explain why they are not grounded in the cognitive neuroscience literature, and why the evaluation procedure is ineffective and unfair.

A Case Study of the Validity of Web-based Visuomotor Rotation Experiments.

Web-based experiments are gaining momentum in motor learning research because of the desire to increase statistical power, decrease overhead for human participant experiments, and utilize a more demographically inclusive sample population. However, there is a vital need to understand the general feasibility and considerations necessary to shift tightly controlled human participant experiments to an online setting. We developed and deployed an online experimental platform modeled after established in-laboratory visuomotor rotation experiments to serve as a case study examining remotely collected data quality for an 80-min experiment. Current online motor learning experiments have thus far not exceeded 60 min, and current online crowdsourced studies have a median duration of approximately 10 min. Thus, the impact of a longer-duration, web-based experiment is unknown. We used our online platform to evaluate perturbation-driven motor adaptation behavior under three rotation sizes (±10°, ±35°, and ±65°) and two sensory uncertainty conditions. We hypothesized that our results would follow predictions by the relevance estimation hypothesis. Remote execution allowed us to double (n = 49) the typical participant population size from similar studies. Subsequently, we performed an in-depth examination of data quality by analyzing single-trial data quality, participant variability, and potential temporal effects across trials. Results replicated in-laboratory findings and provided insight on the effect of induced sensory uncertainty on the relevance estimation hypothesis. Our experiment also highlighted several specific challenges associated with online data collection including potentially smaller effect sizes, higher data variability, and lower recommended experiment duration thresholds. Overall, online paradigms present both opportunities and challenges for future motor learning research.

In vivo analgesic, anti-inflammatory and molecular docking studies of S-naproxen derivatives

In the current studies two naproxen derivatives (NPD) were evaluated for analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. The acetic acid and hot plate animal models were used to screen the compounds for analgesic potential. While the anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated through animal paw edema, induced by several inflammatory mediators (carrageenan, bradykinin, and prostaglandin E2), the xylene-induced ear edema was also used as an inflammatory model. Both NPDs showed significant (p < 0.001) antinociceptive effects in the acetic acid-induced writhing paradigm. In the case of the hot plate, the NPD 1 at the tested dose of 5 mg/kg enhanced the latency time after 60 min of injection, which remained significant (p < 0.001) up to the end of the experiment duration. The maximum percent inhibition of NPD 1 was 87.53. The naloxone injection significantly lowered the latency time of NPD 1 as compared to NPD 2. Regarding the anti-inflammatory effect, both of the tested NPDs demonstrated a significant reduction in paw edema against various inflammatory mediators, as mentioned above; however, the anti-inflammatory effect of NPD 1 was better. The maximal percent inhibition by NPD 1 and 2 was 43.24 (after 60 min) and 45.93 (after 90 min). A considerable effect also resulted from xylene-induced ere edema. Further, a molecular docking study was carried out to investigate the binding modes of the NPD. The docking analysis revealed that the NPD significantly interacted with the COX2 enzyme. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation was carried out for the docked complexes. The MD simulation analysis revealed the high stability of the two naproxen derivatives.

Experimental Model of Biliary Tract Cancers: Subcutaneous Xenograft of Human Cell Lines in Immunodeficient Nude Mice.

The ectopic xenograft mouse model of cancer is a commonly employed tool for in vivo investigations, particularly for studying cell tumorigenicity and testing the efficacy and tolerability of systemic or local anti-cancer therapies. The model displays advantageous features with an easy-access to visualize and monitor tumor growth in real-time with a caliper. Although the tumor development occurs in an ectopic location, the histology of the tumor resembles that of human cancer upon pathological examination. This suggests that when human malignant cells are transplanted into immunocompromised mice, they can educate and attract murine cells from the surrounding environment to recapitulate a tumor structure. The experimental protocol for ectopic xenograft models is straightforward, making them reproducible, cost-effective, and conductive to shorter experimental durations. Here, we detail the utilization of ectopic xenograft models in studying biliary tract cancers (BTC), which involves subcutaneously grafting human BTC cell lines originating from different biliary tree locations onto immunocompromised nude mice.

Brain antioxidant status and gene expressions of nicotinic and dopamine receptors are improved by black seed oil administration in cigarette smoke or nicotine vapour-exposed rats.

Smoking is associated with dysregulation of the antioxidant system and addiction. This study sought to ascertain the effect of Nigella Sativa (NS) oil on the antioxidant system, nicotine/tobacco addiction as well as the expressions of α4β2 nicotinic (nAChR) and dopamine type-2 (DRD2) receptors in selected brain regions of the rat. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups comprising of vehicle-treated control, NS oil only, Smoke only, Smoke + NS oil, Nicotine only and Nicotine + NS oil. Animals were passively exposed to cigarette smoke or nicotine vapour for 12 weeks, however, NS oil treatment commenced from 9th-12th week of the experimental duration. Nicotine vapour and cigarette smoke-induced increase in cotinine level were significantly ameliorated by NS treatment. Cigarette smoke or nicotine vapour exposure significantly (p<0.05) decreased the level of antioxidant enzymes while increasing malondialdehyde level in the brain homogenates of the rats. Administration of NS oil significantly (p<0.05) reversed the reduced antioxidant level. Cigarette-smoke also significantly increased α4-nAChR expression in the frontal cortex and olfactory bulb compared to control. Nicotine vapour significantly increased DRD2 expression only in the olfactory cortex. NS oil administration reduced both the cigarette-smoke-induced increase in α4-nAChR and nicotine vapour-induced increase in DRD2 gene expression only in the olfactory cortex. Findings from this study suggest that NS oil improves brain antioxidant status while ameliorating nicotine vapour and cigarette smoke addiction through down-regulation of α4-nAChR and DRD2 gene expressions in discrete brain regions in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Phosphorus fertilization enhances terrestrial carbon cycling in phosphorus-deficient ecosystems

Anthropogenic phosphorus (P) input into terrestrial soils have been greatly increased, with potential effects on both above- and belowground carbon (C) cycling processes. However, uncertainty about how plant-soil-microbe systems respond to P fertilization makes it difficult to predict the effects of anthropogenic P input on the terrestrial C cycling. In this study, we conducted a global meta-analysis, examining 1183 observations from 142 publications. The findings revealed that P fertilization consistently promoted C cycling variables in plant-soil-microbe systems, resulting in improvements ranging from 7.6% to 49.8% across various ecosystem types. Notably, these positive effects of P fertilization were more pronounced with higher application rates and longer experimental durations. As the background P contents increased, the functions of P fertilization in C cycling variables shifted from positive to negative. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that changes in plant inputs predominantly drove the positive impacts of P fertilization rate and experimental duration, as well as the negative impacts of background P contents on soil respiration and microbial biomass C responses to P fertilization. Our study demonstrated the coherent responses of terrestrial C cycling processes to P fertilization and highlighted the significance of P fertilization boosting C cycling processes in P-deficient ecosystems. We suggested that minimizing the application of P fertilization in P-rich environments would enhance C sequestration and reduce P-induced environmental pollution.

Evaluation of Nitric Oxide Activity of Torilis Leptophyllain Indomethacin Induced Gastric Ulcer in Mice

Objective: To evaluate the Nitric Oxide activity of Torilis leptophylla in Indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers in mice. Study Design: Laboratory-based experimental study Place and Duration of Study: Pharmacology Department, University of Health Sciences, Lahore Pakistan, from Jan to Dec2016. Methodology: Thirty-six adult healthy male BALB/C mice with a weight range of 25-35 g were equally divided into six groups and designated as Group-I (Control), Group-II (Positive Control), Groups III to V (Torilis leptophylla extract trial Groups) and Group-VI (Omeprazole). Gastric ulceration was induced by a single dose of Indomethacin (20mg/kg) in Groups II–VI. The plant extract was administered in Groups III-V (100, 200, 300 mg/kg) whereas Omeprazole (3mg/kg) in Group-VI by gavage daily for three days as treatment of gastric ulceration. Nitric Oxide content was measured in gastric juice and serum of all groups by Nitric Oxide assay kit. Results: The positive Control-Group showed little Nitric Oxide in gastric juice and serum. Torilis leptophylla treated Groups (100 mg/kg, 200mg/kg and 300 mg/kg) showed significantly raised Nitric Oxide content in both gastric juice and serum than the Control Group (p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: The study has determined that Torilis leptophylla possesses antiulcer and mucosal protective effects owing to the antioxidant activity of nitric oxide. This supports the use of the plant for the treatment of gastric ulcers.

Effectiveness of Four Synthetic Fungicides in the Control of Post-Harvest Gray Mold of Strawberry and Analyses of Residues on Fruit

Fungicides are usually applied on strawberries to manage gray mold, induced by the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. In this study, four reduced-risk fungicides (formulations of pyrimethanil, PYR, 175 mL/hL; boscalid, BOS, 80 g/hL; combination fludioxonil, FLU, +cyprodinil, CYP, 110 g/hL) were applied before harvest for the management of post-harvest diseases of strawberries. The resulting fungicide residues on the strawberry fruit were also quantified. Strawberry fruits were harvested at 0, 4, 8, and 12 days following treatment (dft) and kept at 20 ± 1 °C for 4 days or cold-stored for 7 days at 0.5 ± 1 °C, followed by a 4-day shelf life at 20 ± 1 °C. All fungicides significantly reduced gray mold, according to the McKinney Index. At 0 dft and 4 days of shelf life, the FLU + CYP completely prevented post-harvest strawberry gray mold, while PYR and BOS reduced the disease by 88% and 42%, respectively, in comparison to the untreated control. For the duration of experiment, fungicide residues were always below the maximum residue levels, and FLU was the most degraded, thanks to the enzymatic pool of the strawberries. Monitoring fungicide residues in strawberries is essential to provide the consumer information on the safety of this widely consumed fruit. The present study points out the safety of strawberry fruits for consumers, even if the treatment strategy implies the use of fungicide mixtures before the consumption, with fungicide levels always being below the MRL.

The influence of the toxin-producing dinoflagellate, Alexandrium catenella, on feeding, reproduction and toxin retention in Calanus helgolandicus

Copepods of the genus Calanus dominate the biomass of pelagic ecosystems from the Mediterranean Sea up into the Arctic Ocean and form an important link between phytoplankton and higher trophic levels. Impacts from toxin-producing harmful algae (HA) have been recorded throughout this region over the last 50 years, with potentially negative effects on Calanus spp. populations and the ecosystem functions and services they provide. Here we examine how ingestion, egg-production and egg-viability in Calanus helgolandicus are affected by the relative abundance of the toxin-producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella in their diet. Our four-day experiments demonstrate that the ingestion rate of C. helgolandicus declined significantly as the percentage of toxin-producing A. catenella within their diet increased, whereas egg production and egg viability were unaffected. Toxin profile concentrations for A. catenella are presented alongside body toxin-loads in C. helgolandicus after 4 days of feeding on these cells. The body toxin concentrations of C. helgolandicus were 3.6–356.6 pg STX diHCl eq. copepod−1, approximately 0.02–3.3 % of the toxins ingested. Our work suggests that the effects of exposure to A. catenella may be negligible in the short-term but could manifest if bloom conditions persist for longer than our experimental duration.

(Invited) Estimating OCP-Temperature Dynamics for Determining Lithium-Ion Battery Entropy Coefficients

The open-circuit potential (OCP) of a li-ion cell is a function of both state-of-charge and temperature. Characterising its dependence on temperature is important for thermal simulations as the derivative of the OCP with temperature acts as a reversible heat source term in the model. Known as the entropy coefficient, this derivative is a thermodynamic quantity that varies over the cell’s state-of-charge (SoC). The potentiometric approach [1] is widely used to characterise the entropy coefficient for a given SoC. This involves applying step changes in the temperature and allowing the cell OCP to reach (or approach) a steady-state value, which can take several hours (>8 hours), for a given SoC of interest.Robust techniques are required that can significantly reduce the experimental time and quantify the entropy coefficient over the full SoC window, leading to higher fidelity battery thermal models. In this work, the dynamics between the OCP and cell temperature are exploited via system identification techniques to derive the entropy coefficient. This is achieved by estimating the underlying kernel function between the cell OCP and temperature dynamics. The kernel function is a non-parametric estimate of the dynamics from which the entropy coefficient can be determined.In this work temperature signals are designed with multiple frequency components and applied to a cell via Peltier elements. The corresponding OCP response is then analysed, in the frequency domain, to estimate the kernel function. Unlike the potentiometric method, which drives the battery to steady-state and necessitates long experimental durations, the kernel function can be estimated under transients, facilitating faster characterisation. The figure demonstrates comparable results of the entropy coefficient, over the full SoC interval, when estimated via the kernel function and the potentiometric approach. The approach, compared to the potentiometric method, however, brings around a two to three times reduction in experimental time per SoC and gives insight into the OCP and temperature dynamics. The signal design, kernel estimation and entropy coefficient estimation procedures are detailed in this talk. Schmidt, J. P., Weber, A., et al., Electrochimica Acta 2014, 137, 311-319. DOI 10.1016/j.electacta.2014.05.153 Figure 1