Estimation of total phenolic, total flavonoid content and evaluation of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of Ixora coccinea Linn. stems

Ixora coccinea Linn. (Rubiaceae) has mentioned in Ayurveda as Paranti and traditionally stems used in inflammatory diseases like sprains, eczema, contusions and boils.  Present study deals with evaluation of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of extracts of I.coccinea stem. Anti-inflammatory activity was studied in vivo by carrageenan-induced paw edema in rat and in vitro by human red blood cell membrane stabilization method. Total tannin and flavonoid content of extracts was determined by using the Folin- Ciocalteu method and aluminum chloride method, respectively. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by in vitro assay involving nitric oxide scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, 2,2-  diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, and ion chelating activity. Chloroform extract showed significant reduction in carrageenan induced rat paw edema (p<0.05) and protection of HRBC in hypotonic solution. Methanol extract contain more total tannin and flavonoid content as compared with petroleum ether and chloroform extract. All extracts showed concentration dependant free radical scavenging activity. Methanol extract and chloroform extract have shown better antioxidant activity and due to this antioxidant nature might be responsible for its anti-inflammatory activity. These activity supports to use of I.coccinea extract in traditional used in treatment of various inflammatory disaeses

Analisis terhadap Program Penataan Wilayah Saritem Menuju Kawasan Religius

Penelitian ini bertolak dari kehadiran pesantren Dar At-Taubah sejak dua tahun terakhir di kawasan prostitusi Saritem Kota Bandung. Mendirikan pesantren di lokasi prostitusi sangat menarik untuk dikaji, mengingat suasana dan tantangannya sangat berbeda dengan mendirikan pesantren di lingkungan masyarakat lainnya. Kenyataan ini tentu akan mengundang beberapa pertanyaan, karena alasan apa pesantren itu didirikan ? Bagaimana perencanaan programnya, pengelolaannya, tujuan dan terget sasarannya ? Dan mengapa harus mendirikan pesantren ?Itulah beberapa persoalan menarik peneliti untuk melakukan penelitian tentang masalah ini. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan berbagai data dan informasi tentang keberadaan pesantren Dar At-Taubah dalam upaya penciptaan, Perubahan sosial di kawasan prostitusi Saritem. Dengan menggunakan penelitian studi eksploratif dan teknik pengumpulan data berupa observasi, wawancara, studi dokumentasi, dan kepustakaan, diperoleh hasil penelitian sebagai berikut : 1) Pendirian pesantren Dar At-Taubah di kawasan Saritem dilatari oleh perspektif serta motivasi agamis dan moralitas sosial di samping adanya titik temu antara masyarakat dan tokoh dengan pemerintah dalam memandang masalah prostitusi dan upaya penanggulangannya; 2) Pendirian pesantren ini ditujukan untuk menciptakan tata ruang baru yang berdampak pada Perubahan psiko-sosial warga saritem dari citra dan perilaku yang bernuasa prostitusi menuju citra dan perilaku baru yang lebih baik dan religius; 3) secara garis besar, perencanaan pesantren meliputi instrumen fisik dan instrumen program yang masih memerlukan pengembangan; 4) pada pelaksanaan program pesantren telah berhasil membangun sarana fisik dan pusat kegiatan di tengah kawasan Saritem serta menyelenggarakan aktivitas keislaman; dan 5) bila dipandang tahap peristisan, keberadaan pesantren Dar At-Taubah di kawasan Saritem telah menunjukkan pengaruh positif

Restrictions on the Material Coefficients in the Constitutive Theories for Non-Classical Viscous Fluent Continua

This paper considers conservation and balance laws and the constitutive theo-ries for non-classical viscous fluent continua without memory, in which in-ternal rotation rates due to the velocity gradient tensor are incorporated in the thermodynamic framework. The constitutive theories for the deviatoric part of the symmetric Cauchy stress tensor and the Cauchy moment tensor are de-rived based on integrity. The constitutive theories for the Cauchy moment tensor are considered when the balance of moments of moments 1) is not a balance law and 2) is a balance law. The constitutive theory for heat vector based on integrity is also considered. Restrictions on the material coefficients in the constitutive theories for the stress tensor, moment tensor, and heat vector are established using the conditions resulting from the entropy inequa-lity, keeping in mind that the constitutive theories derived here based on inte-grity are in fact nonlinear constitutive theories. It is shown that in the case of the simplest linear constitutive theory for stress tensor used predominantly for compressible viscous fluids, Stokes’ hypothesis or Stokes’ assumption has no thermodynamic basis, hence may be viewed incorrect. Thermodynamically consistent derivations of the restrictions on various material coefficients are presented for non-classical as well as classical theories that are applicable to nonlinear constitutive theories, which are inevitable if the constitutive theo-ries are derived based on integrity

Scalable Approach to Uncertainty Quantification and Robust Design of Interconnected Dynamical Systems

Development of robust dynamical systems and networks such as autonomous aircraft systems capable of accomplishing complex missions faces challenges due to the dynamically evolving uncertainties coming from model uncertainties, necessity to operate in a hostile cluttered urban environment, and the distributed and dynamic nature of the communication and computation resources. Model-based robust design is difficult because of the complexity of the hybrid dynamic models including continuous vehicle dynamics, the discrete models of computations and communications, and the size of the problem. We will overview recent advances in methodology and tools to model, analyze, and design robust autonomous aerospace systems operating in uncertain environment, with stress on efficient uncertainty quantification and robust design using the case studies of the mission including model-based target tracking and search, and trajectory planning in uncertain urban environment. To show that the methodology is generally applicable to uncertain dynamical systems, we will also show examples of application of the new methods to efficient uncertainty quantification of energy usage in buildings, and stability assessment of interconnected power networks

Investigating best practice for specimen preparation for biological testing of root canal sealers

INTRODUCTION: Biological characterization of root canal sealers is important as it assesses the ability of the root canal sealer to exert antimicrobial properties thus avoiding treatment failures caused by microbial challenge and also assess the cytotoxic effect on the periapical tissues. Assessment of the biological testing of root canal sealers necessitates the sterilisation of the materials prior to evaluation. This study aims to analyse the influence of various sterilisation techniques conducted prior to biological testing on the microstructure and surface properties of endodontic sealers. Assessment of the initial microbial contamination on the material was also undertaken.METHODS: Four commercial sealers were investigated. The sealers were either prepared in a laminar flow cabinet or on a laboratory bench top under ambient conditions. Each group was further divided into 5 groups (n = 3) based on the sterilization technique:1) ethanol-10 mins, 2) ultraviolet-1 h, 3) ethanol-10 mins + ultraviolet-1 h, 4) autoclave, and 5) no sterilisation (control). Microbial levels in the materials were assessed by plate streaking technique. The materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, before and after sterilisation, to assess any changes in microstructure and chemical composition.RESULTS: All the materials did not exhibit contamination when prepared in laminar flow chamber in sterile conditions compared with sealers prepared on the bench top. Three of the commercial materials showed changes in microstructure while one (TotalFill) was not affected by the sterilisation. AH Plus and BioRoot RCS exhibited alterations in water and alcohol peaks in FT-IR while the single syringe sealers (TotalFill and BioRoot Flow) showed no changes.CONCLUSIONS: Sterilisation methods cause physical and chemical alterations to sealers. Material preparation should be performed in a laminar flow cabinet and a test for sterility should be performed prior to any biological testing being undertaken. If the materials are not sterile, assessment of the effects of the sterilization methods is recommended.</p

Methods of Approximation in hpk Framework for ODEs in Time Resulting from Decoupling of Space and Time in IVPs

This is the published version. Copyright © 2011 Scientific Research PublishingThe present study considers mathematical classification of the time differential operators and then applies methods of approximation in time such as Galerkin method (GM ), Galerkin method with weak form (/GMWF ), Petrov-Galerkin method (PGM), weighted residual method (WRY ), and least squares method or process (LSM or LSP ) to construct finite element approximations in time. A correspondence is estab- lished between these integral forms and the elements of the calculus of variations: 1) to determine which methods of approximation yield unconditionally stable (variationally consistent integral forms, VC ) com- putational processes for which types of operators and, 2) to establish which integral forms do not yield un- conditionally stable computations (variationally inconsistent integral forms, VIC). It is shown that varia- tionally consistent time integral forms in hpk framework yield computational processes for ODEs in time that are unconditionally stable, provide a mechanism of higher order global differentiability approxima- tions as well as higher degree local approximations in time, provide control over approximation error when used as a time marching process and can indeed yield time accurate solutions of the evolution. Numerical studies are presented using standard model problems from the literature and the results are compared with Wilson’s method as well as Newmark method to demonstrate highly meritorious features of the pro- posed methodology

Ascorbic Acid is an Abettor in Calcium Urolithiasis: An Experimental Study

Two sets of animal experiments using guinea pigs were planned to evaluate the effect of ascorbic acid supplementation on the lithogenic process. In the first set of experiments, 10, 40, and 60 mg doses of ascorbic acid/100g body weight/day were given for 105 days. Neither of the ascorbic acid doses given induced crystalluria, calcification or stone formation, thereby confirming our previous findings that ascorbic acid in the doses used by clinicians does not cause urolith formation. In the second set of experiments, ascorbic acid was supplemented in hypercalciuric (induced by calcium carbonate feeding) and hyperoxaluric (induced by sodium oxalate feeding) animals for 45 days. The results indicated that it exacerbated the calcification process in renal and bladder tissue

Sutterella and its metabolic pathways positively correlate with vaccine-elicited antibody responses in infant rhesus macaques

IntroductionIt is becoming clearer that the microbiota helps drive responses to vaccines; however, little is known about the underlying mechanism. In this study, we aimed to identify microbial features that are associated with vaccine immunogenicity in infant rhesus macaques.MethodsWe analyzed 16S rRNA gene sequencing data of 215 fecal samples collected at multiple timepoints from 64 nursery-reared infant macaques that received various HIV vaccine regimens. PERMANOVA tests were performed to determine factors affecting composition of the gut microbiota throughout the first eight months of life in these monkeys. We used DESeq2 to identify differentially abundant bacterial taxa, PICRUSt2 to impute metagenomic information, and mass spectrophotometry to determine levels of fecal short-chain fatty acids and bile acids.ResultsComposition of the early-life gut microbial communities in nursery-reared rhesus macaques from the same animal care facility was driven by age, birth year, and vaccination status. We identified a Sutterella and a Rodentibacter species that positively correlated with vaccine-elicited antibody responses, with the Sutterella species exhibiting more robust findings. Analysis of Sutterella-related metagenomic data revealed five metabolic pathways that significantly correlated with improved antibody responses following HIV vaccination. Given these pathways have been associated with short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, we quantified the fecal concentration of these metabolites and found several that correlated with higher levels of HIV immunogen-elicited plasma IgG.DiscussionOur findings highlight an intricate bidirectional relationship between the microbiota and vaccines, where multiple aspects of the vaccination regimen modulate the microbiota and specific microbial features facilitate vaccine responses. An improved understanding of this microbiota–vaccine interplay will help develop more effective vaccines, particularly those that are tailored for early life

A Nonlinear Constitutive Theory for Heat Conduction in Lagrangian Description Based on Integrity

If the deforming matter is to be in thermodynamic equilibrium, then all constitutive theories, including those for heat vector, must satisfy conservation and balance laws. It is well known that only the second law of thermodynamics provides possible conditions or mechanisms for deriving constitutive theories, but the constitutive theories so derived also must not violate other conservation and balance laws. In the work presented here constitutive theories for heat vector in Lagrangian description are derived (i) strictly using the conditions resulting from the entropy inequality and (ii) using theory of generators and invariants in conjunction with the conditions resulting from the entropy inequality. Both theories are used in the energy equation to construct a mathematical model in R1 that is utilized to present numerical studies using p-version least squares finite element method based on residual functional in which the local approximations are considered in higher order scalar product spaces that permit higher order global differentiability approximations. The constitutive theory for heat vector resulting from the theory of generators and invariants contains up to cubic powers of temperature gradients and is based on integrity, hence complete. The constitutive theory in approach (i) is linear in temperature gradient, standard Fourier heat conduction law, and shown to be subset of the constitutive theory for heat vector resulting from the theory of generators and invariants

An Insight on Analytical Profile on Bisoprolol Fumarate – A Selective Beta-1 Adrenoreceptor Blocker

BF is Beta-adreno receptor antagonist and used as an AntiHypertensive Drug. BF gives the blocking action on β1-adrenergic receptors in the heart and vascular smooth muscle. The present review compiles the various approaches implemented for quantification of BF in bulk drug, pharmaceutical matrix and biological fluid. This review represents more than 50 analytical methods which include capillary electrophoresis, HPLC, HPTLC, UV-Spectroscopy, UPLC, impurity profiling and electrochemical methods implemented for estimation of BF as a single component as well as in multicomponent