The Relation between Fructose-Induced Metabolic Syndrome and Altered Renal Haemodynamic and Excretory Function in the Rat

This paper explores the possible relationships between dietary fructose and altered neurohumoral regulation of renal haemodynamic and excretory function in this model of metabolic syndrome. Fructose consumption induces hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, insulin resistance, and hypertension. The pathogenesis of fructose-induced hypertension is dubious and involves numerous pathways acting both singly and together. In addition, hyperinsulinemia and hypertension contribute significantly to progressive renal disease in fructose-fed rats. Moreover, increased activity of the renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems leading to downregulation of receptors may be responsible for the blunted vascular sensitivity to angiotensin II and catecholamines, respectively. Various approaches have been suggested to prevent the development of fructose-induced hypertension and/or metabolic alteration. In this paper, we address the role played by the renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems in the haemodynamic alterations that occur due to prolonged consumption of fructose

Hepatoprotective Effects of Orthosiphon stamineus Extract on Thioacetamide-Induced Liver Cirrhosis in Rats

Orthosiphon stamineus as medicinal plant is commonly used in Malaysia for treatment of hepatitis and jaundice; in this study, the ethanol extracts were applied to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects in a thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxic model in Sprague Dawley rats. Five groups of adult rats were arranged as follows: Group 1 (normal control group), Group 2 Thioacetamide (TAA) as positive control (hepatotoxic group), Group 3 Silymarin as a well-known standard drug (hepatoprotective group), and Groups 4 and 5 as high and low dose (treatment groups). After 60-day treatment, all rats were sacrificed. The hepatotoxic group showed a coarse granulation on the liver surface when compared to the smooth aspect observed on the liver surface of the other groups. Histopathological study confirmed the result; moreover, there was a significant increase in serum liver biochemical parameters (ALT, AST, ALP, and Bilirubin) and the level of liver Malondialdehyde (MDA), accompanied by a significant decrease in the level of total protein and Albumin in the TAA control group when compared with that of the normal group. The high-dose treatment group (200 mg/kg) significantly restored the elevated liver function enzymes near to normal. This study revealed that 200 mg/kg extracts of O. stamineus exerted a hepatoprotective effect

Causes and Risk Factors of Hospitalization among Under-five Children in Kassala, Eastern Sudan

BACKGROUND: According to the World Health Organization estimation, African Region deaths of all under-five deaths in 2015 were over 5 times higher in comparison to the European Region. AIM: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence, investigate the possible causes and risk factors associated with under-five children’s hospitalization in Kassala, Eastern Sudan. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2015 to March 2016. The data were collected by interviewing mothers. RESULTS: A total of 297 mother-child pairs participated in the study. The mean (SD) of maternal age and children’s age was 27.6 (5.9) years and 16 (11.3) months, respectively. One hundred and three children were hospitalized over the past 6 months. The most common mentioned causes for the last hospitalization were gastroenteritis 28.1% (29/103), respiratory tract infections 19.4% (20/103), malaria 9.7% (10/103), and trauma 3.8% (3/103). In multivariable analysis, a high birth order (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.25, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] (1.06, 1.47), low paternal education (AOR 2.89, 95% 1.32, 6.30), and bottle feeding (AOR 2.26, 95% CI 1.30, 3.80) were associated with under-five children’s hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: More than one-third of the children were hospitalized in Eastern Sudan. Urgent action is required to address children’s health issues (i.e., the above-mentioned causes and associated factors)

Causes and risk factors of hospitalization among under-five children in kassala, eastern sudan

© 2020 Ahmed A. Hassan, Zainab Taha, Mohammed A. Abdulla, AbdelAziem A. Ali, Ishag Adam. BACKGROUND: According to the World Health Organization estimation, African Region deaths of all under-five deaths in 2015 were over 5 times higher in comparison to the European Region. AIM: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence, investigate the possible causes and risk factors associated with under-five children’s hospitalization in Kassala, Eastern Sudan. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2015 to March 2016. The data were collected by interviewing mothers. RESULTS: A total of 297 mother-child pairs participated in the study. The mean (SD) of maternal age and children’s age was 27.6 (5.9) years and 16 (11.3) months, respectively. One hundred and three children were hospitalized over the past 6 months. The most common mentioned causes for the last hospitalization were gastroenteritis 28.1% (29/103), respiratory tract infections 19.4% (20/103), malaria 9.7% (10/103), and trauma 3.8% (3/103). In multivariable analysis, a high birth order (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.25, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] (1.06, 1.47), low paternal education (AOR 2.89, 95% 1.32, 6.30), and bottle feeding (AOR 2.26, 95% CI 1.30, 3.80) were associated with under-five children’s hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: More than one-third of the children were hospitalized in Eastern Sudan. Urgent action is required to address children’s health issues (i.e., the above-mentioned causes and associated factors)

An Empirical Investigation of Information System User Security- A Knowing Doing Gap Model

The research aims to develop a structural model of user knowing –doing gap and examine the information security awareness through the model and evaluate the information security awareness at industrial level. The sample of the study is 360. The study empirically tested the two small parts of the theory of planned behavior and named them model 1 and 2. The relationship of the variables were found out using the regression model. The research had total five hypothesis and all of them were supported and the results were significant. Hence concluding that (Narcissism, Vulnerability and Severity) have significant impact on Attitude while locus of control and self-efficacy have significant impact over Behavioral control

Assessment of Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 OLI for Small-Scale Inland Water Quality Modeling and Monitoring Based on Handheld Hyperspectral Ground Truthing

This study investigates the best available methods for remote monitoring inland small-scale waterbodies, using remote sensing data from both Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 satellites, utilizing a handheld hyperspectral device for ground truthing. Monitoring was conducted to evaluate water quality indicators: chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and turbidity. Ground truthing was performed to select the most suitable atmospheric correction technique (ACT). Several ACT have been tested: dark spectrum fitting (DSF), dark object subtraction (DOS), atmospheric and topographic correction (ATCOR), and exponential extrapolation (EXP). Classical sampling was conducted first; then, the resulting concentrations were compared to those obtained using remote sensing analysis by the above-mentioned ACT. This research revealed that DOS and DSF achieved the best performance (an advantage ranging between 29% and 47%). Further, we demonstrated the appropriateness of the use of Sentinel-2 red and vegetation red edge reciprocal bands (1/(B4 X B6)) for estimating Chl-a (R2 = 0.82, RMSE = 14.52mg/m3). As for Landsat-8, red to near-infrared ratio (B4/B5) produced the best performing model (R2 = 0.71, RMSE = 39.88 mg/m3), but it did not perform as well as Sentinel-2. Regarding turbidity, the best model (with (R2 =0.85, RMSE = 0.87 NTU) obtained by Sentinel-2 utilized a single band (B4), while the best model (with R2 = 0.64, RMSE = 0.90 NTU) using Landsat-8 was performed by applying two bands (B1/B3). Mapping the water quality parameters using the best performance biooptical model showed the significant effect of the adjacent land on the boundary pixels compared to pixels of deeper water

Speed Control of Wind Turbine by Using PID Controller

In this paper, the output frequency of a self excited induction generator (SEIG) driven by wind turbine and supplies static load are controlled. The principle connections of wind energy conversion are presented. The dynamic modeling of the wind turbine and its linearization are derived. The PID controller which employed for turbine rotor speed control and hence the frequency regulation is proposed. The block diagram of the proposed speed control system which consists of speed controller, actuator model and the turbine linearized model is simulated by Matlab-Simulink software packag

Cystathione gamma lyase/hydrogen sulphide pathway up regulation enhances the responsiveness of ?1A and ?1B-adrenoreceptors in the kidney of rats with left ventricular hypertrophy

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the interaction between H2S and NO (nitric oxide) in the kidney and to evaluate its impact on the functional contribution of ?1A and ?1B-adrenoreceptors subtypes mediating the renal vasoconstriction in the kidney of rats with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). In rats the LVH induction was by isoprenaline administration and caffeine in the drinking water together with intraperitoneal administration of H2S. The responsiveness of ?1A and ?1B to exogenous noradrenaline, phenylephrine and methoxaminein the absence and presence of 5-methylurapidil (5-MeU) and chloroethylclonidine (CEC) was studied. Cystathione gamma lyase (CSE), cystathione ? synthase (CBS), 3-mercaptopyruvate sulphar transferase (3-MST) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were quantified. There was significant up regulation of CSE and eNOS in the LVH-H2S compared to the LVH group (P<0.05). Baseline renal cortical blood perfusion (RCBP) was increased (P<0.05) in the LVH-H2S compared to the LVH group. The responsiveness of ?1A-adrenergic receptors to adrenergic agonists was increased (P<0.05) after administration of low dose 5-Methylurapidil in the LVH-H2S group while ?1B-adrenergic receptors responsiveness to adrenergic agonists were increased (P<0.05) by both low and high dose chloroethylclonidine in the LVH-H2S group. Treatment of LVH with H2S resulted in up-regulation of CSE/H2S, CBS, and 3-MST and eNOS/NO/cGMP pathways in the kidney. These up regulation of CSE/H2S, CBS, and 3-MST and eNOS/NO/cGMP pathways enhanced the responsiveness of ?1A and ?1B-adrenoreceptors subtypes to adrenergic agonists in LVH-H2S. These findings indicate an important role for H2S in modulating deranged signalling in the renal vasculature resulting from LVH development