Quarantine and COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic which have affected every part of the world have been deemed a public health concern and classified as a pandemic. The government imposing travel bans and quarantine measures have been found to be effective in preventing and reducing the spread of COVID-19. A reduction in physical activity and increase in the consumption of unhealthy foods have been observed to be some of the major implications of quarantine. Adequate physical activity and increased access to healthy foods would help in improving the psychological wellbeing of individuals thereby preventing the development of cardiovascular diseases. Keywords: Quarantine; COVID-19; Physical activity DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/85-11 Publication date: January 31st 202

Assessing of thermal and mechanical properties of stabilized rammed earth walls and evaluating their effectiveness and interactions

The traditional rammed earth (RE) construction is currently regaining popularity in North America for several reasons: low maintenance cost, high energy efficiency, locally available raw materials, low CO₂ emissions, and better recyclability (Ávila et al., 2022). Previous studies have proved that the strength and durability of RE can be further improved by adding cementitious materials such as Portland cement, fly ash, natural and synthetic fibers, and steel slag. However, no significant research has been conducted to evaluate the thermal behavior of these modified RE materials. In this study, the effect of chemical additives such as cement, wood fly ash, and calcium bentonite on the thermal properties of rammed earth (RE) material is evaluated to assess the viability in hot and cold climates. Compacted and cured hollow RE samples were used for measuring the decrement factor, time lag, and peak temperature. An environmental chamber was used throughout this study to cure the RE specimens under simulated weather conditions. A hot climate, with 40% and 80% humidity and temperature that decreases from 45°c to 27°c with a uniform slope, and a cold climate, with a humidity of 40% and temperature that increases from -7°c to 12°c with a uniform slope, were simulated. Also, thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity are evaluated using a heat flow meters (Fox 50). While the partial replacement of Cement in RE with fly ash improved the thermal properties of the material in both hot and cold climates, incorporating 15% Calcium bentonite in the mix design further enhanced the thermal efficiency of RE in cold climates. Also, the thermal conductivity tests have shown that substituting a significant fraction of Cement in RE with wood fly ash can improve the thermal conductivity by up to 20%. Hence, the results of this study indicate that the wood ash-stabilized rammed earth is suitable for construction in colder climates.Applied Science, Faculty ofEngineering, School of (Okanagan)Graduat

Chemical and Sensory Analyses of Teas From Mangifera Indica L. Leaves and Evaluation of Their Anti-Adipogenic Effect in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Diabetes and obesity are metabolic diseases that have a serious impact on morbidity, disability, and mortality globally. The majority of treatments for diabetes and obesity are expensive and frequently have adverse effects. Finding an alternate treatment option that addresses concerns about current treatments while being safer and more affordable is crucial. Mangoes have long been a desirable source of nutrients and pharmacological therapeutics. Bioactive substances found in the mango plant (Mangifera indica L.) may have anti-diabetic activities. Mango leaf is a wasted by-product of the mango tree that has potential medicinal properties due to its’ many bioactive compounds that may enhance human health. The main chemical compound in mango leaf, mangiferin (MGF), has purported anti-diabetic and antioxidant assets. We conducted a systematic review to explore the anti-diabetic properties of the various parts of the mango plant in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in animal models and humans. The electronic databases searched included the Web of Science, PubMed, FSTA, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library. The publication date limit was up to December 2020. Twenty-eight of a total of 1001 studies met the inclusion criteria. Mango leaf, flesh, seed-kernel, peel, stem-bark, and by-product were assessed. Results support the glucose-lowering properties of mango in both animals and humans. Several proposed anti-diabetic mechanisms of action have been proposed. Additional studies are needed, especially in humans. Subsequently, a chemical and sensory evaluation was conducted on five teas made from mango leaves (‘Tommy Atkins’, ‘Keitt’, ‘Kensington Pride’, ‘Carabao’, and commercial tea). Total polyphenols, tannins, and antioxidants were assessed. Significant differences (p \u3c 0.05) in total polyphenols were observed in all varieties except commercial tea and Tommy Atkins; the most was in Carabao. The highest antioxidant activity belonged to Carabao, commercial tea, and Kensington Pride. Tannin levels were highest in Tommy Adkins and Keitt cultivars. Mangiferin was highest in commercial tea and Carabao. The sensory evaluation was performed using a 9-point hedonic scale with 61 untrained participants. All individual varieties of mango leaf tea were statistically significant for higher overall acceptability compared to green tea control or commercial mango tea. The anti-adipogenic efficacy of mango leaf tea (MLT) and mangiferin (MGF) in 3T3-L1 cells was assessed. Cell viability, lipid accumulation levels, adiponectin, and glucose uptake were analyzed. Changes in the mRNA expression of genes involved in fat metabolism in 3T3-L1 cells were determined using quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed MLT and MGF inhibited adipogenesis accompanied by decreased triglyceride accumulation, increased adiponectin, increased glucose uptake, diminished gene expression of ACC, and elevated FOXO1 and ATGL gene expression in 3T3-L1 cells

Design of robust scalable anti-icing metallic surfaces

Ice accretion is substantially detrimental to a range of different industries worldwide. Current methods for reducing ice adhesion include the use of lubricants, hydrophobic coatings, or soft elastomers, all of which exhibit limited durability. As an alternative, here I suspend sparsely confined metallic sheets and tailor the surface buckling instability, resulting in ice adhesion strengths on par with these prior strategies but without the use of any coatings. These Buckling Elastomer-like Anti-icing Metallic Surfaces, or BEAMS, exhibit low ice adhesion (<1 kPa) and the mechanical durability of metals. The BEAMS sheet confinement, boundary conditions, and physical dimensions of both the ice and the metallic plates can be altered to minimize ice adhesion via the mechanics of plate buckling. I also studied how curvature affects the shear ice adhesion strength of BEAMS, understanding that the compliance of the suspension plays a role in reducing the ice adhesion strength by inducing lateral-torsional buckling. Results from an icing wind tunnel confirmed the efficacy of BEAMS towards impact rime- and glaze- type ice accreted in atmospheric icing conditions. Accordingly, numerical investigation confirmed that the extremely low ice adhesion strength of BEAMS, even on curved surfaces, was due to buckling instabilities either within the thin metal plates or the suspension material. Moreover, the airgap underneath the metal sheet can be substituted with a liquid, altering the ice detachment mechanism and durability of BEAMS. We investigated the effect of the type and viscosity of this liquid on ice adhesion strength and impact resistance of BEAMS. In addition to the excellent passive de-icing performance of BEAMS, we further implemented active de-icing in BEAMS by designing elastomeric suspension points shaped as channels to flow air underneath the suspended sheet. Active de-icing was first achieved by pressurizing the air within the channels to bulge the sheet outward and delaminate accreted ice from the interface. Active de-icing was also performed by flowing room temperature air through the channels to melt the interface. Overall, the active and passive de-icing capabilities of BEAMS make it a promising candidate for improving the operational efficiency of infrastructure in cold environments.Applied Science, Faculty ofEngineering, School of (Okanagan)Graduat

Comparative Analysis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Induced Transcriptomic Responses in Arabidopsis

The impact that zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP) have on plant physiological responses was evaluated by comparing gene expression changes after Arabidopsis thaliana plants were exposed to ZnONP, in comparison with ionic Zn2+ (ZnSO4) and non-treated controls. After treatment with ZnONP (concentration10 μg L−1), ionic Zn2+ (applied as ZnSO4 at a concentration of 19.7 μg/ L −1), expression analyses via RNA sequencing revealed that 369 genes were down regulated and 249 were upregulated (p < [FDR] 0.05, expression difference < 3). The downregulated genes in ZnONP treated seedlings compared to the Zn +2 ion and untreated controls were mainly abiotic stress (oxidative stress, low temperature) and biotic stress such as defense responsive genes based on the gene ontology analysis. The upregulated genes in response to ZnONP treated plants compared to the Zn +2 ion control plants were mainly photosynthesis, light harvesting complex, and hormone responsive genes such as abscisic acid

Chemical and Sensory Analyses of Teas From Mangifera Indica L. Leaves and Evaluation of Their Anti-Adipogenic Effect in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Diabetes and obesity are metabolic diseases that have a serious impact on morbidity, disability, and mortality globally. The majority of treatments for diabetes and obesity are expensive and frequently have adverse effects. Finding an alternate treatment option that addresses concerns about current treatments while being safer and more affordable is crucial. Mangoes have long been a desirable source of nutrients and pharmacological therapeutics. Bioactive substances found in the mango plant (Mangifera indica L.) may have anti-diabetic activities. Mango leaf is a wasted by-product of the mango tree that has potential medicinal properties due to its’ many bioactive compounds that may enhance human health. The main chemical compound in mango leaf, mangiferin (MGF), has purported anti-diabetic and antioxidant assets. We conducted a systematic review to explore the anti-diabetic properties of the various parts of the mango plant in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in animal models and humans. The electronic databases searched included the Web of Science, PubMed, FSTA, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library. The publication date limit was up to December 2020. Twenty-eight of a total of 1001 studies met the inclusion criteria. Mango leaf, flesh, seed-kernel, peel, stem-bark, and by-product were assessed. Results support the glucose-lowering properties of mango in both animals and humans. Several proposed anti-diabetic mechanisms of action have been proposed. Additional studies are needed, especially in humans. Subsequently, a chemical and sensory evaluation was conducted on five teas made from mango leaves (‘Tommy Atkins’, ‘Keitt’, ‘Kensington Pride’, ‘Carabao’, and commercial tea). Total polyphenols, tannins, and antioxidants were assessed. Significant differences (p \u3c 0.05) in total polyphenols were observed in all varieties except commercial tea and Tommy Atkins; the most was in Carabao. The highest antioxidant activity belonged to Carabao, commercial tea, and Kensington Pride. Tannin levels were highest in Tommy Adkins and Keitt cultivars. Mangiferin was highest in commercial tea and Carabao. The sensory evaluation was performed using a 9-point hedonic scale with 61 untrained participants. All individual varieties of mango leaf tea were statistically significant for higher overall acceptability compared to green tea control or commercial mango tea. The anti-adipogenic efficacy of mango leaf tea (MLT) and mangiferin (MGF) in 3T3-L1 cells was assessed. Cell viability, lipid accumulation levels, adiponectin, and glucose uptake were analyzed. Changes in the mRNA expression of genes involved in fat metabolism in 3T3-L1 cells were determined using quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed MLT and MGF inhibited adipogenesis accompanied by decreased triglyceride accumulation, increased adiponectin, increased glucose uptake, diminished gene expression of ACC, and elevated FOXO1 and ATGL gene expression in 3T3-L1 cells

Identification of the traditional and non-traditional sulfate-reducing bacteria associated with corroded ship hull

Pitting corrosion due to microbial activity is the most severe type of corrosion that occurs in ship hull. Since biogenic sulfide produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) is involved in the acceleration of pitting corrosion of marine vessels, so it is important to collect information about SRB community involved in maritime vessel failure. We investigated the SRB community on corroded hull portion of the ship. With the use of common cultural method and 16S rDNA sequencing, ten bacteria with sulfate reduction ability were isolated and identified. They belonged to both traditional (Desulfovibrio, Desulfotomaculum) and non-traditional (Citrobacter) sulfate-reducing bacteria. All the isolates were able to produce a high amount of sulfide. However, only traditional isolates were showing the amplification for the SRB-specific gene, dsrAB. Further studies on corrosion potential of these two groups of bacteria showed that in spite of high sulfide and biofilm production by non-traditional SRB, they are less aggressive towards the mild steel compare to the traditional group

Quarantine and COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic which have affected every part of the world have been deemed a public health concern and classified as a pandemic. The government imposing travel bans and quarantine measures have been found to be effective in preventing and reducing the spread of COVID-19. A reduction in physical activity and increase in the consumption of unhealthy foods have been observed to be some of the major implications of quarantine. Adequate physical activity and increased access to healthy foods would help in improving the psychological wellbeing of individuals thereby preventing the development of cardiovascular diseases.</jats:p