Comparative light and scanning electron microscopy in authentication of adulterated traded medicinal plants

The medicinal plants are utilized globally considering the cheap and chemical free source, but their correct identification and authentication is prerequisite for safety and efficacy of plant‐based medicines. The present study encompassed traded medicinal plants (16) with high therapeutic value from diverse families like Brassicaceae, Berberidaceae, Malvaceae, Salicaceae, Myrtaceae, Papilionaceae, Ascelpiadaceae, Colchicaceae, Violaceae, and Vitaceae for detailed microscopic study of characters that is, morphology, pollen shape and sizes, P/E ratio, pore length and width, spine length, colpi dimensions, and exine sculpture pattern. The plants showed noteworthy differences in microscopy of Wattakaka volubilis having pollinia, translator and corpusculum like structures while pores were visible in Colchicum luteum, Alcea rosea, and Hibiscus syriacus. The spines were observed in Centipeda minima, A. rosea, and H. syriacus being dimorphic spines in A. rosea and monomorphic in H. syriacus. The exine sculpturing pattern was reticulate in mostly studied plants however distinctive exine pattern was noted in Berberis aristata and Berberis lyceum. The highest polar diameter, equatorial diameter and exine thickness among studied plants were observed in H. syriacus (161 μm), C. luteum (50 μm) and Vitis jacquemontii (1.10), respectively. Thus, microscopy of medicinal plants in addition to other taxonomic evidence offers a supportive skill in authentication, consequently utilization by local consumers and pharmaceutical industries.     

Effect of SC-41930, a potent selective leukotriene B4 receptor antagonist, in the guinea pig model of middle ear inflammation

Arachidonic acid metabolites such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes have been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of otitis media (OM). Among these mediators, leukotriene B4 (LTB4) is one of the most potent inducers of inflammatory processes. SC-41930 has been shown to be a specific LTB4 receptor antagonist both in vitro and in vivo. In this study, anti-inflammatory effects of SC-41930 were investigated in a guinea pig model of OM induced by middle ear (ME) inoculation of killed Staphylococcus aureus. Outcome of treatment was determined by measurement of myeloperoxidase activity in the samples of ME mucosa, evaluation of temporal bone histopathology, and presence of ME fluids. Myeloperoxidase activity in the SC-41930-treated group was found to be significantly lower than that in the control group. Histopathology of temporal bones indicated decreased inflammation in the treated group as compared to the controls. In addition, ME fluids were absent in four out of six treated animals. These results demonstrate that SC-41930 can produce significant anti-inflammatory effects in this model of OM.     

Novel TIGR/MYOC mutations in families with juvenile onset primary open angle glaucoma

Mutations in the trabecular meshwork induced glucocorticoid response protein (TIGR) or myocilin (MYOC) has recently been shown to cause juvenile onset primary open angle glaucoma (JOAG). In this study, we identified two new mutations (Asp380Ala and Ser502Pro) in two British families and another (Pro370Leu) in a French-Canadian family. These mutations were not present in a total of 106 normal chromosomes. In another Turkish family with JOAG, we also detected a sequence variant that was proven to be an amino acid polymorphism (Arg76Lys). No other sequence changes were found in the entire coding region and splice junctions of the TIGR/MYOC gene in this family. However, it is still possible that mutations either in the TIGR promoter or in another neighbouring gene could cause glaucoma in this JOAG family. Our results confirm the role of the TIGR/MYOC gene in the aetiology of the JOAG phenotype.     

Microstructural changes on high temperature treatment of a cold-worked and nitrided Fe–1%V alloy

An Fe–1.06%V alloy was used to study the control of recrystallization through fine VN precipitates in cold-worked and nitrided ferritic matrix. Nitriding was carried out at 475°C in ammonia atmosphere. Subsequent high temperature annealing process was performed in hydrogen gas for 795, 820, 860 and 880°C, respectively. The data on recrystallization indicates that kinetics of recrystallization obeys an Avrami type equation with a temperature independent time exponent. Transmission electron microscopy techniques were used to measure the precipitate sizes and to study the changes in the microstructure. The activation energy evaluated for recrystallization was found to be consistent with that governing the VN particle coarsening. From these findings it was concluded that the initiation of recrystallization is dominated by the interface reaction controlled growth of VN stringers at subgrain boundaries. After the disappearance of stringers, the interaction of fine precipitates with subgrain boundaries is minimized and hence recrystallization starts. © 1998 Chapman & Hall     

Classification of manipulators of the same origin by virtue of compactness and complexity

This work deals with a classification method that employs concepts such as complexity and compactness. The idea is to classify manipulators, or any other mechanism for that matter, of the same origin, based on the geometry of the joints, the tasks performed by the joints, the efficiency and the manufacturing cost to generate the specified efficiency. It is known that successive units on a single branch create individual uncertainties that affect the eventual quality of the performed operation [1]. An entropic expression quantifies this uncertainty in terms of the number of links and the unit effectiveness. The concepts of compactness and complexity have been formulated, and these concepts are explained through serial and parallel manipulators with varying parameters. Eventually, a cost function is created which is a function of complexity, uncertainty and the manufacturing cost. A worked example on M = 6 Stewart-Gough platform is given how this cost function could be taken advantage of when deciding an initial manipulator. A genetic algorithm is used for the optimization of the cost function, where the results are tabulated.     

Trick the body trick the mind: avatar representation affects the perception of available action possibilities in virtual reality

Virtual Reality - In immersive Virtual Reality (VR), your brain can trick you into believing that your virtual hands are your real hands. Manipulating the representation of the body, namely the...     

Response surface-based robust parameter design optimization with both qualitative and quantitative variables

The response surface-based robust parameter design, with its extensive use of optimization techniques and statistical tools, is known as an effective engineering design methodology for improving production processes, when input variables are quantitative on a continuous scale. In many engineering settings, however, there are situations where both qualitative and quantitative variables are considered. In such situations, traditional response surface designs may not be effective. To rectify this problem, this article lays out a foundation by embedding those input variables into a factorial design with pseudo-centre points. A 0–1 mixed-integer nonlinear programming model is then developed and the solutions found using three optimization tools, namely the outer approximation method, the branch-and-bound technique and the hybrid branch-and-cut algorithm, are compared with traditional counterparts. The numerical example shows that the proposed models result in better robust parameter design solutions than the traditional models.     

Magnetic Resonance Studies of Half-Metallic Epitaxial CrO2 Thin Films Grown on Differently Oriented TiO2 Substrates

The results of structural and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) investigations of epitaxial half- metallic chromium dioxide (CrO₂) thin films of thicknesses between 58?nm and 540?nm grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on (100) and (110)-oriented TiO₂ single crystal substrates are presented. The angular dependences of the FMR spectra in different experimental geometries were obtained. Effective magnetic anisotropies of epitaxially grown CrO₂ films of different thicknesses on strain and strain-free surfaces of TiO₂ substrates were estimated. The results indicate that the magnetic behavior of the CrO₂ films results from a competition between the magnetocrystalline and strain anisotropies. It has been revealed that the strain anisotropy dominates in the films grown onto (100)-oriented TiO₂ substrates. On the contrary, the films grown onto (110)-oriented substrates demonstrate strain-free magnetic anisotropy behavior.     

The Inhibitory Effects of L-Adrenaline on Lactoperoxidase Enzyme Purified from Bovine Milk

L-Adrenaline belongs to a group of compounds known as catecholamines, which play an important role in the regulation of the physiological process in living organisms. In the present study, the inhibitory effect of L-adrenaline on lactoperoxidase was examined. Lactoperoxidase (E.C.1.11.1.7) was purified from bovine milk with three consecutive steps: Amberlite CG-50 resin, CM-Sephadex C-50 ion-exchange, and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration chromatography. Lactoperoxidase was purified with a yield of 42.18%, a specific activity of 30.33 EU/mg proteins, and 20.77 purification fold. Enzyme purity was determined with SDS-PAGE, where a single band was observed. The R_z (A₄₁₂/A₂₈₀) value for lactoperoxidase was 0.9. The effect of L-adrenaline on lactoperoxidase was determined using ABTS as a chromogenic substrate. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value and an inhibition constant (K_i) values for L-adrenaline were 34.5 and 2.26 μM, respectively. L-Adrenaline was found to be a non-competitive inhibitor.