The effect of combination of Zingeber and Althea officinalis extracts in acute bronchitis-induced cough

Background and aim: Cough is a normal mechanism of respiratory system that clears the tracheobronchial tree from respiratory secretions and foreign bodies. It sometimes causes discomforts and problems in social activity of the people. One of the reasons of cough is acute bronchitis that causes inflammation of respiratory tract and persists for a few weeks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the combination effect of Zingeber and Althea officinalis to cure cough in acute bronchitis Method: In this double blind clinical trial study, we selected 60 patients who have been suffering from acute bronchitis following respiratory infections. They were divided into two groups by using a simple random sampling method. Beside their routine medications, one group (case group) was given 15 drops of both Zingeber (300 mg) and Althea officinalis (40 mg) hydro-alcoholic extracts, every 6 hours for 10 days. The second group (control group), was given placebo. After 10 days, all patients were evaluated by a questionnaire, designed by the authors, for the number of cough, night cough scores, chest pain, myalgia and retrosternal pain. Data were statistically analyzed by using t-test, χ2 and McNemar's tests. Result: A significant reduction was seen in the number of cough in both case and control groups (80% and 60%, respectively). Chest pain reports were 7.2% in case group, compared to 50% in control group (P0.05). Conclusion: Hydro-alcoholic extracts of Althea offisinalis and Zingeber decrease inflammation in patient with acute bronchitis and decrease cough and acute tracheitis-induced chest pain

Florid genital tuberculosis co-existing with adenomyosis and evading diagnosis

When tuberculosis affects genital organs of young females, the disease often remains silent or may present with symptoms which are common to other Gynaecological conditions as well. The diagnosis of genital tuberculosis is challenging and the diagnosis can be missed even with extensive investigations including molecular studies. A case of florid tuberculosis affecting the uterus, cervix, ovaries and tubes, co-existing with adenomyosis of the uterus and the cold abscess masquerading as bilateral ovarian endometriomas is reported

Knowledge and attitude of occupational health and safety among laboratory worker of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in University Putra Malaysia. .

Introduction:Laboratory workers are exposed to variety of hazards that may affect their health and safety. Awareness of occupational safety and health (OSH) is important in preventing occupational injuries and diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of OSH among laboratory workers in Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on laboratory workers in the two faculties in Universiti Putra Malaysia.A pretested, self-administered questionnaire comprising of 5 sections including socio-demographic, OSH environment of the laboratory, exposure to the knowledge of OSH, knowledge of OSH and attitude of laboratory workers in the laboratory was distributed to all registered permanent laboratory workers in the faculties. Data entry and analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 18.Descriptive statistics on socio-demography and job factors were determined. Independent t-test and chi-squared test were used to test associations. Correlation between attitude and knowledge on OSH was computed. Results: The response rate was 64.42% (67 laboratory workers). The overall level of knowledge on OSH was moderate, with a mean score of 62%. A larger proportion of female respondents (51.5%) showed good OSH knowledge compared to male respondents (14.7%) and the difference was statistically significant (10.288, 1; p<0.01). Majority of the respondents (73.7%) who worked in a poor OSH laboratory environment had poor attitude level towards OSH (χ2=7.135, df=1; p=0.008). There was a moderate positive correlation between knowledge and attitude on OSH (r=0.4, p<0.01). Knowledge explains 16% of the variance in level of attitude towards OSH among laboratory workers. Conclusion: Knowledge of OSH among laboratory workers was moderate and is associated with gender and OSH environment in the workplace. A greater effort to promote OSH knowledge among the laboratory workers is needed to ensure their safety and health in workplace

Protective Effect of Ocimum basilicum Essential Oil Against Acetic Acid�Induced Colitis in Rats

Ocimum basilicum L has been traditionally used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in Iran. This study investigates the ameliorative effect of Ocimum basilicum essential oil on an acetic acid�induced colitis model in rats. Ocimum basilicum essential oil with 2 doses (200 and 400 μL/kg) significantly ameliorated wet weight/length ratio of colonic tissue compared to the control group. Higher doses of essential oil (200 and 400 μL/kg) significantly reduced ulcer severity, ulcer area, and ulcer index. On the other hand, histological examination revealed the diminution of total colitis index as a marker for inflammatory cell infiltration in the colonic segments of rats treated with Ocimum basilicum essential oil (200 and 400 μL/kg). The increased level of myeloperoxidase was significantly decreased after the treatment with the essential oil (200 and 400 μL/kg). These results suggest that Ocimum basilicum exhibits protective effect against acetic acid�induced colitis. © 2015, © The Author(s) 2015

Research paper: Reliability and validity of persian version of performance-oriented mobility assessment (POMA) in Community-dwelling Iranian Older Adults: Psychometric Properties

Objectives: An appropriate and accurate assessment tool is needed to predict the risk of falling in older adults. This study aimed at investigating the construct validity, factor analysis, internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability, and ceiling/floor effects of the Persian version of Performance-oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) in community-dwelling elderly. Methods: One hundred and forty-five older adults aged 65 years and older (mean age: 73.68 years) were recruited from daily care centers of Tehran by convenience sampling method. Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were used to investigate the construct validity of the POMA. Test-retest (7-14 days with interval) and inter-rater reliability of the gait and balance subscales and the total score of the POMA were determined by Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC2,1). Results: A moderate to very high correlation (r=0.67-0.9, P�0.05) was found between the total score of the POMA and BBS, Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale, step test (right and left), TUG, Dynamic Gait index, and walking speed, whereas the correlation between the total score of the POMA and step length was poor (r=0.39, P�0.05). The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed a poor goodness-of-fit of POMA with the two-factor model (balance and gait) in community-dwelling elderly. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.94), testretest reliability (ICC2,1=0.97), as well as inter-rater reliability (ICC2,1=0.92) of the POMA were excellent. The results revealed no floor effect for the total score of the POMA; however, its ceiling effect was 3.44. Discussion: The Persian version of POMA showed excellent psychometric properties for evaluating different aspects of balance in community-dwelling elderly. © 2020 University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences

Fuzzy Optimised Power Generation from Moving Vehicles

Abstract In our Paper regenerative power system for electric motorcycles and cars that performs regenerative energy recovery from the axle of the vehicle based on fuzzy logic control for a boost converter is used to boost (maintain) the voltage level. Autonomous vehicles have potential applications in many fields, such as replacing humans in hazardous environments, conducting military missions, and performing routine tasks for industry. A constant regenerative current control scheme is proposed, thereby providing improved performance and high energy recovery efficiency at minimum cost. Drivers typically respond quickly to sudden changes in their environment. While other control techniques may be used to control a vehicle, fuzzy logic has certain advantages in this area; one of them is its ability to incorporate human knowledge and experience, via language, into relationships among the given quantities

Osteoimmunomodulatory GelMA/liposome coatings to promote bone regeneration of orthopedic implants

Despite being the most widely used biomaterials in orthopedic surgery, metallic implants do not induce new bone growth because they are bioinert. Surface biofunctionalization of implants with immunomodulatory mediators is a recent approach to promote osteogenic factors that facilitate bone regeneration. Liposomes (Lip) can be used as a low-cost, efficient and simple immunomodulator to stimulate immune cells in favor of bone regeneration. Even though liposomal coating systems have been reported previously, their main disadvantage is their limited ability to preserve liposome integrity after drying. In order to address this issue, we developed a hybrid system in which liposomes could be embedded in a polymeric hydrogel namely gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA). Specifically, we have developed a novel versatile coating strategy using electrospray technology to coat implants with GelMA/Liposome without using adhesive intermediate layer. The two differently charged Lip (i.e., anionic and cationic) were blended with GelMA and coated via electrospray technology on the bone-implant surfaces. The results showed that the developed coating withstood mechanical stress during surgical replacement, and Lip inside GelMA coating stayed intact in different storage conditions for a minimum of 4 weeks. Surprisingly, bare Lip, either cationic or anionic, improved the osteogenesis of human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) by inducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, even at a low dosage of Lip released from the GelMA coating. More importantly, we showed that the inflammatory response could be fine-tuned by selecting the Lip concentration, Lip/hydrogel ratio, and coating thickness to determine the timing of the release such that we can accommodate different clinical needs. These promising results pave the way to use these Lip coatings to load different types of therapeutic cargo for bone-implant applications

Osteoimmunomodulatory GelMA/liposome coatings to promote bone regeneration of orthopedic implants

Despite being the most widely used biomaterials in orthopedic surgery, metallic implants do not induce new bone growth because they are bioinert. Surface biofunctionalization of implants with immunomodulatory mediators is a recent approach to promote osteogenic factors that facilitate bone regeneration. Liposomes (Lip) can be used as a low-cost, efficient and simple immunomodulator to stimulate immune cells in favor of bone regeneration. Even though liposomal coating systems have been reported previously, their main disadvantage is their limited ability to preserve liposome integrity after drying. In order to address this issue, we developed a hybrid system in which liposomes could be embedded in a polymeric hydrogel namely gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA). Specifically, we have developed a novel versatile coating strategy using electrospray technology to coat implants with GelMA/Liposome without using adhesive intermediate layer. The two differently charged Lip (i.e., anionic and cationic) were blended with GelMA and coated via electrospray technology on the bone-implant surfaces. The results showed that the developed coating withstood mechanical stress during surgical replacement, and Lip inside GelMA coating stayed intact in different storage conditions for a minimum of 4 weeks. Surprisingly, bare Lip, either cationic or anionic, improved the osteogenesis of human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) by inducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, even at a low dosage of Lip released from the GelMA coating. More importantly, we showed that the inflammatory response could be fine-tuned by selecting the Lip concentration, Lip/hydrogel ratio, and coating thickness to determine the timing of the release such that we can accommodate different clinical needs. These promising results pave the way to use these Lip coatings to load different types of therapeutic cargo for bone-implant applications

LNCS

Imprecision in timing can sometimes be beneficial: Metric interval temporal logic (MITL), disabling the expression of punctuality constraints, was shown to translate to timed automata, yielding an elementary decision procedure. We show how this principle extends to other forms of dense-time specification using regular expressions. By providing a clean, automaton-based formal framework for non-punctual languages, we are able to recover and extend several results in timed systems. Metric interval regular expressions (MIRE) are introduced, providing regular expressions with non-singular duration constraints. We obtain that MIRE are expressively complete relative to a class of one-clock timed automata, which can be determinized using additional clocks. Metric interval dynamic logic (MIDL) is then defined using MIRE as temporal modalities. We show that MIDL generalizes known extensions of MITL, while translating to timed automata at comparable cost