Effects of selected herbs and vegetables on the nutritional quality of beef burger and rat bioassay

Rat bioassay was used to evaluate the nutritional quality of beef burger as influenced by the addition of selected herbs and vegetables. The selected herbs and vegetables used were pucuk ubi (Mannihot esculenta), pucuk gajus (Anacardium occidentale), pegaga (Centella asiatica) and jantung pisang (Musa paradisiaca) as treatment group with casein and skimmed milk as reference. The rats were fed with herbs and vegetables at the rate of 0.5 (low dose) and 25 (high dose) g/kg body weight. The samples were analyzed for proximate analysis, protein quality and protein digestibility. The rats fed with pucuk ubi (high dose) (364.30 ± 25.34 g) indicated the highest mean of increased body weight (121.05 ± 14.65 g) while rats fed with skimmed milk (310.98 ± 18.92 g) showed the lowest mean increase in body weight (88.33 ± 14.25 g). As for the Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) value, all the rats fed with herbs diet showed PER values that were significantly lower (p<0.05) compared to the casein. As for the in vivo apparent protein digestibility test, casein showed the highest digestibility value (86.33 ± 4.20) while pucuk gajus (high dose) (59.59 ± 5.41) showed the lowest. As for the in vitro digestibility analyses, casein indicated the highest value for in vitro digestibility (93.84 ± 0.33). Administration of herbs and vegetables at low and high doses show significant effects (p<0.05) on nutritional quality of beef burger. In conclusion, it was found that antinutritional factors in selected herbs and vegetables might affect the nutritional quality of beef burger

Metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress markers in women exposed to secondhand smoke

Background Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure has adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. This study aimed to determine the effects of SHS on the cardiovascular disease biomarkers, namely the metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress markers in healthy adult women. Methods This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among healthy women. The cases included those women exposed to SHS, and the controls included those women not exposed to SHS. SHS exposure was defined as being exposed to SHS for at least 15 min for 2 days per week. Venous blood was taken to measure the metabolic markers (high molecular weight adiponectin, insulin level, insulin resistance, and nonesterified fatty acids), oxidative stress markers (oxidized low density lipoprotein cholesterol and 8-isoprostane), and inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6). A hair nicotine analysis was also performed. An analysis of covariance and a simple linear regression analysis were conducted. Results There were 101 women in the SHS exposure group and 91 women in the non-SHS exposure group. The mean (with standard deviation) of the hair nicotine levels was significantly higher in the SHS exposure group when compared to the non-SHS exposure group [0.22 (0.62) vs. 0.04 (0.11) ng/mg; P = 0.009]. No significant differences were observed in the high molecular weight adiponectin, insulin and insulin resistance, nonesterified fatty acids, 8-isoprostane, oxidized low density lipoprotein cholesterol, interleukin-6, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein between the two groups. The serum high molecular weight adiponectin was negatively associated with the insulin level and insulin resistance in the women exposed to SHS. However, no significant relationships were seen between the high molecular weight adiponectin and nonesterified fatty acids, 8-isoprostane, oxidized low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in the SHS group. Discussion There were no significant differences in the metabolic, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers between the SHS exposure and non-SHS exposure healthy women. A low serum level of high molecular weight adiponectin was associated with an increased insulin level and resistance in the women exposed to SHS

The strength of Japanese companies: a proposed TQM framework using Atlas.Ti

Total quality management (TQM) has been implemented because of strong global market rivalry. One of Japanese companies' strength is TQM practices. Japanese companies have succeeded in global market mainly due to the effective adoption of TQM practices. It is proved that Japanese companies have dominated in much industry such as electrical and electronic, and automotive. Many previous studies discussed about comparing TQM performs between Japanese and non-Japanese companies. However, most of them were given less emphasis on exploring Japanese TQM strength based on relationship diagram amongst TQM, tools and techniques and business performance, which was identified as the theoretical gap. The main impact of this study is to identify the strength of Japanese companies through relationship diagram based on previous works. Qualitative study has been applied using Atlas.ti and meta-analysis. Based on the result, Japanese companies emphasise in application of tools and techniques and human resource developments in their companies. Tools and techniques have relationship between TQM and business performance to succeed higher impact of TQM practices on their business performance. Finally, authors have proposed a conceptual model for understanding the strength of Japanese companies

Impact of Channel, Stress-Relaxed Buffer, and S/D Si1−xGe x Stressor on the Performance of 7-nm FinFET CMOS Design with the Implementation of Stress Engineering

Stress-engineered fin-shaped field effect transistors (FinFET) using germanium (Ge) is a promising performance booster to replace silicon (Si) due to its high holes mobility. This paper presents a three-dimensional simulation by the Sentaurus technology computer-aided design to study the effects of stressors—channel stress, stress-relaxed buffer (SRB), and source/drain (S/D) epitaxial stress—on different bases of FinFET, specifically silicon germanium (SiGe) and Ge-based, whereby the latter is achieved by manipulating the Ge mole fraction inside the three layers; their effects on the devices’ figures-of-merits were recorded. The simulation generates an advanced calibration process, by which the drift diffusion simulation was adopted for ballistic transport effects. The results show that current enhancement in p-type FinFET (p-FinFET) with 110% is almost twice that in n-type FinFET (n-FinFET) with 57%, with increasing strain inside the channel suggesting that the use of strain is more effective for holes. In SiGe-based n-FinFET, the use of a high-strained SRB layer can improve the drive current up to 112%, while the high-strain S/D epitaxial for Ge-based p-FinFET can enhance the on-state current to 262%. Further investigations show that the channel and S/D doping are affecting the performances of SiGe-based FinFET with similar importance. It is observed that doping concentrations play an important role in threshold voltage adjustment as well as in drive current and subthreshold leakage improvements

DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF VALVELESS MICROPUMPS BY USING GENETIC ALGORITHMS APPROACH

This paper presents a design optimization of valveless micropump using Genetic Algorithms (GA). The micropump is designed with a diaphragm, pumping chamber and diffuser/nozzle element functions as inlet and outlet of micropump with outer dimension of (5×1.75×5) mm3. The main objectives of this research are to determine the optimum pressure to be applied at micropump’s diaphragm and to find the optimum coupling parameters of the micropump to achieve high flow rate with low power consumption. In order to determine the micropump design performance, the total deformation, strain energy density, equivalent stress for diaphragm, velocity and net flow rate of micropump are investigated. An optimal resonant frequency range for the diaphragm of valveless micropump is obtained through the result assessment. With the development of GA-ANSYS model, a maximum total displacement of diaphragm, 5.3635 µm, with 12 kPa actuation pressure and optimum net flowrate of 7.467 mL/min are achieved

Tai Chi Exercise for Mental and Physical Well-Being in Patients with Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Tai Chi is a mindfulness–body practice that has physiological and psychosocial benefits and can be integrated into the prevention and rehabilitation of various medical conditions; however, the effectiveness of Tai Chi in the treatment of depression remains unclear. This review aimed to determine the effects of Tai Chi exercise on mental and physical well-being in patients with depressive symptoms. We searched databases for English language publications that appeared during January 2000–2022. The included trials were RCTs that involved people with depression with no other medical conditions, and included both adolescent and adult samples. A meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model and the heterogeneity was estimated using I2 statistics. The quality of each trial was assessed according to the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. The eight trials were divided into two comparisons: (1) a combination of Tai Chi and antidepressants versus standard antidepressants; (2) Tai Chi versus no intervention. The Tai Chi intervention showed improvements in mental and physical well-being as evidenced by the reductions in depression and anxiety and improved quality of life (QOL) of the patients with depressive symptoms. Further well-controlled RCTs are recommended with a precision trial design and larger sample sizes

Ethnobotanical review and pharmacological properties of selected medicinal plants in Brunei Darussalam: Litsea elliptica, Dillenia suffruticosa, Dillenia excelsa, Aidia racemosa, Vitex pinnata and Senna alata

The aim of the current study is to review the medicinal properties of the plants found in Brunei Darussalam namely Litsea elliptica, Dillenia suffruticosa, Dillenia excelsa, Aidia racemosa, Vitex pinnata and Senna alata. The known phytochemical constituents of these plants and their ability to bring about a range of biological activities are included in this review. These plants have been used traditionally for a multitude of diseases and illnesses. There is a lot of untapped potential in these medicinal plants which could cure multiple diseases

Bioethical issues of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine from Islamic perspective

Modern advances in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, genetics, biomedical engineering and material sciences, have contributed to the development of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM). Although TERM is still in its initial phases, significant breakthrough in this crossdisciplinary area has clearly marked the way for the establishment of a promising new biomedicine technology which actively seeks to reconstruct tissues/organs or spare parts for the human body to repair, restore or replace damaged tissues. However, these breakthroughs have raised number of moral and legal questions, including among others, is it moral to genetically modify the human genes? What are the moral and legal implications of regenerative medicine? Does organ reconstruction or tissue replacement activity violate basic religious beliefs or legal status of the person? What is the scope and limitation of these practices? Through textual and analytical methods, this paper aims to answer these questions and other relevant concerns from Islamic perspective. Besides the texts of the Qur‟an and the Prophetic narrations (hadith), both Muslim jurists (fuqaha) and ethicists‟ opinion on these matters would be unveiled

Bioethical issues of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine: a preliminary review from Islamic perspective

Modern advances in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, genetics, biomedical engineering and material sciences, have contributed to the development of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM). Although TERM is still in its initial phases, significant breakthrough in this cross- disciplinary area has clearly marked the way for the establishment of a promising new biomedicine technology which actively seeks to reconstruct tissues/organs or spare parts for the human body to repair, restore or replace damaged tissues. However, these breakthroughs have raised number of moral and legal questions, including among others, is it moral to genetically modify the human genes? What are the moral and legal implications of regenerative medicine? Does organ reconstruction or tissue replacement activity violate basic religious beliefs or legal status of the person? Through textual and analytical methods, this paper aims to explore relevant concerns from t he Islamic perspective. Besides the texts of the Qur’an and the Prophetic narrations (hadith), both Muslim jurists (fuqaha) and ethicists’ opinion on these matters would be unveiled

Exploring the abundance and diversity of hymenopteran PARASITOIDS IN PADDY Fields cultivated with beneficial plant, Turnera trioniflora SIMS

Beneficial insects such as hymenopteran parasitoids play a crucial role in pest population control and reducing the use of pesticides in paddy fields. To maintain sustainable parasitoid populations in the field, a sufficient nectar source is required, which can be provided by beneficial plants such as Turnera plants. However, studies on the abundance and diversity of hymenopteran parasitoids in paddy fields cultivated with Turnera plants are scarce. Hence, this study aimed to identify the families of hymenopteran parasitoids and determine their abundance and diversity in paddy fields cultivated with beneficial plant, Turnera trioniflora in Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia. Two paddy fields of 1 ha/field were selected, where one plot was cultivated with T. trioniflora (Plot A) and the other without T. trioniflora (Plot B). Three Malaise traps were randomly placed in each plot and insect samples were collected weekly during paddy off-season (Season 1: March-May 2021) and paddy main-season (Season 2: September-November 2021), and all samples were brought to the laboratory for identification. The study successfully identified 120 hymenopteran parasitoids comprising six families, namely Ichneumonidae, Braconidae, Chalcididae, Scelionidae, Torymidae, and Bethylidae, with the most abundant families being Ichneumonidae (72 individuals) and Braconidae (35 individuals). A significant difference (P<0.05) of hymenopteran parasitoid abundance was observed between different families in Season 1 but not in Season 2. The hymenopteran parasitoid abundance in Plot A was recorded as 73% higher than that in Plot B for both seasons. The diversity of hymenopteran parasitoids in Plot A was also higher than that in Plot B for both seasons. The study concludes that the abundance and diversity of hymenopteran parasitoids were higher in paddy plots cultivated with T. trioniflora, indicating the beneficial effects of T. trioniflora on the hymenopteran parasitoid’s populations. These findings suggest that the presence of T. trioniflora in paddy fields may contribute to a more abundant and diverse family of hymenopteran parasitoids that may help improve paddy field pest management strategies