Orlistat Mitigates Oxidative Stress-Linked Myocardial Damage via NF-κβ- and Caspase-Dependent Activities in Obese Rats

Oxidative stress contributes to major complications of obesity. This study intended to identify whether orlistat could mitigate myocardial damage in obese animal models. The tested rats were divided into two groups and fed either with normal chow (n = 6 per group) or with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 6 weeks to induce obesity (n = 12 per group). Obese rats were further subjected to treatment either with distilled water (OB group) or orlistat 10 mg/kg/day (OB + OR group). Key indices of oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis were assessed using an immunohistochemical-based technique and real-time PCR. The OB group showed significant increases of oxidative stress markers (TBARs and PCO), with significant decreases of anti-oxidant markers (Nrf2, SOD, CAT, and GPx). Furthermore, mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory markers (TNF-α and NF-κβ) and pro-apoptosis markers (Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-8, and Caspase-9) were significantly upregulated in the OB group. Obese rats developed pathological changes of myocardial damages as evidenced by the presence of myocardial hypertrophy and inflammatory cells infiltration. Orlistat dampened the progression of myocardial damage in obese rats by ameliorating the oxidative stress, and by inhibiting NF-κβ pathway and caspase-dependent cell apoptosis. Our study proposed that orlistat could potentially mitigate oxidative stress-linked myocardial damage by mitigating inflammation and apoptosis, thus rationalizing its medical usage.     

Optical and magnetic properties of perovskite materials: Ba0.3La0.7Ti0.3Fe0.7O3 and Ba0.1La0.9Ti0.1Fe0.9O3

Structural, optical and magnetic properties are reported for new synthesized perovskite materials. Ba_0.3La_0.7Ti_0.3Fe_0.7O₃ and Ba_0.1La_0.9Ti_0.1Fe_0.9O₃ compositions were prepared via solid state reaction. X-ray analysis confirms that both compositions show feature of perovskite structure. Rietveld refinement method was used to confirm the phase formation and investigate the structure and space group. The study demonstrates the formation of orthorhombic structure with Pnma space group for Ba_0.3La_0.7Ti_0.3Fe_0.7O₃ while the composition Ba_0.1La_0.9Ti_0.1Fe_0.9O₃ structure adopts Pbnm symmetry. UV–vis spectroscopy measurements show very broad and intense UV–visible light absorption, the estimated band gap ranges between 2.07 and 2.15 eV. Magnetic measurements were carried out for the compositions Ba_0.3La_0.7Ti_0.3Fe_0.7O₃ and Ba_0.1La_0.9Ti_0.1Fe_0.9O₃. The hysteresis loops of both samples at 300 and 10 K show a strong ferromagnetic behavior. The temperature dependent magnetization at 0.05 T under field-cooled (FC) and zero field cooled (ZFC) modes shows magnetic frustration or spin glass-like behavior.     

Cottonseed,protein and oil yields and oil properties as affected by nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization and growth regulators

Two experiments were carried out at our research center during the 1981 and 1982 seasons on cotton cultivar Giza 75 (Gossypium barbadense L.) to investigate the influence of nitrogen fertilization rates (72, 144 or 216 kg/ha.), phosphorus levels (36 or 72 kg P₂O₅/ha.) and three growth regulators (IAA, IBA or NAA) applied to cotton plants at 10 ppm and sprayed three times (70, 85 and 100 days after sowing) on protein and oil yields, and oil properties. A randomized complete block design with four replications treatment combinations was used. The combined analysis of the results of the two seasons revealed that yields of cottonseed, oil and protein increased by raising nitrogen and phosphorus levels and under the application of growth regulators. Seed index increased by raising the added nitrogen and the applied growth regulants. No detectable effect of phosphorus levels was observed. The seed oil percentage decreased, although the protein percentage increased, when the nitrogen application rate was raised. Application of growth regulators and a high phosphorus level increased the seed oil percentage, but the seed protein percentage was not affected. The seed oil properties, i.e., acidity, saponification and iodine values, tended to decrease slightly by increasing the nitrogen application rate and the application of growth substances, but the trend reversed when the phosphorus level was raised. The mean values of oil specific gravity and refractive index did not show any definite responses.     

Finite Element Analysis of Glass Fiber‐Reinforced Polyamide Engine Oil Pan Subjected to Localized Low Velocity Impact from Flying Projectiles

This paper investigates low velocity impact involving a glass fiber‐reinforced polyamide engine oil pan as part of a complete new development of thermoplastic components. The assessment of the impact resistance has driven the need to employ LS DYNA for finite element modeling in order to benchmark and predict the strength and fracture behavior of stressed plastic parts. In order to develop a reliable predictive capability and to validate simulations, complete components were manufactured by injection molding techniques for the experimental samples. Low velocity impact investigations were carried out using a gas gun and a falling weight tester in order to simulate impact events to which the oil pan is subjected whilst in operational service. This was intended to point out damage tolerance and failure mechanisms likely to occur in the structure. The study results show the significant contribution of the design in terms of shock absorption. Specific oil pan design with protective ribbing combined with a superior material considerably improves the impact resistance. The paper provides results and discussions on experimental and finite element analysis investigations before concluding with some remarks.     

Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Mercaptophenol Functionalized-Gold Nanorods Against a Clinical Isolate of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials - Gold nanorods (AuNRs) were synthesized by the seed-mediated wet chemical method using a binary surfactant system. AuNRs were...     

Enhanced adsorption of anionic phenol red using cationic polyethylenimine-incorporated chitosan beads

Journal of Porous Materials - In this study, a fast and simple dissolution and coagulation method was adopted to produce polyethylenimine (PEI)-incorporated chitosan beads. The beads were...     

Fabrication of silver nanoparticles dispersed in palm oil using laser ablation

In this study we used a laser ablation technique for preparation of silver nanoparticles. The fabrication process was carried out by ablation of a silver plate immersed in palm oil. A pulsed Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 1064 nm was used for ablation of the plate at different times. The palm coconut oil allowed formation of nanoparticles with very small and uniform particle size, which are dispersed very homogeneously within the solution. The obtained particle sizes for 15 and 30 minute ablation times were 2.5 and 2 nm, respectively. Stability study shows that all of the samples remained stable for a reasonable period of time.     

Numerical analysis of the influence of two-phase flow mass and heat transfer on n-heptane autoignition

This paper investigates the influence of liquid fuel presence on the autoignition of n-heptane/air mixtures over a wide range of conditions encountered in internal combustion engines. To this end, evaporating droplet physics and skeletal chemistry mechanisms are simultaneously solved considering a homogeneous constant-pressure reactor. A skeletal mechanism is introduced to account for specific kinetics behavior in the Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) region. The impact of mass and heat source terms during evaporation is emphasized by comparing a two-phase flow scenario with a purely gaseous case. The competition between fuel vapor availability and the evaporation-induced gas temperature decrease is specific to two-phase flow autoignition. On the one hand, droplet evaporation delay restricts the gaseous local fuel/air equivalence ratio and consequently the kinetics runaway. On the other hand, temperature reduction due to evaporation may either reduce or enhance chemical reactivity, depending on the local thermodynamic conditions lying either inside or outside the NTC region. By simultaneously accounting for evaporation source terms and skeletal chemistry, we can reproduce the already experimentally observed transformation of the NTC region into a Zero Temperature Coefficient (ZTC) region depending on thermodynamic conditions and droplet size. The ZTC phenomenon appears when combustion heat-release starts before complete droplet evaporation. Since the ZTC behavior can be captured using the point source approach, in which droplets are considered only as zero-dimensional source terms of mass and energy, the present results pave the way for future exploration of NTC chemistry in sprays with a direct numerical simulation of discrete particles considering detailed chemistry and turbulent flows.