Antioxidant Activity and Hepatoprotective Potential of Polyalthia longifolia and Cassia spectabilis Leaves against Paracetamol-Induced Liver Injury

In the present study, in vitro antioxidant, free radical scavenging capacity, and hepatoprotective activity of methanol extracts from Polyalthia longifolia and Cassia spectabilis were evaluated using established in vitro models such as ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH•), hydroxyl radical (OH•), nitric oxide radical (NO•) scavenging, metal chelating, and antilipidperoxidation activities. Interestingly, all the extracts showed considerable in vitro antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities in a dose-dependent manner when compared to the standard antioxidant which verified the presence of strong antioxidant compound in leaf extracts tested. Phenolic and flavonoid content of these extracts is significantly correlated with antioxidant capacity. Since P. longifolia extract was exhibited better in vitro antioxidant activities, it was subjected for in vivo hepatoprotective activity in paracetamol-intoxicated mice. Therapy of P. longifolia showed the liver protective effect on biochemical and histopathological alterations. Moreover, histological studies also supported the biochemical finding, that is, the maximum improvement in the histoarchitecture of the liver. Results revealed that P. longifolia leaf extract could protect the liver against paracetamol-induced oxidative damage by possibly increasing the antioxidant protection mechanism inmice. Our findings indicated that P. longifolia and C. spectabilis have potential as good sources of natural antioxidant/antiaging compounds

Thermal diffusion by Brownian motion induced fluid stress

The Ludwig-Soret effect, the migration of a species due to a temperature gradient, has been extensively studied without a complete picture of its cause emerging. Here we investigate the dynamics of DNA and spherical particles sub jected to a thermal gradient using a combination of Brownian dynamics and the lattice Boltzmann method. We observe that the DNA molecules will migrate to colder regions of the channel, an observation also made in the experiments of Duhr, et al[1]. In fact, the thermal diffusion coefficient found agrees quantitatively with the experimental value. We also observe that the thermal diffusion coefficient decreases as the radius of the studied spherical particles increases. Furthermore, we observe that the thermal fluctuations-fluid momentum flux coupling induces a gradient in the stress which leads to thermal migration in both systems.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figue

Acute and Subchronic Toxicity Study of Euphorbia hirta L. Methanol Extract in Rats

Despite Euphorbia hirta L. ethnomedicinal benefits, very few studies have described the potential toxicity.The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vivo toxicity of methanolic extracts of E. hirta.The acute and subchronic oral toxicity of E. hirta was evaluated in Sprague Dawley rats. The extract at a single dose of 5000mg/kg did not produce treatment related signs of toxicity or mortality in any of the animals tested during the 14-day observation period. Therefore, the LD 50 of this plant was estimated to be more than 5000mg/kg. In the repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity study, the administration of 50mg/kg, 250mg/kg, and 1000mg/kg/day of E. hirta extract per body weight revealed no significant difference

Anti-cancer natural products inducing cross-talk between apoptosis and autophagy mutual proteins to regulate cancer cell death: design of future green anticancer therapies

The present letter concerns anti-cancer natural products inducing cross-talk between apoptosis and autophagy mutual proteins to regulate cancer cell death for future cancer green therapeutic approaches. The course of cancer advancement has always been attributed to the defectiveness in cell death mechanisms (Du et al., 2013; Hematulin et al., 2014). These defects act as a shield in protecting tumor cells from drugs and therapies, all at the same time, maintaining a longer life span and prompting their dispersion procedures. Autophagy and apoptosis safeguards cells from cellular damages and maintains proliferation and homeostasis by deporting outgrowth and controlling differentiation of pernicious cells. The autophagic proteins are conventionally found in hindering apoptosis whereas vice versa accounts had been reported for apoptotic-intermediates in preventing autophagic responses

Regulating mitochondrial biogenesis : from herbal remedies to phytomedicine for cancer prevention

Mitochondria are well-adapted endosymbiotic intracellular organelles, acting as the energy supplier for survival and proliferation of cells under aerobic conditions. Moreover, cellular proliferation largely depends on the total number of mitochondria, governed by the process of mitochondrial biogenesis (Davila and Zamorano, 2013; Yoboue et al., 2014)

Ultrafast Spin-To-Charge Conversion at the Surface of Topological Insulator Thin Films

Strong spin-orbit coupling, resulting in the formation of spin-momentum-locked surface states, endows topological insulators with superior spin-to-charge conversion characteristics, though the dynamics that govern it have remained elusive. Here, we present an all-optical method that enables unprecedented tracking of the ultrafast dynamics of spin-to-charge conversion in a prototypical topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$/ferromagnetic Co heterostructure, down to the sub-picosecond timescale. Compared to pure Bi$_2$Se$_3$ or Co, we observe a giant terahertz emission in the heterostructure than originates from spin-to-charge conversion, in which the topological surface states play a crucial role. We identify a 0.12-picosecond timescale that sets a technological speed limit of spin-to-charge conversion processes in topological insulators. In addition, we show that the spin-to-charge conversion efficiency is temperature independent in Bi$_2$Se$_3$ as expected from the nature of the surface states, paving the way for designing next-generation high-speed opto-spintronic devices based on topological insulators at room temperature.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure

Synthesis and Characterization of Phase Change Microcapsules Containing Nano-Graphite

This study uses the sol-gel method to modify the phase change microcapsules. The phase change material (PCM) is encapsulated by a polymer shell to reduce the leakage in the solid-liquid transition. Furthermore, the nano-graphite particle (NGP) is introduced into the shell to increase its thermal conductivity. The particle size and enthalpy value of the obtained microcapsules are approximately 3 μm and 150.3 J/g, respectively. The results show that the encapsulation efficiency of PCM in the prepared microcapsules is increased and the crystallization rate of PCM becomes faster when the NGP is added. The obtained microcapsules and wood flour are incorporated into high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to form a wood-plastic composite (WPC). The results indicate that the tensile and impact strengths of the WPC are 24.1 MPa and 48.7 J/m, respectively. Moreover, it is observed that the addition of these phase-change microcapsules can improve the heat dissipation of HDPE and accelerate the speed of thermal diffusion

TCP over geo-routing for high mobility: vehicle grids and airborne swarms

Ad hoc wireless networks have become the architecture of choice for peer to peer communications in areas where the telecommunications infrastructure is inadequate or has failed. A major challenge is the reliable delivery of data when nodes move. The reliable Internet protocol is TCP. However, TCP performs poorly in mobile ad hoc networks, mainly because of route breakage. To overcome this problem, a robust routing protocol must be used. To this effect, Geo-routing has recently received attention in large scale, mobile systems as it does not require end- to-end path establishment and pre-computed packet forwarding routing structure at nodes. These properties make Geo-routing robust to highly dynamic route changes. For best performance, however, several parameters must be carefully tuned. In this paper we study the joint optimization of TCP and Geo-routing parame- ters to handle high speeds. We first introduce two highly mobile ad hoc scenarios that require reliable delivery, namely the vehicle urban grid and the airborne swarms. Then, we study the impact of critical system parameters (e.g., hello message ex- change rate, delay timer in TCP for out-of-order delivery, etc) on the performance of both UDP and TCP. We improve hello message effciency in Geo-routing by using an adaptive hello exchange scheme. Then, we fix the out-of-order problem in TCP by using a receiver-side out-of-order detection and delayed ack strategy. We show that these parameter adjustments are critical for effcient TCP over Geo-routing in highly mobile applications. With these enhancements our TCP with Geo-routing solution easily outperforms TCP over traditional ad hoc routing schemes, such as AODV.1st IFIP International Conference on Ad-Hoc NetWorkingRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Factors Affecting Overseas Internship, Employment and Further Education under the Background of "Belt and Road Initiative" - A TPB Model Analysis

The Belt and Road Initiative is a long-term foreign development strategy that China adheres to. However, the key to the promotion of the Belt and Road is the investment of a large number of high-quality international talents. In order to promote international talents to go abroad, it is not only necessary to deepen the system level and multilateral cooperation at the diplomatic level, but also to cultivate human resources with the willingness and ability to move internationally to make full use of their capabilities. From the perspective of the TPB model, this paper adopts the method of structural equation model, and takes an application-oriented university in Henan Province, China as the research object, to explore the influencing factors of overseas internship, employment and further study for college students. The results show that attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control all have significant effects on behavioural intention. Usefulness had no significant effect on behavioural intention; Usefulness has a significant effect on behavioural intention through attitude. Therefore, according to the conclusion, relevant suggestions are put forward for schools, teachers and students respectively

The antimicrobial efficacy of elaeis guineensis : characterization, in Vitro and in Vivo studies

The urgent need to treat multi-drug resistant pathogenic microorganisms in chronically infected patients has given rise to the development of new antimicrobials from natural resources. We have tested Elaeis guineensis Jacq (Arecaceae) methanol extract against a variety of bacterial, fungal and yeast strains associated with infections. Our studies have demonstrated that E. guineensis exhibits excellent antimicrobial activity in vitro and in vivo against the bacterial and fungal strains tested. A marked inhibitory effect of the E. guineensis extracts was observed against C. albicans whereby E. guineensis extract at =, 1, or 2 times the MIC significantly inhibited C. albicans growth with a noticeable drop in optical density (OD) of the bacterial culture. This finding confirmed the anticandidal activity of the extract on C. albicans. Imaging using scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy was done to determine the major alterations in the microstructure of the extract-treated C. albicans. The main abnormalities noted via SEM and TEM studies were the alteration in morphology of the yeast cells. In vivo antimicrobial activity was studied in mice that had been inoculated with C. albicans and exhibited good anticandidal activity. The authors conclude that the extract may be used as a candidate for the development of anticandidal agent.<br /