Hypolipemic activity of polyphenol-rich extracts from Ocimum basilicum in Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemic mice

The hypocholesterolemic and hypotriglyceridemic activities of the aqueous and organic extracts of Ocimum basilicum were studied using Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipemic mice as an experimental model. Hyperlipidemia was developed by intraperitoneal injection of Triton (200 mg/kg body weight “BW”). The animals were divided into eight groups of eight mice each: normolipidemic control group (NCG), hyperlipidemic control group (HCG), hyperlipidemic plus DMSO control (HDCG), crude aqueous basil extract-treated group (CETG), dichloromethane extract-treated group (DETG), ethyl acetate extract-treated group (EETG), methanol extract-treated group (METG), and aqueous fraction-treated group (AFTG). After 7 h and 24 h of treatment, the intragastric administration of all extracts caused a significant decrease of plasma total cholesterol. Triglyceride levels were also significantly lowered but not in DETG. Similar results were observed for LDL-cholesterol concentrations. Although no significant change of HDL-cholesterol was noticed after 7 h of treatments, a significant increase of this cholesterol fraction was observed in EETG and AFTG after 24 h. Furthermore, crude aqueous basil extract and all polar solvent (methanol, ethyl acetate, water)-soluble fractions showed a significant ameliorative action on elevated atherogenic index (AI) and LDL/HDL-C ratios, while these atherogenic markers were not statistically suppressed by the dichloromethane-soluble extract. This finding indicates that O. basilicum may contain polar products able to lower plasma lipid concentrations and might be beneficial in treatment of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis.     

Computational hyperspectral interferometry for studies of brain function: proof of concept

Hyperspectral interferometric microscopy uses a unique combination of optics and algorithm design to extract information. Local brain activity rapidly changes local blood flow and red blood cell concentration (absorption) and oxygenation (color). We demonstrate that brain activity evoked during whisker stimulation can be detected with hyperspectral interferometric microscopy to identify the active whisker-barrel cortex in the rat brain. Information about constituent components is extracted across the entire spectral band. Algorithms can be flexibly optimized to discover, detect, quantify, and visualize a wide range of significant biological events, including changes relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of disease.     

Engineering thermostability in serine protease inhibitors

Unlike most globular proteins, the native form of serine protease inhibitors (serpins) is strained. Previous studies of human alpha(1)-antitrypsin, a prototype plasma serpin, revealed that various unfavorable interactions, such as overpacking of side chains, buried polar groups and cavities, are the structural basis of the strain. The local strain could be relieved by various stabilizing single amino acid substitutions, which appeared to remove these unfavorable interactions. To improve the stability of other clinically important serpin members, here we examined whether the rules found in alpha(1)-antitrypsin studies are applicable to other serpins. Amino acid substitutions were introduced at various positions in human alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin and human antithrombin III that were equivalent to the sites of stabilizing substitutions of alpha(1)-antitrypsin. Two-thirds of the substitutions increased thermostability in all serpins tested. Mutational analysis and structural examination suggest that serpins are suboptimally folded using common structural strategies at many sites, even though some structural details can vary in individual members. The results suggest that schemes discovered with alpha(1)-antitrypsin, an easily manipulative serpin, are a useful basis for engineering conformational characteristics of other clinically important serpins.     

On the structure and transformation of the orange form of Sb2S3 layers

X-ray diffraction study showed that the mange modification of antimony trisulphide can neither be considered as amorphous material nor does it change into the black modification upon grinding. Thin vacuum-deposited layers, prepared by conventional thermal evaporation of the bulk material in 5 × 10^–6 torr on an amorphous substrate at room temperature, were crystalline. The behaviour of the electrical conductivity with temperature in the range 25 to 190° C indicated transition points at 80, 108, 135 and 175° C.     

Effects of hub-to-tip ratio and reynolds number on the performance of impulse turbine for wave energy power plant

The objective of this paper is to present the performance comparison of the impulse turbines for different diameters. In the study, the investigation has been performed experimentally by model testing for some diameters, especially 0.3 m and 0.6 m. The experiment was performed for Reynolds number range of 0.17 X 10⁵—1.09X 10⁵ and for different values of hub-to-tip ratiov ranging from 0.6 to 0.85. As a result, it was found that the critical Reynolds number is to be around 0.5 X 10⁵ for v=0.6 and 0.4X 10⁵ for v=0.7. For the hub-to-tip ratio, the optimum value is 0.7 when the turbine is operated at lower Reynolds number. However, its value seems to be 0.6 at higher Reynolds number in the tested range.     

RESPIRATORY DEFICIENT MUTANTS OF BOTTOM BREWER'S YEAST II. TECHNOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF SOME RD MUTANTS

Five spontaneous respiratory deficient mutants of one strain of bottom brewer's yeast were studied, being chosen for differences in their cytochrome system, and in rates of growth and fermentation. Pilot plant experiments showed that these 5 mutants differed from the original type also in the utilization of nitrogen compounds, in the sequence of utilization of sugars, and in the pattern of sedimentation. The beers prepared using these mutants were more aromatic, had higher contents of nitrogen compounds and of anthocyanogens, lower contents of most free amino acids and substantially lower contents of higher aliphatic alcohols. Their pH values were higher as well as their buffering capacities. One of the 5 mutants studied produced beer of better flavour than the original type.     

A flexible automated foam cutting system

Direct cutting of foam has the advantage of greater flexibility and reduced lead time over molding. This paper discusses the design and development of a flexible automated system for foam cutting that utilizes hot-wire cutters. The cutters are moved through the use of a five-axis gantry-type robot system equipped with a tool turret. A method for modeling the cut geometry, based on representing the three-dimensional cut shape as a combination of basic geometrical block shapes, is presented. This method gives the system flexibility to handle different workpiece geometries. A technique for generating the required cutting paths from the modeled geometry is also shown. The developed methodology was applied for the cutting of automotive seat cushions. The results show that the automated system significantly reduces the cutting time and produces cuts of improved quality.