Remediation of soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from crude oil

The aim of this study was to determine ways of remediating soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with crude oil. The study involves the use of planted cowpeas, mushrooms, algae, dead vegetable and live earthworm, and fire-heating of the contaminated garden soil collected from the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. The types and levels of the PAH in the soil before and after three weeks of contamination were determined using gas chromatography. Mushrooms and cowpeas proved to be very adequate phytoremediators. Fire heat was third, algae and dead vegetable with live earthworm showed the least reduction. This study thus recommends that the people of the Niger Delta should engage in planting of mushrooms and cowpeas to regenerate and ameliorate petroleum contaminated land for beneficial farming.Key words: Crude oil, petroleum, contaminated soil, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, mushrooms, cowpeas

Effect of environmental factors on coastal fisheries

Factors which threaten sustainable commercial fisheries are considered in this paper. Oil and grease, suspended solids, overfishing impact on fishes and fisheries. Whereas overfishing declines adult fish values; the duo of oil and suspended solids clog and disable gills of affected fishes and deplete insolation. And barnacles foul boats

The development of atherosclerosis in a patient with diabetes mellitus

Scientific supervisors: Zhuravka N. V., assistant; Shop I. V., PhD, associate professorАктуальні питання сучасної медицини: Тези доповідей XVІ Міжнародної наукової конференції студентів, молодих вчених та фахівців 28-29 березня 2019 р. – Х.: ХНУ імені В. Н. Каразіна, 2019. – C. 336-337

Brain edema : a valid endpoint for measuring hepatic encephalopathy?

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a major complication of liver failure/disease which frequently develops during the progression of end-stage liver disease. This metabolic neuropsychiatric syndrome involves a spectrum of symptoms, including cognition impairment, attention deficits and motor dysfunction which eventually can progress to coma and death. Pathologically, HE is characterized by swelling of the astrocytes which consequently leads to brain edema, a common feature found in patients with acute liver failure (ALF) as well as in cirrhotic patients suffering from HE. The pathogenic factors involved in the onset of astrocyte swelling and brain edema in HE are unresolved. However, the role of astrocyte swelling/brain edema in the development of HE remains ambiguous and therefore measuring brain edema as an endpoint to evaluate HE is questioned. The following review will determine the effect of astrocyte swelling and brain edema on neurological function, discuss the various possible techniques to measure brain edema and lastly to propose a number of neurobehavioral tests to evaluate HE

Construction of a Wireless Smart Home System based on Voice Recognition

In this paper a design and construction of a wireless smart home system on voice recognition has been presented. The proposed system consists of a voice recognition module, Arduino Uno microcontroller, relay circuit and radio frequency transmitter and receiver. The voice recognition module needs to be trained first before it can be used to recognize commands. Upon successful recognition of voice command, the Arduino drives the corresponding load with the help of the relay circuit. Keyword: Wireless, smart home system, voice recognition DOI: 10.7176/ISDE/10-1-0

MRI Visualization of Whole Brain Macro- and Microvascular Remodeling in a Rat Model of Ischemic Stroke: A Pilot Study

Using superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) as a single contrast agent, we investigated dual contrast cerebrovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for simultaneously monitoring macro- and microvasculature and their association with ischemic edema status (via apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC]) in transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) rat models. High-resolution T1-contrast based ultra-short echo time MR angiography (UTE-MRA) visualized size remodeling of pial arteries and veins whose mutual association with cortical ischemic edema status is rarely reported. ??R2?????R2*-MRI-derived vessel size index (VSI) and density indices (Q and MVD) mapped morphological changes of microvessels occurring in subcortical ischemic edema lesions. In cortical ischemic edema lesions, significantly dilated pial veins (p???=???0.0051) and thinned pial arteries (p???=???0.0096) of ipsilateral brains compared to those of contralateral brains were observed from UTE-MRAs. In subcortical regions, ischemic edema lesions had a significantly decreased Q and MVD values (p???<???0.001), as well as increased VSI values (p???<???0.001) than normal subcortical tissues in contralateral brains. This pilot study suggests that MR-based morphological vessel changes, including but not limited to venous blood vessels, are directly related to corresponding tissue edema status in ischemic stroke rat models

No secondary elevation of extracellular adenosine in malignant edema formation following transient MCA occlusion

Malignant edema is a relevant, serious complication in various clinical situations including large hemispheric stroke. To date, the roles of purine catabolites and amino acids in the course of malignant edema formation remain obscure. We examined the correlation between secondary perfusional disturbance and elevation of extracellular purine catabolites and amino acids in a transient focal ischemia model in cats that is prone to develop malignant edema and thereby secondary ischemia during reperfusionpeer-reviewe

Effects of supplemental vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) on the growth and health of African catfish Clarias gariepinus

Four different diets each containing 37.4% crude protein were formulated from locally available feed materials to contain 0 (control), 23, 46 and 92 mg/Kg supplemental Ascorbic acid (AA) respectively. Catfish with average weight of 2 - 6g were stocked and fed twice daily to satiation initially with Coppens fish feed for the first 9 weeks, sorted by weight equality into four ponds at different times; and further fed with the experimental diet till the 26th week. Growth performance was tested using data from length and weight measurements of the fish. Weight gain was generally significantly (P<0.02) higher in groups fed 92 mg/Kg AA and 46 mg/Kg AA than those fed with 0 mg/Kg Ascorbic acid and 23 mg/Kg AA, but those fed 0 mg/Kg AA showed higher mean weight gain (527.86g) than those fed 23mg/kg AA (257.74g). Protein efficiency ratio was higher in the group fed 0mg/kg AA than the other groups. Liver AA was significantly higher (P<0.05) in groups fed 92 mg/kg AA. The group which received 0 mg/Kg AA and 23 mg/Kg AA in their diets manifested deficiency signs such as nodules on neck, skin lesions, head lesions and very visible sutures, but those fed 46 mg/Kg AA and 92 mg/Kg AA had a healthy body appearance. Evidence from this study shows that growth or weight gain of catfish is not solely dependent on supplemental vitamin C availability; but low amounts or absence of supplemental vitamin C bring about poor health.Keywords: Clarias gariepinus, Ascorbic acid, diets, Healt

Aquaporin-4 and brain edema.

Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is a water-channel protein expressed strongly in the brain, predominantly in astrocyte foot processes at the borders between the brain parenchyma and major fluid compartments, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. This distribution suggests that AQP4 controls water fluxes into and out of the brain parenchyma. Experiments using AQP4-null mice provide strong evidence for AQP4 involvement in cerebral water balance. AQP4-null mice are protected from cellular (cytotoxic) brain edema produced by water intoxication, brain ischemia, or meningitis. However, AQP4 deletion aggravates vasogenic (fluid leak) brain edema produced by tumor, cortical freeze, intraparenchymal fluid infusion, or brain abscess. In cytotoxic edema, AQP4 deletion slows the rate of water entry into brain, whereas in vasogenic edema, AQP4 deletion reduces the rate of water outflow from brain parenchyma. AQP4 deletion also worsens obstructive hydrocephalus. Recently, AQP4 was also found to play a major role in processes unrelated to brain edema, including astrocyte migration and neuronal excitability. These findings suggest that modulation of AQP4 expression or function may be beneficial in several cerebral disorders, including hyponatremic brain edema, hydrocephalus, stroke, tumor, infection, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury