Number Of Washes Research Articles

Optimization of a Solvent Exchange Method Enabling the Use of Dehydrated Cellulose Nanofibers as the Thickener in Lubricating Oleogels

A method that enabled the formulation of lubricating oleogels using dried cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) as an eco-friendly thickener in castor oil was studied. In their dehydrated state, strong hydrogen bonding between nanofibers and high hydrophilicity are the main obstacles to their dispersion in oil. Hence, clusters of dried CNFs had to be previously detached by their dispersion in water. The resulting hydrogels were then subjected to methanol washes to displace the water from the nanofibers. After centrifugation, the methanol-wetted precipitate was readily dispersed in castor oil, forming an oleogel once the methanol was removed. Optimization was conducted in terms of the following variables: (a) hydrogel processing method; (b) hydrogel pH; (c) methanol/hydrogel ratio; (d) number of washes; and (e) oleogel CNF concentration. Their effect on the oleogel linear viscoelastic behavior was analyzed. In general, they demonstrated a prevailing elastic behavior denoted by a well-developed plateau region. The CNF concentration was found to have a more remarkable impact on the oleogels’ rheological behavior than any other variable studied. Hence, substantial differences were observed between 1 and 2 wt.%. The CNFs exhibited a very remarkable thickening capacity in castor oil, achieving a plateau modulus of ca. 700 Pa with just 2 wt.%. Moreover, the resulting oleogels maintained a uniform texture even after one year of storage. This indicates that the oleogels were both homogeneous and storage stable, effectively overcoming the stability issues associated with direct dispersion of dried CNFs in castor oil.

LightGBM-, SHAP-, and Correlation-Matrix-Heatmap-Based Approaches for Analyzing Household Energy Data: Towards Electricity Self-Sufficient Houses

The rapidly growing global energy demand, environmental concerns, and the urgent need to reduce carbon footprints have made sustainable household energy consumption a critical priority. This study aims to analyze household energy data to predict the electricity self-sufficiency rate of households and extract meaningful insights that can enhance it. For this purpose, we use LightGBM (Light Gradient Boosting Machine)-, SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations)-, and correlation-heatmap-based approaches to analyze 12 months of energy and questionnaire survey data collected from over 200 smart houses in Kitakyushu, Japan. First, we use LightGBM to predict the ESSR of households and identify the key features that impact the prediction model. By using LightGBM, we demonstrated that the key features are the housing type, average monthly electricity bill, presence of floor heating system, average monthly gas bill, electricity tariff plan, electrical capacity, number of TVs, cooking equipment used, number of washing and drying machines, and the frequency of viewing home energy management systems (HEMSs). Furthermore, we adopted the LightGBM classifier with ℓ1 regularization to extract the most significant features and established a statistical correlation between these features and the electricity self-sufficiency rate. This LightGBM-based model can also predict the electricity self-sufficiency rate of households that did not participate in the questionnaire survey. The LightGBM-based model offers a global view of feature importance but lacks detailed explanations for individual predictions. For this purpose, we used SHAP analysis to identify the impact-wise order of key features that influence the electricity self-sufficiency rate (ESSR) and evaluated the contribution of each feature to the model’s predictions. A heatmap is also used to analyze the correlation among household variables and the ESSR. To evaluate the performance of the classification model, we used a confusion matrix showing a good F1 score of 0.90. The findings discussed in this article offer valuable insights for energy policymakers to achieve the objective of developing energy-self-sufficient houses.

Peran Guru Mata Pelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam dalam Pembelajaram Tata Cara Wudhu pada Siswa Sekolah Khusus Tunarungu Don Bosco Wonosobo

This thesis aims to: 1) Find out the concept of Islamic religious education teachers in learning ablution procedures for students at the special school for the deaf, Don Bosco Wonosobo, 2) Find out what the role of Islamic religious education teachers is in learning ablution procedures for students at the special school for the deaf, Don Bosco Wonosobo. , 3) knowing how to carry out learning ablution procedures for students at the Don Bosco Wonosobo special school for the deaf.This thesis uses a qualitative research approach where the type of research is field research presented with descriptive data. The subjects in this research were Islamic religious education teachers at the Don Boso special school, the principal of the Don Bosco special school and also students at the Don Bosco special school. Technique data collection uses observation methods, semi-structured interviews and also documentation. Data sources were obtained from field research and also qualitative research. The analysis technique used is a data analysis technique, namely the analysis of data that has been collected by researchers through methodological tools. Where data is obtained using a data analysis process in the form of data reduction, data presentation and also conclusions or verification. To test the validity of the data, extended observations, persistence of observations, and triangulation were carried out. The research results show that the concept of Islamic religious education teachers at the Don Bosco special school regarding learning ablution procedures is to emphasize the repetition method where students with hearing impairments have quite short memories which requires teachers to take steps by having students perform ablution practices one by one. The role of the Islamic religious education teacher at the Don Bosco special school is the main factor in students' success in carrying out daily worship, for example introducing ablution material from the pre-primary class. Then, with the implementation of learning about ablution procedures carried out by Don Bosco special school students using the repetition method as well as practice carried out in each learning activity with the aim of increasing students' memory regarding the steps for ablution and also the number of washings in each movement. By practicing ablution one by one, the teacher can find out where each student's mistakes are.

Toward sustainable solid-phase peptide synthesis strategy – in situ Fmoc removal

ABSTRACT Solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) is the method of choice for the synthesis of peptides for research and production purposes. Despite having several positive features, it remains a challenge to reduce the amount of solvent waste generated during the synthesis. We proposed a 3-step protocol (in-situ Fmoc removal) where washing after coupling was eliminated. Here, the in-situ Fmoc removal protocol was optimized by adding an extra 4-methylpiperidine (4-MP) treatment to ensure the removal of the Fmoc. Additionally, a second addition of the carbodiimide during the coupling step is performed to form an in situ more active ester of the Fmoc-amino acid. The number of washings has been kept to a minimum of three adding in two of them 1% of OxymaPure to ensure the total removal of the 4-MP. This strategy, which saves up to 60% of solvent, was successfully demonstrated in two important Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), angiotensin II and afamelanotide synthesis, with high purity. This strategy will be added to the green toolbox of SPPS making the approach more sustainable.

Recovery of filter paperase from mouldy rice husk in solid state fermentation by Aspergillus protuberus

Recovery of enzymes such as FPase (filter paperase) or exoglucanase from fermented substrate is a sustainable approach in enzyme production; however, there is a scarcity of optimization studies in this field. The present study was aimed to standardize number of parameters (selection of solvent, solvent volume, soaking time, leaching conditions and number of washes) to extract maximum amount of FPase from fermented rice husk by Aspergillus protuberus. Novel Aspergillus protuberus was first report from our lab on cellulases production in solid state fermentation (SSF). Among the tested solvents, citrate phosphate buffer (0.02 M, pH 5.0) proved best solvent for maximum recovery of FPase. Consequent experimental parameters were further optimized with citrate phosphate buffer. Two washes with citrate phosphate buffer each by shaking (60 min) in a ratio of 1 g of rice husk: 5 ml of citrate phosphate buffer together attained higher recovery efficiency (88 %) of FPase from the fermented rice husk.

Decolorization of Lactose-6-Phosphate Solutions Using Activated Carbon

Sugar phosphorylation has many applications that can be used to develop dairy and food products. During the phosphorylation process, the color of the solution turns into a dark color. The dark color causes many challenges and limitations in using phosphorylation products. The dark color could cause unpleasant color changes in the products, so it is important to remove that color. Activated carbon has been utilized for decades to remove the dark color and improve the appearance of solutions such as sugar syrup and wastewater. This methodology is cheap and environmentally friendly. The objectives of this study were to develop a method to phosphorylate α-lactose monohydrate and milk permeate and to remove the dark color of solutions. The compositional characteristics of the solution, such as pH, total solids, and color parameters (L*—lightness; a*—redness; and b*—yellowness), were examined at different stages (seven stages) of washing the solutions. α-lactose monohydrate and MPP solutions were diluted with distilled water with a ratio of 1:2.2. Activated carbon was mixed with the solutions and left for 5 min at room temperature. Subsequently, the solutions were filtered. These steps were repeated seven times until there was a transparent (colorless) solutions. The experiment was repeated using three different batches of lactose and milk permeate solutions. Both solutions’ pH and total solids decreased with an increase in the number of washings with activated carbon. The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) L*a*b* scale was studied. The L* of the initial solutions was lower than that of the final solutions. However, the a* and b* of the initial solutions were higher than the final solutions. The total color difference (∆E) was calculated for both solutions. ∆E decreased with an increase in the number of washings with activated carbon in both solutions. We conclude that activated carbon can be used to remove the dark color that results from the phosphorylation process.

Investigation on microfiber release from elastane blended fabrics and its environmental significance

Elastane blended apparel is one of the most preferred items by consumers with fashion interest due to its enhanced comfort and fit. The environmental impact and microfiber release due to elastane usage is often ignored due to its lower percentage in apparel. To address such a gap, this study aimed to quantify and characterize the microfiber release behavior of cotton/elastane knitted fabric. Cotton/Elastane blended knitted fabrics with three different proportions of Cotton/Elastane (98/2, 95/5, and 92/8) were considered for this analysis. Upon laundry and quantification, the results of the study showed that 98/2 Cotton/Elastane fabric released 21.04 ± 12.46 microfibers/sq.cm, whereas, 92/8 Cotton/Elastane fabric released 46.56 ± 6.21 microfibers/sq.cm. An increase in elastane proportion increased the overall emission of microfibers per unit area of fabric. The results also showed a higher contribution of elastane fibers in the total microfibers released. 13.40% of the total fibers released were elastane microfibers in the case of 98/2 Cotton/Elastane fabric, whereas, 92/8 Cotton/Elastane fabric released 19.60% of elastane microfibers. The elastane percentage of the fabric showed a significant positive correlation with total microfiber emission (r = 63%) and elastane microfiber emission (r = 62%). Repeated laundering results showed an overall reduction in microfiber emissions in subsequent washes. However, interestingly, an increase in the wash cycle increased the proportion of elastane microfibers in the total microfibers released. 92/8 Cotton/Elastane fabric released 20% of elastane microfibers in the first wash and the proportion increased to 36% in the 4th wash. In contrast to that, the release of cotton microfibers is noted to decrease with the number of laundry cycles. As far as the length of microfiber is considered, elastane microfibers are shorter than cotton microfibers. The length of elastane microfibers was higher in the initial wash (98/2 Cotton/Elastane fabric - 352.5 μm; 95/5 Cotton/Elastane fabric - 920 μm; 92/8 Cotton/Elastane fabric - 695 μm) and it is reduced with increment in the number of washes with a strong negative correlation of −0.88. A higher proportion of emissions and lower fiber length are the alarming negative impacts of elastane fibers in apparel. Based on this analysis, it is estimated that one square meter of fabric with a lower elastane percentage (2%) can release up to 2.81 × 104 microfibers into the environment at the first wash. The threatening issues of microfibers on aquatic life, particularly in terms of bioaccumulation and biomagnification, are alarming. Elastane blended fabrics should be given special attention because they can make the problem more serious by posing a risk of chemical leachates, such as bisphenols.

Self-Assembled p–n Homojunction in SnS2 Nanosheets for Enhanced Visible Light-Driven Photocatalysis

Defect engineering and hetero-interfacial bending are standard approaches for enhancing carrier separation and increasing visible light absorption in a semiconductor photocatalyst. Here, we demonstrate the evolution of sulfur vacancies (VS) and the self-assembly of a p–n homojunction through prolonged aqueous washing of SnS2 nanosheets. The experimental studies have validated increased hydrophilicity, layer thinning, VS generation, and extended photocarrier lifetime in washed SnS2 nanosheets. Density functional theory has revealed the changes in the local electronic structure of SnS2 in the presence of structural defects. An electrochemical impedance spectroscopy study has shown that VS actuates the self-assembly of a pseudo-p-type SnS layer over n-type SnS2 to generate the p–n homojunction. The p-type carrier densities are increased twice as the number of washings is increased from 3 to 10 times. The photocatalytic efficacy of the SnS2 homojunction is evaluated in the study of the degradation of several water contaminants under white light and monochromatic excitations. The proposed mechanism shows that the built-in electric field at the p–n junction promotes the separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes. Meanwhile, VS traps the electrons and transfers them to the catalytically reactive centers to participate in photocatalysis. Our findings demonstrate that a simple approach that involves prolonged aqueous washing of as-produced SnS2 promotes the formation of VS and the self-assembly of a p–n homojunction in SnS2 nanosheets with improved visible light photocatalytic performances.

Synthesis of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles in a Bacterial Nanocellulose Matrix and the Study of Their Oxidizing and Reducing Properties

A soft synthesis of nanoceria with non-stoichiometric composition (33% Ce3+/67% Ce4+) named CeO2 NPs in bacterial cellulose (BC) matrix in the form of aerogel and hydrogel with controlled CeO2 NPs content was proposed. The advantage of CeO2 NPs synthesis in BC is the use of systemic antacid API-trisamine as a precursor, which did not destruct cellulose at room temperature and enabled a reduction in the duration of synthesis and the number of washes. Moreover, this method resulted in the subsequent uniform distribution of CeO2 NPs in the BC matrix due to cerium (III) nitrate sorption in the BC matrix. CeO2 NPs (0.1-50.0%) in the BC matrix had a fluorite structure with a size of 3-5 nm; the specific surface area of the composites was 233.728 m2/g. CeO2 NPs in the BC-CeO2 NPs composite demonstrated SOD-like activity in the processes of oxidation and reduction of cytochrome c (cyt c3+/cyt c2+), as well as epinephrine to inhibit its auto-oxidation in aqueous solutions by 33-63% relative to the control. In vitro experiments on rat blood showed a decrease in the MDA level and an increase in the activity of antioxidant defense enzymes-SOD by 24% and G6PDH by 2.0-2.5 times. Therefore, BC-CeO2 NPs can be proposed for wound healing as antioxidant material.

Quantifying fluorescent nanoparticle uptake in mammalian cells using a plate reader

In keeping with the rapid expansion of nanoparticle applications, various tools are required to investigate how nanoparticles interact with biological entities. Many assays have been developed to measure the cellular uptake of nanoparticles, but so far most of the methods are laborious and often non-quantitative. Here we developed an easily accessible and robust quantitative measurement method of the level of cellular uptake of fluorescently labeled nanoparticles using a plate reader. In the experimental design, potential issues that could lead to measurement variation were identified and addressed. For example, the variation in fluorescence intensity of samples due to differences in cell number was normalized to optical density, which is a physical value corresponding to the cell number. Number of washings and sample handling temperature were optimized to minimize the interference by residual nanoparticles and possible efflux of nanoparticles from cells, respectively. The developed assay was demonstrated with the lymphocyte cell line Jurkat to measure the cellular uptake of fluorescently labeled 50 nm polystyrene beads, and its applicability was further confirmed with the lung carcinoma cell line A549 and another lymphocyte cell line RPMI8226.

Sustainable Antibacterial Activity of Polyamide Fabrics Containing ZnO Nanoparticles.

In this study, we present an unprecedented study on the influence of parameters such as dyeing, softening, and number of washes on the maintenance of the antibacterial activity of polyamide fabrics containing zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) impregnated by a simple and easy-to-scale technique. ZnO NPs were synthesized by the sol-gel method at different reaction times (1, 3, and 24 h), followed by surface modification with (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and water dispersion. The reaction times of ZnO NP synthesis were modified to evaluate their influence on particle size and antibacterial activity after impregnation in fabrics. The presence of ZnO NPs in fabrics was observed by different techniques such as X-ray diffraction, infrared vibrational spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The mean diameter values of the ZnO NPs calculated in this work from different techniques remained at 5 nm regardless of the reaction time revealing the efficient control of the nanoparticle size, important for desired applications as ZnO NPs smaller than 10 nm show improved antibacterial activity. The antibacterial activity of fabrics containing ZnO NPs indicated that polyamide fabrics after impregnation with ZnO NPs synthetized have great and similar biocidal potential against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli both with and without the presence of a fabric softener or a dye. The antibacterial behavior of the different polyamide fabrics remained after 10 and 20 washing cycles. The results shown in this study demonstrated the possibility of obtaining polyamide fabrics containing ZnO NPs with the antibacterial activity resistant to chemical treatments used by industries as a softener or a dye. The results also reveal the maintenance of the antimicrobial activity of fabrics after several washing cycles. The reaction time of 1 for the production of ZnO NPs and the versatility of polyamide fabrics allow their application in different environments to control microbial infections.

Box–Behnken Design: Wet Process Optimization for Saponins Removal From Chenopodium quinoa Seeds and the Study of Its Effect on Nutritional Properties

The pseudocereal grain, Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), has a great nutritional value due to its high contents of proteins, fiber, minerals, and vitamins. However, saponins naturally present outside the grains represent an obstacle to their consumption as human food. Before consumption, the grains are subjected to various treatments, which alter their nutritional value. In an attempt to eliminate the maximum of saponins using the wet process, while minimizing the washing conditions and preserving the nutritional quality, we explored the effects of several parameters, including volume of water, treatment time, soaking time, number of washing, and water temperature, followed by an optimization process using Box–Behnken Design, and finally, the impact of this process on the physicochemical and techno-functional properties of six quinoa genotypes seeds was evaluated. As a result, the variation of the treatment time, volume, and temperature of the water positively affected the saponins leaching. According to the quadratic model, the maximum percentages of eliminated saponins (96.53%−96.77%) were found at a temperature of 50°C, treatment times from 60 to 69 min, and water volumes from 6.99 to 7.50 mL per gram of seeds. The optimized method did not affect the proteins and microelements content (Zn, Mn, B, Mo), while a slight decrease of macro-elements (K, P, Ca, S, Mg) was noted in the level of some genotypes. On the other hand, a significant improvement of the techno-functional properties such as water and oil holding capacity was noted, with a sharp drop-in emulsifying activity in all genotypes without affecting the standard values of pH (6.4–6.8) and moisture content (10%−11%) of the seeds. Hence, the optimized method showed to be a more potential method for saponins removal than the currently used dry method.

Comparison of Methods for Cleaning Enteral Feeding Tube Junctions of the New International Standard (ISO 80369-3)

Introduction: International standards for enteral feeding involving the use of feeding tubes with junctions have been introduced. If these junctions are not properly cleaned, they can become contaminated, leading to microbial infections. We aimed to compare the ease and effectiveness of cleaning of four methods using the number of bacteria. Methods: We compared enteral nutrition tube junctions cleaned using four methods such as water, toothbrush, cotton swab, and EnClean® brush with an uncleaned control. Once daily for 7 days, the tubes were injected with nutrients, cleaned, and incubated at 37°C. Samples for bacterial culture were collected before injections on days 7, 14, 21, and 28. The culture samples were incubated at 37°C for 48 h, and the number of colonies was counted. Results: The number of residual bacteria on day 28 did not differ between the four cleaning methods and the control group. Moreover, no significant difference was observed in bacterial counts among the four wash methods. The number of washes did not differ among cleaning methods. Conclusion: The bacterial count in the ISO-standardized tube junction increased, and none of the cleaning methods decreased the counts.

Direct STR profiling from laundered bloodstains: an investigation of different factors of laundering.

Bloodstains on fabrics may be washed or cleaned to eliminate incriminating evidence. These actions reduce the chances of obtaining an interpretable DNA profile. Previous studies have shown that conventional short-tandem repeat (STR) typing is affected by various factors associated with washing or laundering of stains. Here, we aim to increase the chances of obtaining interpretable STR profiles from laundered bloodstains using direct PCR. Preliminary investigations showed direct STR typing resulted in more alleles compared to conventional STR typing. We then further investigated the following factors with direct STR typing: fabric type (cotton, polyester, and denim), washing method (hand-washing and machine-washing), type of detergents (powder and liquid), washing temperature (cold to 90°C), pretreatment agents (sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide), and the number of washes (one, three, and five). Direct PCR could be successfully used for STR typing from laundered bloodstains with very high success rates. Among the three fabric types, only denim negatively affected direct STR typing, while laundering of bloodstains on cotton and polyester had a negligible effect as mostly full profiles were obtained. Multiple washes resulted in a decrease in both the numbers of alleles and peak heights. Surprisingly, washing method, type of detergent, washing temperature, and pretreatment agents only had minimal to no effect on STR profile quality. Due to the robustness and sensitivity of direct STR typing from laundered bloodstains, the method could be beneficial for violent crime investigations in forensic DNA laboratories worldwide.

Isolation Methods Influence the Protein Corona Composition on Gold-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles.

Upon exposure to a biological environment, nanoparticles (NPs) acquire biomolecular coatings, the most studied of which is the protein corona. This protein corona gives NPs a new biological identity that will determine various biological responses including cellular uptake, biodistribution, and toxicity. The standard method to isolate NPs from a biological matrix in order to study their coronas is centrifugation, but more gentle means of retrieval may enable deeper understanding of both irreversibly bound hard coronas and more loosely bound soft coronas. In this study, magnetic gold-coated iron oxide NPs were incubated with rainbow trout gill cell total protein extracts and mass spectrometric proteomic analysis was conducted to determine the composition of the protein coronas isolated by either centrifugation or magnetic retrieval. The number of washes were varied to strip away the soft coronas and isolate the hard corona. Hundreds of proteins were adsorbed to the NPs. Some proteins were common to all isolation methods and many others were particular to the isolation method. Some qualitative trends in protein character were discerned from quantitative proteomic analyses, but more importantly, a new kind of protein corona was identified, mixed corona, in which the labile or inert nature of the protein-NP interaction is dependent upon sample history.

The effect of washing on the electrical performance of knitted textile strain sensors for quantifying joint motion

Successful market penetration of textile-based strain sensors requires long-term reliability which in turn relies on the washability of the sensor. First, this paper presents an evaluation of the effect of 5 washing cycles on the electrical performance of a knitted conductive transducer, over 1500 cycles of repetitive elongation. The promising behaviour of the textile sensor in this study showed that it might be possible to make a smart garment, capable of quantifying elbow flexion-extension motion, by integrating it into an elbow sleeve. Second, a prototype sleeve, incorporating a knitted sensor (the so-called smart sleeve), was tested in a simulated training/clinical setting by performing 50 flexion-extension cycles after 1, 5, 15, 25, 50 and 75 washes. In both studies, the electrical resistance of the sensor increased with the number of washes in a predictable manner and exhibited a repeatable, reliable and prompt response to elongation. In particular, the electrical pattern representing flexion-extension motion measured using the sleeve was clear and distinguishable up to the 75th wash. Moreover, resistance measurements within the same trial were repeatable at maximum flexion (≤2% variation) and at maximum extension (≤3% variation) and predictable with increasing washes (R2 = 0.992 at maximum flexion and R2 = 0.989 at maximum extension). The good washability of the smart sleeve, evidenced by its ability to detect, distinguish and measure parameters of flexion-extension motion up to 75 washes, makes it a suitable and sustainable choice for applications, such as strength conditioning or rehabilitation, where repetition count and speed are useful.

Neurological Deficit and Corrective Effect of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Cerebral Ischemia in Rats: A case-control study

Objectives: It was to assess vasoprotective effects of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in cerebral ischemia. Materials and methods: The experiments were carried out on 42 male outbred white rats weighing 260 ± 20 g. modeling of cerebral ischemia was carried out under conditions of intravenous thiopental anesthesia (40-50 mg / kg). The studies used models of subtotal, partial and stepwise subtotal cerebral ischemia. The table shows the experimental groups and the number of animals in them. Subtotal cerebral ischemia (SCI) was modeled by simultaneous ligation of both common carotid arteries (CCA). Partial cerebral ischemia (PCI) was modeled by ligating one CCA on the right. Stepwise subtotal CI (SSCI) was performed by sequential ligation of both CCA with an interval of 1 day (subgroup 1), 3 days (subgroup 2), or 7 days (subgroup 3). To study the effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA), animals with CI were injected intragastrically with the drug "Omegamed" (SCI+ω-3 PUFA) at a dose of 5 g / kg body weight for a week. The control group consisted of sham-operated rats of the same sex and weight. Neurological deficits were assessed in the "muscle strength", "swimming test" and "open field" tests after 5-6 hours of the ischemic period. The study was carried out 6 hours after the simulation of the CI. Quantitative continuous data were obtained, which were processed using the licensed computer program Statistica 10.0 for Windows (StatSoft, Inc., USA). Since the experiment used small samples that had an abnormal distribution, the analysis was carried out by methods of nonparametric statistics. Data are presented as Me (LQ; UQ), where Me is the median, LQ is the value of the lower quartile; UQ is the upper quartile value. Differences between groups were considered significant at p <0.05 (Regression Model). Results: With a stepwise bilateral ligation of both common carotid arteries with an interval of 1 day, neurological disorders were most pronounced, which indicates an aggravation of neurological deficit with a reduction in the time between CCA dressings. In rats with SCI, the changes were more pronounced than with PCI, but less than with SCI. The least pronounced changes were noted in the 3rd subgroup (the interval between CCA dressings was 7 days). Studies have shown the dependence of the severity of brain damage in SSCI on the interval between the cessation of blood flow in both CCA. At a 7-day interval between CCA dressings, compensatory mechanisms were activated, which prevented the development of morphological changes and neurological deficits. When CCA was ligated with an interval of 1 day, the degree of neurological deficit was maximal, which indicates insufficient implementation of compensatory mechanisms. Compared with the control group, the rats of the "SCI+ω3-PUFA" group retained neurological deficit, the muscle strength indicator was 86% less (p<0.05), the swimming duration - by 63% (p<0.05), the number of crossed squares - by 55% (p<0.05), the number of washes - by 62% (p<0.05), the number of racks - by 62.5% (p<0.05) and the number of bowel movements - by 60% (p<0.05). However, in comparison with the SCI group, the neurological deficit was less pronounced. There was an increase in muscle strength by 67% (p<0.05), swimming duration by 37.5% (p<0.05) and the number of squares crossed in the open field test by 31% (p<0.05), which indicates the presence of a corrective action in the ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids preparation. Conclusion: The introduction of the preparation of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids has a corrective effect in conditions of subtotal cerebral ischemia, contributing to a lesser severity of manifestations of neurological deficit (an increase in muscle strength, duration of swimming and the number of squares crossed in the open field test).

EVALUATION OF NEUROLOGICAL DEFICIENCY IN RATS WITH CEREBRAL ISCHEMIA AND ADMINISTRATION OMEGA-3 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS

Objectives. It was to assess the degree of neurological deficit in rats with cerebral ischemia and administration of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Methods. The experiments were carried out on 42 male outbred white rats weighing 260 ± 20 g. Modeling of cerebral ischemia was carried out under conditions of intravenous thiopental anesthesia (40-50 mg / kg). The studies used models of subtotal, partial and stepwise subtotal cerebral ischemia. The table shows the experimental groups and the number of animals in them. Subtotal cerebral ischemia (SCI) was modeled by simultaneous ligation of both common carotid arteries (CCA). Partial cerebral ischemia (PCI) was modeled by ligating one CCA on the right. Stepwise subtotal CI (SSCI) was performed by sequential ligation of both CCA with an interval of 1 day (subgroup 1), 3 days (subgroup 2), or 7 days (subgroup 3). To study the effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA), animals with CI were injected intragastrically with the drug "Omegamed" (SCI+ω-3 PUFA) at a dose of 5 g / kg body weight for a week. The control group consisted of sham-operated rats of the same sex and weight. Neurological deficits were assessed in the "muscle strength", "swimming test" and "open field" tests after 5-6 hours of the ischemic period. Results. With a stepwise bilateral ligation of both common carotid arteries with an interval of 1 day, neurological disorders were most pronounced, which indicates an aggravation of neurological deficit with a reduction in the time between CCA dressings. In rats with SCI, the changes were more pronounced than with PCI, but less than with SCI. The least pronounced changes were noted in the 3rd subgroup (the interval between CCA dressings was 7 days). Studies have shown the dependence of the severity of brain damage in SSCI on the interval between the cessation of blood flow in both CCA. At a 7-day interval between CCA dressings, compensatory mechanisms were activated, which prevented the development of morphological changes and neurological deficits. When CCA was ligated with an interval of 1 day, the degree of neurological deficit was maximal, which indicates insufficient implementation of compensatory mechanisms. Compared with the control group, the rats of the "SCI+ω3-PUFA" group retained neurological deficit, the muscle strength indicator was 86% less (p<0.05), the swimming duration - by 63% (p<0.05), the number of crossed squares - by 55% (p<0.05), the number of washes - by 62% (p<0.05), the number of racks - by 62.5% (p<0.05) and the number of bowel movements - by 60% (p<0.05). However, in comparison with the SCI group, the neurological deficit was less pronounced. There was an increase in muscle strength by 67% (p<0.05), swimming duration by 37.5% (p<0.05) and the number of squares crossed in the open field test by 31% (p<0.05), which indicates the presence of a corrective action in the ω3-PUFA preparation. Conclusion. The introduction of the preparation of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids has a corrective effect in conditions of subtotal cerebral ischemia, contributing to a lesser severity of manifestations of neurological deficit (an increase in muscle strength, duration of swimming and the number of squares crossed in the open field test). Key words: cerebral ischemia, rats, neurological deficiency, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Comparison of permeable pavements effluent under Atlantic and Mediterranean rainfall regimes: A mid-term laboratory experience

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) can take many forms, but the main idea is to manage and use rainwater close to where it falls, i.e. at source. Permeable Pavements (PPs) are a specific type of SUDS aimed to laminate a rainfall event and reduce runoff pollution. This study describes the influence of dust accumulation, rainfall regime and the pavement configuration in the quantity and quality of infiltrated water in mid-term operation period (one or two years). The total drained volume has not been significantly different between PP configurations, but PPs under the Mediterranean (MED) rainfall regime are able to retain more volume (from 4.48 to 9.85 l/m2) than those under Atlantic (ATL) regime (from 1.32 to 8.82 l/m2). Regarding the quality results, initial values of pH and Electrical Conductivity (EC) in water infiltrated were considerably high and decrease with the number of washings, therefore more quickly under Atlantic rainfall regime (pH values from 11.5 to 7.8 and EC values from 2200 to 110). The water infiltrated from PPs subjected to a Mediterranean rainfall regime contain higher concentrations of all the pollutants studied (the higher values for ATL of COD, TSS, TN and TP were 37.5, 15.1, 2.41 and 0.300 respectively; while for MED were 97.0, 31.8, 4.73 and 0.637). PO43− concentration exceeds the cut-off value in legislation of 0.16 mgP/l since the four months of operation for Mediterranean regime. The results suggest that it is important to pay attention to phosphorus species (specially in Mediterranean regime) in mid-term operation period of PPs.

Vasoprotective Effects of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Cerebral Ischemia

Objective: It was to assess vasoprotective effects of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in cerebral ischemia. Methods: The experiments were carried out on 42 male outbred white rats weighing 260 ± 20 g. Modeling of cerebral ischemia was carried out under conditions of intravenous thiopental anesthesia (40-50 mg/kg). The studies used models of subtotal, partial and stepwise subtotal cerebral ischemia. The table shows the experimental groups and the number of animals in them. Subtotal cerebral ischemia (SCI) was modeled by simultaneous ligation of both common carotid arteries (CCA). Partial cerebral ischemia (PCI) was modeled by ligating one CCA on the right. Stepwise subtotal CI (SSCI) was performed by sequential ligation of both CCA with an interval of 1 day (subgroup 1), 3 days (subgroup 2), or 7 days (subgroup 3). To study the effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA), animals with CI were injected intragastrically with the drug “Omegamed” (SCI+ω-3 PUFA) at a dose of 5g/kg body weight for a week. The control group consisted of sham-operated rats of the same sex and weight. Neurological deficits were assessed in the “muscle strength”, “swimming test” and “open field” tests after 5-6 hours of the ischemic period. Results: With a stepwise bilateral ligation of both common carotid arteries with an interval of 1 day, neurological disorders were most pronounced, which indicates an aggravation of neurological deficit with a reduction in the time between CCA dressings. In rats with SCI, the changes were more pronounced than with PCI, but less than with SCI. The least pronounced changes were noted in the 3rd subgroup (the interval between CCA dressings was 7 days). Studies have shown the dependence of the severity of brain damage in SSCI on the interval between the cessation of blood flow in both CCA. At a 7-day interval between CCA dressings, compensatory mechanisms were activated, which prevented the development of morphological changes and neurological deficits. When CCA was ligated with an interval of 1 day, the degree of neurological deficit was maximal, which indicates insufficient implementation of compensatory mechanisms. Compared with the control group, the rats of the “SCI+ω3-PUFA” group retained neurological deficit, the muscle strength indicator was 86% less (p<0.05), the swimming duration - by 63% (p<0.05), the number of crossed squares - by 55% (p<0.05), the number of washes - by 62% (p<0.05), the number of racks - by 62.5% (p<0.05) and the number of bowel movements - by 60% (p<0.05). However, in comparison with the SCI group, the neurological deficit was less pronounced. There was an increase in muscle strength by 67% (p<0.05), swimming duration by 37.5% (p<0.05) and the number of squares crossed in the open field test by 31% (p<0.05), which indicates the presence of a corrective action in the ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids preparation. Conclusion The introduction of the preparation of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids has a corrective effect in conditions of subtotal cerebral ischemia, contributing to a lesser severity of manifestations of neurological deficit (an increase in muscle strength, duration of swimming and the number of squares crossed in the open field test).