Role of Melatonin in Reproductive Seasonality in Buffaloes

Buffaloes are characterized by seasonal reproductive activity. Anestrus buffalo heifers and lactating buffaloes were used to study the effect of melatonin treatment on the resumption of ovarian activity during out-of-breeding season. Buffaloes of treated group were injected or implanted with melatonin (18 mg melatonin/50 kg body weight). Using CIDR-eCG protocol preceded with melatonin successfully achieved estrus behavior and induced conception rate during out-of-breeding season. Furthermore, the reproductive performance of buffaloes during out-of-breeding season was clearly improved by melatonin implantation in conjunction with CIDR-eCG protocol due to the luteotrophic effect of melatonin expressed as increasing diameter of CL (corpus luteum) and progesterone concentration. This improvement resulted in greater values of conception rate, in melatonin implanted compared to not implanted buffaloes. Melatonin implantation in anestrus buffalo heifers increased the diameter of largest follicles and melatonin concentration but progesterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations were decreased. In addition, melatonin implantation in anestrus lactating buffaloes increased the SOD (superoxide dismutase) enzyme activity. Sustained release of exogenous melatonin significantly protects against oxidative stress while increasing beneficial total antioxidant capacity (TAC) concentration in summer-stressed anestrus buffaloes. Melatonin implantation in conjunction with CIDR-eCG protocol successfully improved some blood metabolites, in anestrus buffalo heifers during out-of-breeding season under tropical conditions

Influence of plyometric jump training on the physiological changes of male handball players

Running economy and velocity at maximal oxygen uptake are considered the most substantial physiological performance indicators in team sports. plyometric training are important techniques that enhance the neuromuscular functioning in athletes. The aim of the present study is to investigates the change in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and running economy (RE). 16 male participants aged 21 years old. Participants underwent pre- and post-intervention tests including running economy, VO2max within 48 h before and after the training protocol. Statistically significant differences were seen in running economy and VO2max after training (p < .01). The current study suggested that plyometric training for 12 weeks can improve running economy and VO2max

ADSORPTION PERFORMANCE OF MG0.33NI0.33CO0.33FE2O4 NANOPARTICLES DOPED WITH GADOLINIUM AND LANTHANUM FOR LEAD (II) REMOVAL

The issue of water pollution has become a major concern in recent times, and the need for effective strategies for treating contaminated water sources has become more urgent. One promising approach that has been gaining attention in the field of wastewater treatment is the use of nano-ferrites. In this regard, novel Mg0.33Ni0.33Co0.33LaxFe2-xO4 and Mg0.33Ni0.33Co0.33GdxFe2-xO4 nanoparticles (NPs), where x = 0.00, 0.01 and 0.08, were synthesized to test their adsorption performance for the removal of Pb (II). The structural properties and morphology were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As Gd and La content increase, the bandgap energy increases while Urbach energy decreases. The experimental condition for the adsorption process was the adsorbent dosage of 40 mg and contact time of 30, 60, and 90 min at room temperature. Under the recommended conditions, Pb (II) removal % were obtained as 38 %, 41 % and 75 % for Mg0.33Ni0.33Co0.33Fe2O4, Mg0.33Ni0.33Co0.33LaxFe2-xO4 with x = 0.01 and Mg0.33Ni0.33Co0.33GdxFe2-xO4 with x = 0.08, respectively. Therefore, doping ferrite nanoparticles with rare earth metals improve their properties and enable its usage in wastewater treatment particularly for the removal of heavy metals

STRUCTURAL AND MAGNETO CONDUCTIVITY STUDIES OF NIO/SMBA2CU3O7-Δ SUPERCONDUCTING COMPOSITE

In this work, we investigate the effect of NiO nanoparticles\u27 addition on the structure, superconductivity, and magneto conductivity for the SmBa2Cu3O7-δ phase. Composite nano/superconductor of (NiO)x/SmBa2Cu3O7-δ (0.00≤x≤0.12 wt.%) were prepared by conventional solid-state reaction technique and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The orthorhombic structure was maintained whereas the lattice parameters showed unsystematic variations with the NiO nanoparticles addition. The superconducting transition temperature Tc, determined from electrical resistivity measurements, showed an enhancement with x up to 0.04wt.% followed by a reduction with higher NiO additions. The Aslamazov–Larkin (AL) model was employed to analyze the magneto conductivity. The model allowed to determine the coherence lengths along c-axis ξc(0) and along ab plane ξab(0). Moreover, the anisotropy parameter Г increase with the increase of NiO nanoparticles addition

Urban Health Related Air Quality Indicators over the Middle East and North Africa Countries Using Multiple Satellites and AERONET Data

Air pollution is reported as one of the most severe environmental problems in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Remotely sensed data from newly available TROPOMI - TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument on board Sentinel-5 Precursor, shows an annual mean of high-resolution maps of selected air quality indicators (NO2, CO, O3, and UVAI) of the MENA countries for the first time. The correlation analysis among the aforementioned indicators show the coherency of the air pollutants in urban areas. Multi-year data from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) stations from nine MENA countries are utilized here to study the aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ångström exponent (AE) with other available observations. Additionally, a total of 65 different machine learning models of four categories, namely: linear regression, ensemble, decision tree, and deep neural network (DNN), were built from multiple data sources (MODIS, MISR, OMI, and MERRA-2) to predict the best usable AOD product as compared to AERONET data. DNN validates well against AERONET data and proves to be the best model to generate optimized aerosol products when the ground observations are insufficient. This approach can improve the knowledge of air pollutant variability and intensity in the MENA region for decision makers to operate proper mitigation strategies

A novel high capacity space efficient heat storage system for domestic application

Solar energy assisted heat pump (SAHP) and Direct Expansion Solar Assisted Heat Pump (DX-SAHP) systems are among the promising means of reducing the consumption of fossil fuels for heat production in residential building applications. The research in this thesis introduces a novel system that integrates solar energy, THS storage, and DX-SAHP. The objective is to develop an efficient heating system for existing homes in the cold climatic region which is sustainable and acts as an alternative to the conventional high energy loss domestic water and space heating systems. One of the prospective techniques of producing and storing of thermal energy is the application of thermochemical materials. Storage of heat in salt hydrates provides an efficient and compact way of storing energy. Hence, the properties of salt hydrates that determine the storage capacity are being investigated. An experimental test has undertaken to assess the effect of integrating the new design of thermochemical storage materials with a solar-assisted multifunctional heat pump system. This research presents a novel design that involves the integration of DX-SAMHP and a hot water tank with a thermochemical sorption jacket. Investigations have been carried out to determine a suitable temperature range for household heating systems. Expanded Vermiculite (host matrix) and CaCl2 (hygroscopic salt) have been used as composite material in an adsorbent reaction jacket for a domestic water tank. The new design has a total volume of 20 kg of V/CaCl2, which can store the thermal energy with a complete reaction. The results show the high capability of the tested materials to enhance the domestic heating system performance when applied in cold regions. The feasibility of the designed system for residential space and water heating is also demonstrated. The maximum energy density obtained through the discharging process is 565 kJ/kg. It is also revealed that the coupling of thermochemical heat storage and heat pump increases the thermal production capacity by 1.166 kWh during the discharging process

Hepatitis C Virus in Thalassemia

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is relatively low in children. However, seroprevalence rates of 10–20% have been reported among children who received repeated transfusion. The development and the severity of liver fibrosis are strongly related to the extent of the liver iron overload and to the presence of chronic hepatitis C (CHC). In CHC, liver iron overload has been suggested as a negative prognostic factor exacerbating inflammation with subsequent progression of liver fibrosis and decrease in antiviral therapy effectiveness. CHC may be suspected based on medical history or accidentally discovered abnormal liver functions. Hepatitis C is diagnosed by positive serology for viral antibodies and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect virus RNA. The treatment of HCV infection in children was difficult due to the limitations of pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin. In 2017, FDA approved the first direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for children including ledipasvir/sofosbuvir in the adult dose, 90/400 mg, to treat HCV in children and adolescents aged 12 years and older or weighing at least 35 kg. Similarly, giving half the adult fixed-dose of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir, 45/200 mg, to children aged 6–11 years is still under clinical trials with promising results

ANTIOXIDANT AND HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF JUSTICIA SPICIGERA ETHYL ACETATE FRACTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ITS ANTHOCYANIN CONTENT

Objective: The antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of ethyl acetate (EA) fraction of the dried aerial part of Justicia spicigera were evaluated and the characterization of its anthocyanin content was done. Methods: Hepatic fibrosis was induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in rats. The ethyl acetate fraction was obtained by successive liquid/liquid fractionation of the crude cold ethanolic extract and the pigments were characterized by HPLC technique. The in vitro studies were carried out through evaluation of the EA fraction on the attenuation of 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals. The in vivo biological evaluation was done in CCl4 injured rats through determination of liver function indices, oxidative stress markers and the histopathological picture of the treated liver.Results: The phenolic content in the EA fraction was 42.94 mg/g. Twelve anthocyanins were identified, the major of which are peonidin 3, 5-diglucoside (64.30%), malvidin 3, 5-diglucoside (10.59%) and petunidin 3,5-diglucoside (4.71%). Treatment of CCl4 intoxicated rats with EA fraction recorded improvement in the liver function indices and oxidative stress markers. The histopathological observations confirmed our results.Conclusion: The ethyl acetate fraction of the dried aerial part of Justicia spicigera recorded antioxidant and hepato protective activities.Â

TEORIA DE CUSTOS VERSUS TROCAS RELACIONAIS NA DIFERENCIAÇÃO DA OFERTA DE OUTSOURCING

Na busca por vantagens competitivas, as organizações, estrategicamente, delegam a responsabilidade pela execução de algumas de suas atividades a terceiros, o outsourcing. Nesse contexto do Business to Business, este estudo adotou como objetivos (i) compreender as expectativas das empresas que contratam serviços terceirizados e (ii) identificar como os fornecedores podem diferenciar-se, considerando as expectativas e percepções dos compradores desses serviços.  Para tanto, realizou-se uma pesquisa qualitativa e exploratória, com a técnica de múltiplos casos, em empresas que atuam na manufatura de produtos no agronegócio. A principal contribuição do estudo está na constatação de que a teoria baseada em custos de transação explica os motivos para o outsourcing, contudo é a gestão do relacionamento com o cliente o fator determinante para a diferenciação dos fornecedores de serviços de terceirização