Anti-dyslipidemic and Antioxidant Potentials of Methanol Extract of Kalanchoe crenata Whole Plant in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Nephropathy in Rats

Purpose: The activity of the methanol extract of the whole plant of Kalanchoe crenata (MEKC) was studied for the treatment of diabetes-induced nephropathy in rats.Methods: Five-day old Wistar rats received a single intraperitoneal streptozotocin injection (90 ìg/kg body weight) to induce diabetes. Kidney disease onset in the rats was observed six weeks after diabetes induction. The rats were orally administered MEKC (0, 50 and 68 mg/kg) or glibenclamide (5 mg/kg), once daily for 6 weeks. Blood and urine glucose, proteins, lipids, creatinine, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were then evaluated.Results: After 6 weeks of treatment, 50 and 68 mg/kg MEKC, and glibenclamide significantly (p < 0.01) decreased glycaemia (-35, -44 and -39 %), glycosuria (-38, -47 and -61 %) and proteinuria (-82, -80 and-72 %) in diabetes-nephropathic rats. The extract (68 mg/kg) decreased MDA by up to -44 % (blood), -35 % (liver) and -34 % (kidney); increased SOD up to 257 % (blood), 116 % (liver) and 118 % (kidney); and CAT by up to 176 % (blood), 78 % (liver) and 96 % (kidney) in the rats, compared with nephropathic control. The extract (50 and 68 mg/kg, respectively) lowered (p < 0.01) total cholesterolemia (-24 and - 27 %), blood triglycerides (-55 and -54 %), blood LDL cholesterol (-48 and -59 %), but increased blood HDL cholesterol (71 and 58 %). Overall, atherogenic index was decreased by 31 %.Conclusion: The results indicate that MEKC holds promise for the development of a standardized phytomedicine for diabetes mellitus and kidney disease treatment.Keywords: Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, Antioxidant, Kalanchoe crenata extract, Nephropathy

How Do Business Students in the U.S. and in Cameroon Perceive Faculty Attributes? A Comparative Study

This study investigates student perceptions of ten selected attributes embedded in faculty behavior. These attributes are classified as primary and secondary attributes. The 4 primary attributes include effective communication (ability to communicate information effectively), ability to combine knowledge and application in real world cases and examples, high level of knowledge in presented materials, and substantial business experience in the area taught. The 6 secondary attributes include active association with the business community, active participation in academic organizations, active participation in business organizations, extensive publication of business research in scientific/scholarly journals, extensive publication of business articles in practitioner/trade oriented journals, and the college or university degree from which the faculty earned their highest degree. This study also investigates potential difference in the emphasis placed on the ten attributes between the surveyed business students in both countries. Utilizing two samples (graduate and under graduate students) from business schools (at public, private, and proprietary universities) in the United States and in Cameroon, Africa, the surveyed students revealed stronger support for the primary attributes than for the secondary attributes. The results of this study also indicated that the ability to communicate effectively, the application of knowledge to real world cases, substantial business experience in the discipline area taught, and knowledge of the materials being presented are considered the most important attributes in assessing teaching effectiveness. While students in both countries have similar mean rankings of the selected ten attributes, they significantly differ in their ratings of six attributes: actively participates in academic organizations, publications in practice/trade journals, actively participates in practice related organizations, college from which the professor earned their highest degree, and association with the business community. Further investigation using exploratory factor analysis revealed that students in both countries have moderate agreement with the two component conceptualized model: the primary and secondary business faculty attributes

EFFECT OF METHANOLIC FRACTION OF KALANCHOE CRENATA ON RENAL MORPHOPHYSIOLOGY IN ADRIAMYCIN-INDUCED IMPAIRED KIDNEY IN RATS

Objectives: The effect of methanolic extract of Kalanchoe crenata (MEKC) was investigated on renal morphology and function in adriamycin-induced kidney impairment in rats.Methods: Ether anesthetized rats received three intravenous injections (days 0, 14, 28) of 2 mg/kg body weight of adriamycin. Repeated doses of the extract (0, 50 and 68 mg/kg bw) and losartan (10 mg/kg bw) were administered orally once daily, for 6 weeks, to adriamycin- nephropathic rats. Kidney functions were assessed through proteinuria, creatinemia and creatinuria, renal malondialdehyde (MDA) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and morphology analyses.Results: The 50 and 68 mg/kg MEKC, as the losartan, decreased proteinuria: -63.74 % and -64.94 % respectively, significantly (P<0.01) increased the creatinuria and the creatinuria/creatinemia ratio, and also decreased the creatinemia in diseased rats. The plant extracts markedly (P<0.05) increased plasma sodium, and decreased (P<0.01) the urinary sodium and potassium levels. The MEKC has remarkably (P<0.01) decreased the level of the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and increased the SOD level in nephropathic rats. The extract has improved the damage of kidney induced by adriamycin.Conclusion: The results indicate that the treatment with the K. crenata methanolic extract may improve proteinuria and all the symptoms that breed from nephropathy, and could improve kidney morphology. Therefore, K. crenata could be promising for the development of a standardized phytomedicine for the treatment of kidney disease.Â

Characterization Of Swelling Stress And Soil Moisture Deficiency Relationship For Expansive Unsaturated Soils

DissertationExpansive soils vary in volume, in relation to water content. Volume changes when wetting (swelling) and drying (shrinkage). Lightweight structures in construction are the most vulnerable structures experiencing severe defects when built on these soils. In South Africa, expansive soils are the most problematic which impose challenges to civil engineers. The prediction of the swelling stress has been a concern to the construction industry for a long time. The swelling stress is generally ignored in engineering practice. Nonetheless, the swelling stress can develop significant uplift forces detrimental to the stability of foundations. Considering the swelling stress in foundation design in expansive soils enhance the durability, the service life, and reduce the cost of assessment and repair works to be undertaken in the future. Mathematical models are offered as an alternative to direct oedometer testing. Mathematical models are a useful tool to assess swelling stress. The aim of this study was to characterize the relationship between the swelling stress, the soil suction, and other soil parameters. Moreover, develop mathematical models to predict the swelling stress of field compacted expansive soils. Laboratory tests have been performed such as particle size distribution, Atterberg limits, linear shrinkage, specific gravity, free swell ratio, X-ray diffraction, soil suction measurement, modified Proctor compaction test, and zero-swell test (ZST). Multiple regression analysis was performed using software NCSS11 to analyze the data obtained from the experiments. The relationships between the swelling stress and other soil parameters were established. It was observed that, at the optimum moisture content (OMC), the swelling stress values are within the range of 48.88 kPa to 261.81 kPa, and the matric suction values are within the range of 222.843 kPa to 1,778.27 kPa. The swelling stress values on the dry side of the OMC are higher than values on the wet side. In addition, compaction at the OMC can reduce the swelling stress by 15%. Furthermore, the geotechnical index properties, the swelling parameters, affect the swelling stress of compacted expansive soils. Nevertheless, there is a key impact of the type of clay mineral on swelling stress. Six predictive mathematical models were developed. These models were validated using soil samples collected from various areas across the province of Free State (Petrusburg, Bloemfontein, Winburg, Welkom, and Bethlehem). Lastly, good correlations between predicted values and values obtained from experimental works confirm the reliability of the multiple regression analysis. The data points are very close to the line 1:1. Furthermore, the graphical analysis shows that the correlation of the values obtained from the models developed in this study are more precise than the values obtained from other models. Therefore, the predictive models developed in this research work are capable to estimate the swelling stress with acceptable accuracy

Le paludisme urbain à Yaoundé (Cameroun) : 2. Etude entomologique dans deux quartiers peu urbanisés

International audienceA one year entomological survey was carried out to precise the malaria vectors and the malaria transmission in Yaounde, the Cameroon capital (800,000 inhabitants). The study was done in two districts not yet fully urbanized: Nkol Bikok and Nkol Bisson. The latter is located at the periphery and has a pool. Anopheles gambiae was the only human malaria vector. Its agressivity for man depended on the urbanization of the district. Annual man biting rate was 284 in Nkol Bikok and 1,813 in Nkol Bisson. The densities were maximum in May-June and in October-November, corresponding to the end of the short and long rainy seasons. The presence of A. gambiae was permanent except in August-September in Nkol Bikok. In Nkol Bisson the density was higher in the houses near the pool. The yearly inoculation rate (h) was 14 in Nkol Bikok and 30 in Nkol Bisson. The vectorial transmission was observed in may in Nkol Bikok and during four months (June, August, January, February) in Nkol Bisson. These entomological data showed clearly that malaria transmission actually occurred in Yaounde and that the probability to receive at least one infected anopheline bite per year was very near to 1 for inhabitants unprotected against mosquito bites.Une étude longitudinale basée sur la capture des moustiques sur sujets humains s'est déroulée pendant un an dans deux quartiers de la ville de Yaoundé, l'un est situé à la périphérie de la ville (Nkol Bisson) et l'autre est plus central (Nkol Bikok). Ces deux quartiers présentent encore un caractère périurbain mais ils sont en pleine urbanisation. Le vecteur du paludisme humain identifé est Anopheles gambiae. Sa densité agressive pour l'homme (ma) est variable selon le degré d'urbanisation des quartiers : forte en Zone périphérique (ma annuel = I 813) et faible en zone centrale (ma annuel = 284). Cette densité est importante de mai à juin et d'octobre 6 novembre, c'est-à-dire à la fin de la petite et de la grande saison des pluies. Le taux d'inoculation (h) varie comme les densités agressives : h annuel = 30 en zone périphérique contre 14 en zone centrale. La transmission vectorielle est notable seulement pendant un mois (mai) à Nkol Bikok et pendant quatre mois (juin, août, janvier, février) à Nkol Bisson. Le risque quotidien d'au moins une inoculation par A. gambiae est environ deux fois plus élevé en zone périphérique qu'en zone centrale

Assessment of Stress Raiser Factor Using Finite Element Solvers

Published ArticleThe stress raisers factor around circular holes in a plate exposed to uniform tensile load at the edges has been studied using Finite Element Analysis solvers. The effect of mesh quality on stress raisers factor, the maximum Von Mises stresses, the computing time, and the percentage error has been examined. 4 Node Quadrilateral Element and 8 Node Quadrilateral Element were utilized respectively as first-order component (4NQE) and higher-order component (8NQE) to assess the maximum Von Mises stress and the numerical stress raiser factor (Kn) at various mesh sizes. The maximum Von Mises stress and the stress raiser factor were determined using the following finite element solvers: ABAQUS, ANSYS, CATIA, STRAND 7, ALGOR, COSMOS/M, and FEMAP. The estimations of the numerical stress raiser factor (Kn) were compared with the theoretical stress raiser factor (Kt). There were discrepancies observed between the maximum Von Mises stresses of the FEA solvers

Assessment of theMineral Composition of Heaving Soils Using Geotechnical Properties

ArticleThe behaviour of heaving soils is generally governed by the matric suction. Nonetheless, the mineralogical characteristics influence the geotechnical behaviour. X-ray diffraction is a common technique used to determine the mineral composition. This equipment is costly and the process time-consuming. The objective of this research is to develop predictive mathematical models to determine the predominant minerals in heaving soils. Soil samples are collected from identified areas across Free State province by digging at 50 cm depth from the ground surface. Geotechnical lab studies such as particle size distribution, Atterberg limits, specific gravity, free swell ratio, free swell index, linear shrinkage, and X-ray diffraction are performed to evaluate soil properties. A stepwise analysis is conducted to determine the response of each type of mineral to soil properties, and select the best subsets. Moreover, the influence of soil minerals on soil properties is achieved by investigating the correlation between the relevant soil properties and each mineral. Multivariate regression is performed utilizing MINITAB 18 program to develop mathematical predictive models. These equations are assessed base on correlation coefficient, probability value (P-value), and standard residual pattern analysis. The predominant minerals can be assessed with acceptable accuracy utilizing the proposed semi-empirical models