Projection neurons in lamina III of the rat spinal cord are selectively innervated by local dynorphin-containing excitatory neurons

Large projection neurons in lamina III of the rat spinal cord that express the neurokinin 1 receptor are densely innervated by peptidergic primary afferent nociceptors and more sparsely by low-threshold myelinated afferents. However, we know little about their input from other glutamatergic neurons. Here we show that these cells receive numerous contacts from nonprimary boutons that express the vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2), and form asymmetrical synapses on their dendrites and cell bodies. These synapses are significantly smaller than those formed by peptidergic afferents, but provide a substantial proportion of the glutamatergic synapses that the cells receive (over a third of those in laminae I–II and half of those in deeper laminae). Surprisingly, although the dynorphin precursor preprodynorphin (PPD) was only present in 4–7% of VGLUT2 boutons in laminae I–IV, it was found in 58% of the VGLUT2 boutons that contacted these cells. This indicates a highly selective targeting of the lamina III projection cells by glutamatergic neurons that express PPD, and these are likely to correspond to local neurons (interneurons and possibly projection cells). Since many PPD-expressing dorsal horn neurons respond to noxious stimulation, this suggests that the lamina III projection cells receive powerful monosynaptic and polysynaptic nociceptive input. Excitatory interneurons in the dorsal horn have been shown to possess IA currents, which limit their excitability and can underlie a form of activity-dependent intrinsic plasticity. It is therefore likely that polysynaptic inputs to the lamina III projection neurons are recruited during the development of chronic pain states

Analysis of chemical constituents in medicinal plants of selected districts of Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan

Alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins were determined in the Teraxacam officinale, Cichorium intybus and Figonia tritica. Quantative determinations of crude alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins (g kg-1) and their percentages (%) were determined in C. intybus, T. officinale and F. critica collected from Kohat, Mardan, Nowshera and Peshawar regions. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) study of the alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins were carried out with different solvent systems and color of the spot and Rf value of each constituent was determined. Among the samples of C. intybus, relatively higher contents of alkaloids (14 g kg-1) were found in the sample collected from Mardan region, followed by the sample gathered from Nowshera which is equal to 13.8g kg-1. Higher contents of flavonoids were found in C. intybus collected from Kohat region which was 23.48 g kg-1. The other remaining samples of C. intybus ranged in the decreasing order of 19.7, 17.2 and 10.0 g kg-1 for the ones collected from Nowshera, Mardan and Peshawar, respectively. The overall saponin contents remained almost low as compared to the alkaloid and flavonoid contents.Key words: Alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, TLC study, medicinal plants

Heavy metals and inorganic constituents in medicinal plants of selected Districts of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan

Heavy metals such as Cr, Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, Pb, Cu and Cd, and inorganic ions like HCO3-, CO32-, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, Na+, SO42-, NO3-, Fe2+ and F- were investigated in medicinally important plants: Taraxacam officinale, Cichorium intybus and Figonia critica, applying atomic absorption spectrophotometer techniques. In the studied herbs, there were variable amounts of heavy metals and inorganic ions. The purpose of this study was to standardize heavy metals contamination in various indigenous medicinal plants and to create awareness among the public regarding its safe use at collection areas (containing high level of heavy metals) and their adverse health effects.Key words: Medicinal plants, inorganic constituents, heavy metals, atomic absorption spectrophotometer

Phytochemical analysis of selected medicinal plants

Four medicinal plants including Ranunculus arvensis, Equisetum ravens, Carathamus lanatus and Fagonia critica were used for the study. All the plants were biologically active and were used for different types of ailments. Keeping in view their importance, this work was carried out to investigate the quantitative determination of their crude phytochemicals, vitamins and protein contents. The quantitative determination of crude phytochemicals (alkaloids, total phenols, flavonoids and saponins) vitamins (riboflavin, vitamin C, niacin and pectin) and protein were determined in the aforementioned herbs. The phytochemicals including alkaloids, total phenols, flavonoids and saponins were determined quantitatively using literature methods. Vitamins were measured using a UV/ visible spectrophotometer (UV- 1601 Shamidzu) and the protein was determined by the Micro KJeldahl’s method (Horwitz et al., 2000). The studied plants showed variable amounts of phytochemicals, vitamins and protein contents. The study is very important, in that it intended to show the contents of the studied medicinal herbs and also provide a scientific data base line which is of particular importance for the local practioners as well as for the local people using these herbs for a variety of body disorders.Key word: Phytochemical analysis, medicinal plants, Pakistan

Suitability of utilizing small horizontal axis wind turbines for off grid loads in eastern region of Saudi Arabia

Small wind turbines of 1–3, 5–10, and 15–20kW rated powers are used to find out suitable and efficient turbines for power generation in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the effect of hub height on energy output and the plant capacity factor is investigated to recommend an optimal hub height to be used in the present case. To achieve the set objectives, hourly mean wind speed data measured at 20, 30, and 40m and wind direction at 30 and 40m during 13 September 2005 to 9 May 2010 have been utilized. The annual mean wind speed values were 5.73, 5.34, and 4.75 m/s at 40, 30, and 20m with north-north west (NNW) prevailing wind direction. An increase of about 20.7% was estimated in wind speed measured at 40m compared to that at 20 m. Wind turbines Fortis Passat—1.4kW, Fortis Montana—5.8kW, Fortis Alize—10kW, and CF20—20kW with annual energy and plant capacity factor of 7.015MW h and 57.2%, 25.955MW h and 51.08%, 42.603MW h and 48.63%, and 54.674MW h and 31.21% were the most efficient turbines for the chosen location, respectively. Highest percentage increase in annual energy yield was obtained for a mere change of 5m from 15 to 20m in hub height in the present case study. The next best annual energy yield was obtained while increasing hub height from 20 to 30 m.The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the Research Institute of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Alam wishes to acknowledge support given to him from the Research Grant Council of Shenzhen Government through grants JCYJ20120613145300404. The authors (A Lashin and N Al Arifi) extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University (Saudi Arabia) for funding the work through the international research group project no. IRG14-36.http://www.multi-science.co.uk/eee.htm2016-11-30am2016Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineerin

Suitability of utilizing small horizontal axis wind turbines for off grid loads in eastern region of Saudi Arabia

Small wind turbines of 1–3, 5–10, and 15–20kW rated powers are used to find out suitable and efficient turbines for power generation in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the effect of hub height on energy output and the plant capacity factor is investigated to recommend an optimal hub height to be used in the present case. To achieve the set objectives, hourly mean wind speed data measured at 20, 30, and 40m and wind direction at 30 and 40m during 13 September 2005 to 9 May 2010 have been utilized. The annual mean wind speed values were 5.73, 5.34, and 4.75 m/s at 40, 30, and 20m with north-north west (NNW) prevailing wind direction. An increase of about 20.7% was estimated in wind speed measured at 40m compared to that at 20 m. Wind turbines Fortis Passat—1.4kW, Fortis Montana—5.8kW, Fortis Alize—10kW, and CF20—20kW with annual energy and plant capacity factor of 7.015MW h and 57.2%, 25.955MW h and 51.08%, 42.603MW h and 48.63%, and 54.674MW h and 31.21% were the most efficient turbines for the chosen location, respectively. Highest percentage increase in annual energy yield was obtained for a mere change of 5m from 15 to 20m in hub height in the present case study. The next best annual energy yield was obtained while increasing hub height from 20 to 30 m.The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the Research Institute of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Alam wishes to acknowledge support given to him from the Research Grant Council of Shenzhen Government through grants JCYJ20120613145300404. The authors (A Lashin and N Al Arifi) extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University (Saudi Arabia) for funding the work through the international research group project no. IRG14-36.http://www.multi-science.co.uk/eee.htm2016-11-30am2016Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineerin

A Novel Peptide Ameliorates LPS-Induced Intestinal Inflammation and Mucosal Barrier Damage via Its Antioxidant and Antiendotoxin Effects

Intestinal inflammation is an inflammatory disease resulting from immune dysregulation in the gut. It can increase the risk of enteric cancer, which is a common malignancy globally. As a new class of anti-inflammatory agents, native peptides have potential for use in the treatment of several intestinal inflammation conditions; however, their potential cytotoxicity and poor anti-inflammatory activity and stability have prevented their development. Hybridization has been proposed to overcome this problem. Thus, in this study, we designed a hybrid peptide (LL-37-TP5, LTP) by combing the active centre of LL-37 (13–36) with TP5. The half-life and cytotoxicity were tested in vitro, and the hybrid peptide showed a longer half-life and lower cytotoxicity than its parental peptides. We also detected the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of LTP on Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal inflammation in murine model. The results showed that LTP effectively prevented LPS-induced weight loss, impairment of intestinal tissues, leukocyte infiltration, and histological evidence of inflammation. Additionally, LTP decreased the levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, and interleukin-6; increased the expression of zonula occludens-1 and occludin; and reduced permeability in the jejunum of LPS-treated mice. Notably, LTP appeared to be more potent than the parental peptides LL-37 and TP5. The anti-inflammatory effects of LTP may be associated with the neutralization of LPS, inhibition of oxidative stress, and inhibition of the NF-κB signalling pathway. The findings of this study suggest that LTP might be an effective therapeutic agent for treating intestinal inflammation

ScienceDirect The 9th International Conference on Future Networks and Communications (FNC-2014) On Enhancing Network Reliability and Throughput for Critical-Range Based Applications in UWSNs

Abstract Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) support various applications like pollution monitoring, tsunami warnings, offshore exploration, tactical surveillance, etc. Distinctive features of UWSNs like low available bandwidth, large propagation delay, highly dynamic network topology, and high error probability pose many challenges for designing efficient and reliable communication protocols. In this paper, we propose an extension of IAMCTD (Improved Adaptive Mobility of Courier nodes in Threshold-optimized DBR protocol for UWSNs) that focuses on enhancing network reliability and throughput for critical-range based applications. Our scheme avoids control overhead that was present in IAMCTD for implementing changes in depth threshold. The movement pattern of courier nodes along with reducing communication burden on nodes increases throughput as well. Additionally, stability period is improved and node density per round remains comparatively high improving the overall network reliability. Based on the comprehensive simulations using MATLAB, we observe that our scheme improves the performance in terms of throughput and stability period. Moreover, comparatively higher network density per round is maintained and end-to-end delay is stabilized throughout the network lifetime