Minutes In Water Research Articles

The effect of a life skill-based learning model on improving students' basic ability to survive in water for 60 minutes through swimming

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of a life-skills-based learning model on improving students' basic swimming skills to survive 60 minutes in water. This study used a pre-experimental method with a single-group pre-test-post-test study design. A total of 80 male and female students, aged 19-21 years, body mass index 19-24 kg/m2, normal blood pressure (110/70 – 120/80 mmHg), normal resting heart rate (60-80 bpm), did not have a history of chronic disease and then were divided into two groups. The intervention was carried out by providing a life skill-based swimming learning program with a training time of 60 minutes/for each meeting, and a frequency of 1x/week for 16 weeks. Data collection to measure the essential ability to swim to survive in water for 60 minutes was carried out before and after giving a life skill-based swimming learning program for 16 weeks using a test of surviving in water for 60 minutes with a score range between 3 to 60. The data analysis technique used an Independent Samples t-Test with a significant level of 5%. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the average score of the essential swimming ability to survive in water for 60 minutes between G1 with G2 at the observation point after the intervention (51.70±15.68 vs. 16.93±7.22 score, (p ≤ 0.001)), and delta (22.05±5.23 vs. 3.55±1.75 score, (p ≤ 0.001)). Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the provision of a life skill-based swimming learning program can improve the basic ability to swim to survive in water for 60 minutes students compared to conventional swimming programs.

Pregerminative Treatments to Improve Germination of Plant Species with Forage Potential in Conditions of the Colombian Amazonian Foothills

The research aimed to evaluate the germination of seeds of four forage species present in the Colombian Amazonian foothills, the speed of germination and the selection indices of Erythrina poeppigiana (EP), Guazuma ulmifolia (GU), Clitoria fairchildiana (CF), and Piptocoma discolor (PD) under nursery conditions, through a randomized complete block design with five repetitions and three pregerminative treatments, T0 (control): immersion in water for 24 h, T1: 24 h in water followed by 3 minutes in water at 80°C, and T2: 24 h in a solution of 600 mg/L of gibberellic acid (GA3) followed by 1 minute in water at 80°C. Additionally, GU seeds underwent mechanical scarification. In total, 750 seeds per species were used, resulting in 3,000 seeds in the experiment. An analysis of variance and a Tukey’s mean comparison test were performed for the variable proportion of germinated seeds, germination speed, and selection indices among treatments. Germination curves were analyzed using two growth models: logistic and Gompertz. The results of these models were evaluated based on Akaike (AIC), Bayesian (BIC), and R2 statistical criteria, with the Gompertz model selected for its better fit and biological interpretation of the data. The T2 treatment in EP recorded the highest germination with 88.8 ± 1.36% different (p < 0.05) from the results obtained in T1 79.6 ± 1.22% and the control 61.6 ± 0.94%, the previous treatments in CF had no effect, the control in this species was the best with 68.8 ± 2.94% as in the GU seeds, T1 presented a germination of 78.8 ± 6.21% equal to T2 73.6 ± 5.80% and different (p < 0.05) to the control 25.2 ± 2.01% highlighting the positive effect of manual scarification. PD seeds began germination after 25 days of experimentation, suggesting that this species requires a more extended experimental period. Under Amazonian foothill conditions, EP and GU seeds respond well to 24‐hour hydration and the addition of 600 mg of GA3; however, this dose may be excessive for PD and CF seeds.

Citric Acid as an Alternative to Sulfuric Acid for Hard Anodizing in Aluminum Alloys Used in the Aeronautical Industry

In the aircraft industry, Al-Cu alloys are widely used as a structural material in the manufacture of commercial aircraft due to their high mechanical properties and low density. Al-Cu alloy have low resistance to corrosion in aggressive substances; as a result, these alloys are surface treated to increase their resistance to corrosion. Anodizing was done hard in aluminum alloy AA 2024 in a solution composed of citric and sulfuric acid for 60 minutes with constant agitation using current densities of 3 and 4.5 A/dm2. Afterwards, a sealing procedure was performed for 60 minutes in water at 95 °C. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the microstructure and Vickers microhardness (HV) as a mechanical test of the material. The electrochemical evaluation was carried out using cyclic potentiodynamic polarization curves (CPP). The results indicate that the corrosion resistance in citric acid solutions with a current density of 4.5 A/dm2 was the best, with corrosion current densities of 2 x 10-8 and 2 x 10-9 A/cm2.

Comparative evaluation of the effect of boiling and autoclaving of legume grains on tannin concentration

The study was designed to evaluate the effect of boiling and microwave treatment methods on reducing the concentration of tannins in Soy bean (Sb), Cowpea (Cp) and Pigeon pea (Pg) legume grains (LGs). The raw samples of LGs were roasted in a microwave oven for 3 and 6 minutes at 120 Three (3) LG seeds weighing 30 gms were boiled for 30 and 60 minutes in water at 100 oC. Meals of Raw, boiled and microwaved Sb, Pp and Cp LGs were subjected to proximate analysis for levels of tannins using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay technique. Absorbance for each sample as indicator of tannin concentration was read from UV-VSI spectrophotometer. Tannic acid levels in micrograms for the three (3) samples were read from the standard curve and the tannin content was calculated as on dry matter basis. Raw samples showed no significant (p<0.01) difference in tannin content in Sb, Cp and Pp. Boiling the LGs in water for 30 minutes resulted in the reduction of tannin up to 46.6% Sb, 53.5% Pp and 42.5% Cp. Boiling for 60 minutes resulted in the reduction of tannins to 62.5 % Sb, 72.9% Pp and 75% Cp respectively. Microwaving the LGs for 3 minutes resulted in 46.7% Sb, 54.2 % Pp and 37.5% Cp reduction of tannin levels respectively. Microwaving for 6 minutes reduced tannins by 71.1% in Sb, 65.1% in Pp and 65% in Cp. No tannin significant (p˂0.05) difference was observed for the effect of boiling and microwave treatment LGs.

Fly ash geopolymer as a coating material for controlled-release fertilizer based on granulated urea.

Nitrogen loss from urea fertiliser due to its high solubility characteristics has led to the invention of controlled release urea (CRU). Majority of existing CRU coatings are produced from a non-biodegradable, toxic and expensive synthetic polymers. This study determines the feasibility of fly ash-based geopolymer as a coating material for urea fertilizer. The effects of fly ash particle size (15.2 μm, 12.0 μm, and 8.6 μm) and solid to liquid (S : L) ratio (3 : 1, 2.8 : 1, 2.6 : 1, 2.4 : 1 and 2.2 : 1) on the geopolymer coating, the characterization such as FTIR analysis, XRD analysis, surface area and pore size analysis, setting time analysis, coating thickness, and crushing strength, and the release kinetics of geopolymer coated urea in water and soil were determined. Lower S : L ratio was beneficial in terms of workability, but it had an adverse impact on geopolymer properties where it increased porosity and decreased mechanical strength to an undesirable level for the CRU application. Geopolymer coated urea prepared from the finest fly ash fraction and lowest S : L ratio demonstrated high mechanical strength and slower urea release profile. Complete urea release was obtained in 132 minutes in water and 15 days in soil from geopolymer-coated urea whereas for uncoated urea it took only 20 minutes in water and 3 days in soil. Thus, geopolymer can potentially be used as a coating material for urea fertilizer to replace commonly used expensive and biodegradable polymer-based coatings.

Catalyst Recovery, Regeneration and Reuse during Large-Scale Disinfection of Water Using Photocatalysis

The deployment of photocatalysis for remediation of water has not yet been realized, although laboratory-scale studies have demonstrated promise. Accomplishing this requires the development of photocatalysis as a process, including studying its efficiencies in remedying water when high volumes of water are processed, and addressing the recovery, possible regeneration and reuse of the photocatalysts. To that end, this work is aimed at demonstrating the use of a custom-built mobile platform for disinfecting large quantities of water. The benchtop platform built is capable of processing 15.14 L (4 gallons) per minute of water, with possibility for further scale-up. Preliminary studies on the catalyst recovery, regeneration and reuse via gravity-assisted settling, centrifugation and air plasma treatment indicated that 77% of Aeroxide® P25 titania (TiO2) nanoparticle and 57% of porous TiO2 nanowire photocatalysts could be recovered and regenerated for further use. Overall, this study indicated that process improvements, including increasing the kinetics of the photocatalysis, and optimization of the efficacies of the catalyst recovery and regeneration processes will make it useful for water remediation on any scale. More importantly, the portable and flexible nature of the benchtop photocatalysis system makes it amenable for use in conjunction with existing technologies for remedying large quantities of water.

Pharmacopeial aspects of preparation of infusions and decoctions in pharmacies

An analytical review of pharmacopoeial aspects of preparation of infusions and decoctions in pharmacies is presented.
 The aim of this work is to conduct a comparative analysis of pharmacopoeial requirements for the technology of infusions and decoctions in pharmacies.
 Materials and methods of the research. Comparative analysis of pharmacopoeial requirements was performed using methods of systematic and structural-logical analysis.
 Results and discussions. It was found that in many pharmacopoeias (European, British, Italian, French, Czech, Kazakh) there are no instructions on the pharmacy technology of these dosage forms. Only the pharmacopoeias of Japan, Austria, Belarus and Russia contain separate monographs on the extemporaneous preparation of infusions and decoctions.
 After analyzing these monographs, it was found that the definition of infusions and decoctions as a dosage form differs. It was found that the Japanese Pharmacopoeia regulates the preliminary preparation of medicinal plant raw materials (soaking for 5 minutes in water), in other pharmacopoeias there is no such requirement. When conducting a comparative analysis of the technology of preparation of infusions and decoctions, we observe that the ratio of medicinal plant raw materials (MPRM) and extractant and extraction modes differ.
 Conclusions. An analytical review of pharmacopoeial aspects of preparation of infusions and decoctions in pharmacies is presented.
 A comparative analysis of the requirements for technology and quality control of infusions and decoctions in accordance with pharmacopoeial articles revealed both different and similar information. The results of the research showed that despite the differences in the structures of articles and names, as well as approaches to the definition of this dosage form, some requirements are similar (particle size of MPRM). The differences that were found include the ratio of MPRM and extractant, extraction modes.
 Taking into account the data of the analysis and the existing national requirements, the authors proposed a draft general pharmacopoeial article “Infusions and decoctions made in pharmacies”.

COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF CHANGES IN HEMO - AND LYMPHOMICROCIRCULATORY VESSELS OF ILEUM ACCUMULATED LYMPHOID NODES OF RATS IN THE CASE OF APPLICATION OF INFUSION SOLUTIONS IN EXPERIMENTAL BURN DISEASE

Relevance. Thermal burns of the skin cause the development of burns, the main factor of which is endogenous intoxication. The infusion of detoxification solutions is a mandatory component of the treatment of burns, as it corrects its course and prevents the development of certain stages and complications. According to the stage of the burn disease and the different direction of its links in its pathogenesis, infusion therapy should not only restore water-electrolyte balance and detoxify the body, but also contribute to the normalization and stabilization of vital (including immune) body functions.
 Objective: study of changes in the vessels of the hemo- and lymphomicrocirculatory system of Peyer's patches in burnt rats at the stages of burn disease, under conditions of intravenous infusion of isotonic sodium chloride solution and combined colloidal-hyperosmolar solutions (lactoprotein and sorbitolum).
 Materials and methods. The experiment was performed on 72 white rats. Experimental animals were divided into 4 groups (18 animals in each group). I, II, III - rats with skin burn trauma, which received a separate infusion of isotonic sodium chloride (I), lactoprotein with sorbitol (II) and hecoton (III), at a dose of 10 ml / kg. IV - intact animals (control group).
 Simulation of burn disease was performed by inflicting burn injury by applying to the lateral surfaces of the body of animals four copper plates, which were previously kept for 6 minutes in water with a constant temperature of 100 ° C. Histological and electron microscopic examination were performed. Light microscopy was used.
 Results. Intravenous administration of the applied infusion solutions caused various phase changes of the hemo- and lymphomicrocirculatory tract of Peyer's patches of the ileum of burnt rats, depending on the applied solution. In the case of infusion of burnt rats with 0.9% sodium chloride solution, the negative effects of burn disease were exacerbated, which were manifested by damage to the vascular wall of the hemo- and lymphocapillary channels, resulting in plasma and lymph seepage through the affected areas into the perivascular space. This process was accompanied by a violation of the rheological properties of blood, the formation of edema. The established "membrane-plastic effect" of lactoprotein with sorbitol revealed clear organ-specific features, which had manifestations of penetration through the damaged wall of microvascular electron-dense impregnations, which contributed to a significant thickening of the basement membrane in the wall of the blood capillary formation and its gradual formation of rounded membranous structure. This structure of variable electron density not only strengthened the vascular wall, but also served as a closure, helping to close the vascular lumen at the site of largest damage. The difference between the perinodal lymphatic capillaries in burnt rats infused with lactoprotein and sorbitol is characterized by the phenomenon of "overflow" of the lymphocapillary channel with cells in different functional states. In the case of infusion of hecoton solution, the effect of "overflow" of the lymphocapillary channel was not observed, which indicates adequate implementation of the immune function of immunocompetent cells.
 Conclusions. Intravenous infusion of colloid-hyperosmolar solutions causes various changes in the hemo- and lymphomicrocirculatory tract of Peyer's patches. Infusion of a 0.9% sodium chloride solution leads to a deepening of the negative consequences of burn disease, which manifests itself in the form of damage to the vascular wall of the hemo- and lymphocapillary channels. Infusion of solutions of lactoprotein with sorbitol and hecoton helps to preserve the vascular wall of the nodular lymphatic capillaries. When a solution of lactoprotein with sorbitol is applied around the damaged vessels of blood capillaries and venules, annular membrane formations are formed, which promote selective recirculation of structurally intact lymphocytes.

Nanogroove Formation By Ag-Assisted Chemical Etching to Separate Neighboring Terraces on Vicinal Si(111)

We aim to form nanogrooves to separate neighboring terraces on a Si surface for the fabrication of functional devices such as nanogap electrodes. For this purpose, we propose a self-assembled process composed of multiple wet-chemical treatments of a vicinal Si(111) surface. In this scheme, we used p-type Si(111) wafers with resistivity 10–20 Ω･cm. The miscut angle was 0.2°. After both metallic and organic contaminants were removed from the Si wafer by wet cleaning, it was dipped into a dilute HF solution to passivate the surface with H atoms. The sample was then immersed for 25 minutes in water with an ultralow level of dissolved oxygen, which is referred to hereafter as LOW. LOW was obtained by adding the deoxygenation agent ammonium sulfite monohydrate to deionized water [1] in which the O2 concentration was less than 3 ppb. This treatment with LOW led to anisotropic etching of Si(111) to form atomically flat terraces together with atomic steps. Each terrace width was approximately 90 nm. Next, the flattened Si sample was immersed for 2–5 seconds in LOW containing Ag+ ions at a concentration of 5 ppm. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) observations revealed that Ag atoms were selectively adsorbed at the edges of atomic steps on Si(111). In other words, Ag nanowires were formed along the step edges. Nanowire width and height were approximately 10 and 3 nm, respectively. Based on previous reports [2,3], it is speculated that the immersion of a flattened Si(111) surface into LOW caused the decoration of the step edge with hydroxyl (OH ) species. The oxygen atom in OH strongly interacted with Ag+ ions, promoting the transfer of electrons from the Si substrate to the ions. As a result, reduced Ag atoms were adsorbed at the step edges, and a Si dioxide (SiO2) film was formed locally underneath the Ag nanowires. Finally, the Si sample with Ag nanowires was immersed into a mixture of HF, H2O2, and deionized water for a few minutes. The HF and H2O2 concentrations were 4.6 and 0.005 M, respectively. AFM images indicated that adsorbed Ag atoms at step edges were replaced by perforated grooves. Groove width and depth were about 10 and 2 nm, respectively. The Ag nanowires are interpreted as acting as a catalyst to enhance chemical etching of the Si surface underneath, thus forming the nanogrooves. It is supposed that the Ag atoms dissolved gradually during the immersion into the solution containing H2O2. Finally, a likely explanation for formation of a “perforated” groove, rather than a continuous one, is that Ag atoms did not align to form a continuous wire during the deposition process; this finding indicates that the deposition process needs improvement. Nevertheless, these results present a possibility in which nanogrooves can be formed along a step edge on a Si(111) surface by catalyst-assisted chemical etching using a template of Ag nanowires. Because this process enables the separation of neighboring Si terraces, it is expected to be of use for future Si-based nanodevices.[1] H. Fukidome and M. Matsumura, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 38, L1085 (1999).[2] N. Tokuda, D. Hojo, S. Yamasaki, K. Miki and K. Yamabe, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 42, L1210 (2003).[3] A. Yoshimatsu, T. Shigetoshi, J. Uchikoshi, M. Morita and K. Arima et al., Surf. Interface Anal., 40, 1134 (2008).

Removal of low concentration Cs(I) from water using Prussian blue

Many kinds of laboratory-scale synthesized Prussian blue-based materials (PBs) have been investigated as removal agents of radioactive Cs+via the adsorption of Cs+ in the crystal lattice of PBs. The removal ability is canonically demonstrated at high Cs+ concentrations, such as ppm order. However, the actual efflux of radioactive Cs+ after nuclear accidents in the environment is ppb level by dilution. We investigate the Cs+ removal ability of commercially available PB-based compounds at low Cs+ concentration below ppm order. Cs+ cations are rapidly removed using the PBs in a few minutes in water below 500 ppb Cs+ concentrations. Na+ cations in the crystal lattices of a used PB are released to water during the removal process. However, the released amount of Na+ is low compared with the adsorbed amount of Cs+, which indicates that Cs+ cations are removed by concerted two adsorption mechanisms: one is simple adsorption to the vacancy pores, and the other is ion-exchange between Cs+ and Na+. The rapid Cs+ removal is also observed on PBs in artificial seawater, whereas the Cs+ removal ability of zeolites as different types of Cs+ adsorbents disappears under the same removal condition.

To Evaluate the Effect of Water Temperature and Duration of Immersion on the Marginal Accuracy and Microhardness of Provisional Restoration: An In Vitro Study

Abstract Introduction Provisional restoration is a critical component of fixed prosthodontics treatment, which must satisfy many inter-relative factors such as biological, mechanical, and esthetic. These restorations should have accurate marginal adaptation and optimum strength to maintain functional demands. The present “in vitro” study was conducted to evaluate the effect of water temperature and duration of immersion, on the marginal adaptation and microhardness of four different commercially available provisional restorative materials. Materials and Methods The 240 specimens were then seated on the stainless-steel die which simulated the prepared tooth, and evaluated for the marginal gap for four different provisional restorative materials and divided into four different groups A, B, C, and D. Each group was further divided into six subgroups according to temperature of water and time of immersion. In each group the samples were immersed in water at 20, 30, and 40 degrees, respectively for 5 and 10-minutes duration. Four different temporary restorative materials for crown fabrication were loaded each time to make temporary crowns. Results Each sample was placed under travelling stereoscopic microscope (20× magnification) and photographed. Results for each surface were obtained, and the average of three surfaces was calculated. Knoop hardness was measured using a microhardness tester. The study was subjected to statistical analysis, to know the statistical significance, of the effect of difference in time and temperature changes at the time of final polymerization on surface microhardness and marginal integrity of four different provisional restorative materials. Discussion The mean marginal discrepancies of bis-GMA (group B) at 20, 30, and 40°C for 5 and 10 minutes in water were smaller than the results of other groups. Microhardness evaluation showed that the poly ethyl methacrylate (PEMA) type resin exhibited significantly lower microhardness than the bis-acryl resin composites (Protemp 4 and Systemp.c&b) at both time and temperature intervals. Conclusion The bis-acryl composites material has the least marginal discrepancy in comparison with PEMA and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The bis-acryl composites materials exhibit superior surface microhardness followed by PEMA and PMMA.

Inactivation of Ascaris for thermal treatment and drying applications in faecal sludge

Abstract Ascaris lumbricoides is the most common helminth of human health importance, and the most resilient helminth found in faecal sludge. There are numerous types of sludge treatments; however, heating and drying are most commonly used for pathogen inactivation. Ascaris suum eggs were heated in a water bath at 40–55 °C for 10 seconds to 60 minutes in water, as well as heated in both urine diversion dry toilet and ventilated improved pit latrine sludge at 40 °C, 60 °C and 80 °C for times ranging from 5 seconds to 120 minutes. Eggs were also spiked into sludges of different moisture contents and incubated over 12 weeks at 25 °C, with samples analysed weekly. Overall, we concluded that eggs were inactivated at temperatures >50 °C, that the temperature–time relationship directly impacted the efficacy of heat treatment, that suspension medium had no effect, and that eggs survived better in wet rather than dry sludges.

The preparation and characterization of a hydrophobic surface on an aluminum substrate

The development of a hydrophobic surface on an aluminum substrate as a self-cleaning surface has been carried out. In this research, a hydrophobic aluminum surface was fabricated using a combination of boiling and STA modification technique which is environmentally friendly. The specimens in circular shape with a diameter of 14 mm were cut from a 1 mm thick aluminum sheet and were then cleaned using ultrasonic cleaner. Afterward, the specimens were boiled for 10 minutes in water. Following this, the specimens were immersed in STA-ethanol-deionized water solution at a temperature of 60° C for 5, 10, 15 and 20 hours. Surface morphology, roughness, and hardness of the hydrophobic aluminum surface were examined. The surface morphology analysis presents the existence of rough microstructure on the coated aluminum surface. While the roughness value increase with the increase of immersion times, the surface hardness value does not appear to change significantly for immersion time up to 15 hours and slightly decrease for the longer immersion time. The water contact angle of 133° and rolling angle of 13° was achieved which indicates the ultra-hydrophobicity of the aluminum surface has been obtained.

Design and simulation of a new PCM heat exchanger for domestic hot water and air temperature control

Based on previous experiences which have proven the efficiency of PCM heat exchangers for air temperature control, we designed and simulated new PCM heat exchanger structures made of multiple PCM layers sandwiched between loading and discharge layers. By circulating air or water in the discharge circuit, these heat exchangers can be used for heating air or water, respectively. For both use cases, a three-dimensional analysis of the phase change and calculations of the charge/discharge powers were performed for the fusion and solidification processes. We obtained heating discharge powers ≥ 2.6 kW/m3 for 8 hours for air and ≥ 65 kW/m3 for 13 minutes for water with a respective total storage capacity of 28 kWh/m3 and 37 kWh/m3. The heat extraction of air and water flows and their time dependence are discussed according to the percentage of liquid PCM and the temperature profile of the discharge flow inside the heat exchanger.

Trace Elements in Leaf Extracts of Eucalyptus grandis Traditionally Used to Treat Common Cold and Flu.

Background.Eucalyptus species have been used for the remediation of mine tailings dams in Zimbabwe. However, a traditional medicinal remedy (TMR) for the treatment of mild acute respiratory infections, such as common cold and flu includes the use of Eucalyptus leaves.Objectives.The aim of the present study was to determine total concentrations of selected potentially toxic trace elements (PTEs) in gold mine tailings and leaves of Eucalyptus grandis and to identify extractable fractions of PTEs in leaves via boiling for 10 minutes in water, which is the process used to create TMRs to treat common cold and flu.Methods.Mine tailings and leaves of E. grandis were randomly collected at a gold mine tailings dam between April and June 2019. They were digested for laboratory analysis using standard analytical methods. Leaves were boiled in water for 10 minutes to prepare the TMR as practiced by the local community. The concentrations of PTEs were determined spectrometrically. Significant differences between PTEs in young and mature leaves were determined by analysis of variance.Results.Mine tailings were acidic (pH 4.52±0.62) with very low content of organic matter (0.02%) and contained PTEs in increasing concentrations of cadmium (Cd) < nickel (Ni) < lead (Pb) < chromium (Cr) < copper (Cu) < zinc (Zn) (n = 27). Mature leaves of E. grandis had higher concentrations than young leaves for Cr, Pb and Zn (p <0.05) which were lower than permissible limits in medicinal plants. Overall, boiling leaves in water for 10 minutes resulted in low extraction of PTEs (< 20%).Participant Consent.ObtainedConclusions.Concentrations of PTEs in leaves and leaf extracts of E. grandis were very low. However, TMRs should not be prepared from medicinal plants growing on metalliferous environments, such as mine tailings dams, due to the presence of cumulative toxins such as Cd and Pb. Further studies are needed to investigate the effect of various boiling times and should include arsenic in the studied PTEs.Competing Interests.The authors declare no competing interests for this study.

Effect of Cooking Methods on the β-carotene Content of Jute Mallow Leaves (Corchorus olitorius)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different cooking methods on the β-carotene content of jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius) leaves. Three cooking methods have been experimented. Jute mallow raw leaves was respectively boiled for 15 and 30 minutes in water (CW), in water containing ash leachate (CWA) and frying for 5 minutes followed by cooking with water (CWF) for 15 and 30 minutes. The -carotene content of raw Corchorus olitorius (jute mallow) leaves were 9774.90 µg/100g dry matter basis. The -carotene content decrease significantly (p=0.00) during the different types processing. However, the -carotene content on leaves cooked using ash leachate (3604.00 µg/100g and 3768.80 µg/100g) was significantly (p=0.00) higher that on leaves cooked in water (2285.50 µg/100g and 2365.00 µg/100g) respectively for 15 minutes and 30 minutes. The highest loss (86.42%) of -carotene was observed for leaves fried for 5 minutes followed by 30 minutes cooking. These results demonstrated that any of the cooking methods used lead significantly (p=0.00) to a decrease of the β-carotene content of jute mallow leaves, but addition of ash leachate during cooking improves significantly (p=0.00) the β-carotene retention.

THE EFFECT OF Mucuna pruriens DETOXIFICATION, THROUGH SONICATION AND ALKALI OR ACID EXTRACTION, ON L-DOPA CONCENTRATION AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE

&lt;p&gt;Mucuna pruriens is a high-protein food and feed and a nutraceutical; however, its L-Dopa content limits its use for these purposes. Effects of 3 extraction methods on L-Dopa concentration and nutritional composition were determined. Beans were ground to 1 mm (Fine) or 6 mm (Coarse) and divided into 3 treatments (n=8 samples/treatment): sonication (SON) for 5 minutes in water or extraction in solutions of 25 g/100g acetic acid (ACD, pH 3) or sodium hydroxide (ALK, pH 11) for 8 hours. Fine particle treatments decreased (P&amp;lt;0.05) concentrations of L-Dopa (from 2.8 to &amp;lt;0.2 g/100g), crude protein (CP) and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and increased (P&amp;lt;0.05) their aNDF and starch concentrations; sonication reduced (P&amp;lt;0.05) the ether extract (EE). Among coarse particles, only ALK reduced (P&amp;lt;0.05) the L-Dopa concentration (from 2.8 to 2 g/100g). Sonication reduced (P&amp;lt;0.05) the CP, WSC, and EE concentrations and ALK increased (P&amp;lt;0.05) their starch concentration. Acid extraction consistently increased (P&amp;lt;0.05) all amino acid concentrations. Alkali extraction also increased (P&amp;lt;0.05) concentrations of amino acids except lysine. However, sonication decreased (P&amp;lt;0.05) concentrations of amino acids except cysteine and proline. In conclusion, the most effective extraction methods reduced L-Dopa in fine Mucuna particles to safe levels, but increased aNDF and starch concentrations while reducing WSC and CP.&lt;/p&gt;

An experimental study to test the haemostatic effect of Aloe vera

Background: Blood clotting is a process which prevents blood loss during injuries. Blood clots even when it is coming out from the blood vessels. Aloe vera is a perennial plant found all over India. It is commonly used in traditional system of medicine for treatment of wound healing, mouth ulcers, constipation, skin wrinkles and diabetes mellitus It is also used as antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. As it is used in traditional system of medicine for wound healing, this study was under taken to test the possible haemostatic effect of aloe vera.Methods: 12 rats were divided into two groups (control and test) with 6 rats in each group. Determination of Bleeding Time (BT), rat tail was warmed for one minute in water at 40˚C and then dried. A small cut was made in the middle of the tail with a scalpel. In test group, a drop of aloe vera leaf extract was applied on the injured area immediately after making the cut in the middle of the tail, where as in the control group nothing was applied, and BT estimated. Determination of Clotting Time (CT), 12 test tubes were arranged in water bath at 37˚C. Control Group: 0.4 ml of blood was collected from each rat in the control group and added to 6 test tubes kept in the water bath. Test group: For the remaining 6 test tubes 0.1 ml of aloe vera leaf extract was added. 0.4 ml of blood collected from the test group was added to these test tubes. The CT was estimated for both control group and test group.Results: The results were statistically analyzed by using unpaired t-test. The reduction in BT and CT for test group was statistically highly significant (p&lt;0.001) compared to control group.Conclusions: In this study aloe vera leaf extract significantly reduced both BT and CT in the test group.

Study of Using Cassava Pulp to Produce Livestock Feed Pellet

In Vietnam, the cassava production capacity is about 10 million tons annually. Indeed, it eliminates approximate 4 million tons of cassava pulp from the cassava starch factories. This amount of cassava is usually dried to feed cattle or fertilizer. However, drying of cassava pulp has its disadvantages such as air pollution, difficult storage and transportation. This study has proposed and successfully tested a line of equipment used to produce pellets from the utilization of fresh cassava pulp bringing from cassava starch processing plants. The processing includes a mixing of fresh cassava pulp with dried cassava starch, pressing and drying of pellets. The experiment results show that when the mixing ratio between cassava starch and cassava residue is 1:10 – 1:5, the cassava pulp pellets after drying achieved the required technical specifications. Hence, it has high volume density, the dried specific weight of the pellets is about 700 kg / m3, the breaking strength of the pellets is greater than 2 kG, the tanning time of the pellets is greater than 116 minutes in water, the moisture content of the pellets is remained in 13% after drying in 5-5.5 hours.

Stability of X-band EPR signals from fingernails under vacuum storage

EPR signals of different origin have been tested in human finger- and toe-nails with an X-band EPR technique for different conditions of nail storage. Three different signals were identified, namely a singlet at g = 2.005, a doublet at g = 2.004 with a splitting constant A = 1.8mT, and an anisotropic signal at g1 = 2.057, g2 = 2.029 and g3 = 2.003 (positions of local extrema). All EPR spectra from nails, whether irradiated or mechanically stressed, can be described as a superposition of these three signals. The singlet is responsible for the background signal (BG), is the main component of radiation-induced signals (RIS) for low doses (100Gy or lower) and also contributes to mechanically-induced signals (MIS). This signal is quite stable under vacuum storage, but can be reduced almost to zero by soaking in water. The behavior of this signal under ambient conditions depends on many factors, such as absorbed dose, air humidity, and ambient illumination intensity at the place of storage. The doublet arises after exposure of nails to high (few hundreds Gy and higher) doses or after mechanical stress of samples. Depending on how this signal was obtained, it may have bulk or surface locations with quite different stability properties. The surface-located doublet (generated on the nail edges during cutting or clipping) is quite unstable and decays over about two hours for samples stored at ambient conditions and within several seconds for samples immersed in water. The volume-distributed doublet decays within a few minutes in water, several hours at ambient conditions and several days in vacuum. The anisotropic signal may also be generated by both ionizing radiation and mechanical stress; this signal is quite stable in vacuum and decays over several days at ambient conditions or a few tens of minutes in water. The reference lines for the above-described three EPR signals were obtained and a procedure of spectra deconvolution was developed and tested on samples exposed to both ionizing radiation and mechanical stress.