140 research outputs found

    Evaluation of in Vitro Antioxidant Activity and L Asparaginase Enzyme Production of Four Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Acanthus Ilicifolius

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    The need for novel and useful bioactive secondary metabolites to help and relieve people from all aspects of human conditions is constantly expanding. Every plant tissue has a variety of endophytic fungi, which are thought to be highly effective producers of natural products. In this work, the determination of total phenolics, antioxidants, and L-asparaginase enzyme activity in four fungal endophytes associated with the mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius was evaluated. The study indicated that total phenolic content (1633+8.7 μg equivalent to gallic acid) and reducing power (0.96) were the highest for methanolic extracts of the isolate Aspergillus terreus while scavenging activity was highest for the isolate Colletotrichum xishuangbannaense (78.2+4.5 %). The enzyme activity of L-asparaginase was expressed predominantly by all the isolates except Colletotrichum xishuangbannaense. Maximum enzyme activities of 50.1 U/mL, 48.1 U/mL, and 47.7 U/mL were observed in Aspergillus terreus, Colletotrichum cobbiƫense, and Fusarium multiceps respectively. The current research demonstrated that mangrove-associated fungi have a high potential for producing bioactive molecules and L-asparaginase, which can be used as a possible source for the creation of anticancer drugs

    Voltage Sag Compensation by DVR for DFIG Wind Turbine System

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    This paper describes the dynamic voltage restorer for maintaining the grid codes to be followed by the doubly fed induction wind turbine system. Because of extended power handling properties of power electronics devices, it is been used widely in the Electrical Devices. The extensive usage of power electronic devices has raised the problem of power quality issues, resulting into the problem of voltage sag/swell etc. The system to be designed will face the problems of voltage sag/swell & will keep the system healthy throughout the symmetrical & unsymmetrical fault conditions. This will also avoid the nuisance tripping of highly sensitive relays & will also maintain synchronism of power system. The use of doubly fed induction generation system is done to maintain the constant voltage to frequency output irrespective of wind velocity

    Accurate predictions of thermoset resin glass transition temperatures from all-atom molecular dynamics simulation

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    To enable the design and development of the next generation of high-performance composite materials, there is a need to establish improved computational simulation protocols for accurate and efficient prediction of physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of thermoset resins. This is especially true for the prediction of glass transition temperature (Tg), as there are many discrepancies in the literature regarding simulation protocols and the use of cooling rate correction factors for predicting values using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The objectives of this study are to demonstrate accurate prediction the Tg with MD without the use of cooling rate correction factors and to establish the influence of simulated conformational state and heating/cooling cycles on physical, mechanical, and thermal properties predicted with MD. The experimentally-validated MD results indicate that accurate predictions of Tg, elastic modulus, strength, and coefficient of thermal expansion are highly reliant upon establishing MD models with mass densities that match experiment within 2%. The results also indicate the cooling rate correction factors, model building within different conformational states, and the choice of heating/cooling simulation runs do not provide statistically significant differences in the accurate prediction of Tg values, given the typical scatter observed in MD predictions of amorphous polymer properties

    Coupling of transient near infrared photonic with magnetic nanoparticle for potential dissipation-free biomedical application in brain

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    Combined treatment strategies based on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with near infrared ray (NIR) biophotonic possess tremendous potential for non-invasive therapeutic approach. Nonetheless, investigations in this direction have been limited to peripheral body region and little is known about the potential biomedical application of this approach for brain. Here we report that transient NIR exposure is dissipation-free and has no adverse effect on the viability and plasticity of major brain cells in the presence or absence superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The 808?nm NIR laser module with thermocouple was employed for functional studies upon NIR exposure to brain cells. Magnetic nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic laser scattering (DLS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Brain cells viability and plasticity were analyzed using electric cell-substrate impedance sensing system, cytotoxicity evaluation, and confocal microscopy. When efficacious non-invasive photobiomodulation and neuro-therapeutical targeting and monitoring to brain remain a formidable task, the discovery of this dissipation-free, transient NIR photonic approach for brain cells possesses remarkable potential to add new dimension

    The structure and dynamics of young star clusters: King 16, NGC 1931, NGC 637 and NGC 189

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    In this paper, using 2MASS photometry, we study the structural and dynamical properties of four young star clusters viz. King 16, NGC 1931, NGC 637 and NGC 189. For the clusters King 16, NGC 1931, NGC 637 and NGC 189, we obtain the limiting radii of 7', 12', 6' and 5' which correspond to linear radii of 3.6 pc, 8.85 pc, 3.96 pc and 2.8 pc respectively. The reddening values E(BV)E(B-V) obtained for the clusters are 0.85, 0.65--0.85, 0.6 and 0.53 and their true distances are 1786 pc, 3062 pc, 2270 pc and 912 pc respectively. Ages of the clusters are 6 Myr, 4 Myr, 4 Myr and 10 Myr respectively. We compare their structures, luminosity functions and mass functions (ϕ(M)=dN/dMM(1+χ)\phi(M) = dN/dM \propto M^{-(1+\chi)}) to the parameter τ=tage/trelax\tau = t_{age}/t_{relax} to study the star formation process and the dynamical evolution of these clusters. We find that, for our sample, mass seggregation is observed in clusters or their cores only when the ages of the clusters are comparable to their relaxation times (τ1\tau \geq 1). These results suggest mass seggregation due to dynamical effects. The values of χ\chi, which characterise the overall mass functions for the clusters are 0.96 ±\pm 0.11, 1.16 ±\pm 0.18, 0.55 ±\pm 0.14 and 0.66 ±\pm 0.31 respectively. The change in χ\chi as a function of radius is a good indicator of the dynamical state of clusters.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

    Geoeconomic variations in epidemiology, ventilation management, and outcomes in invasively ventilated intensive care unit patients without acute respiratory distress syndrome: a pooled analysis of four observational studies

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    Background: Geoeconomic variations in epidemiology, the practice of ventilation, and outcome in invasively ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients without acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain unexplored. In this analysis we aim to address these gaps using individual patient data of four large observational studies. Methods: In this pooled analysis we harmonised individual patient data from the ERICC, LUNG SAFE, PRoVENT, and PRoVENT-iMiC prospective observational studies, which were conducted from June, 2011, to December, 2018, in 534 ICUs in 54 countries. We used the 2016 World Bank classification to define two geoeconomic regions: middle-income countries (MICs) and high-income countries (HICs). ARDS was defined according to the Berlin criteria. Descriptive statistics were used to compare patients in MICs versus HICs. The primary outcome was the use of low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) for the first 3 days of mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcomes were key ventilation parameters (tidal volume size, positive end-expiratory pressure, fraction of inspired oxygen, peak pressure, plateau pressure, driving pressure, and respiratory rate), patient characteristics, the risk for and actual development of acute respiratory distress syndrome after the first day of ventilation, duration of ventilation, ICU length of stay, and ICU mortality. Findings: Of the 7608 patients included in the original studies, this analysis included 3852 patients without ARDS, of whom 2345 were from MICs and 1507 were from HICs. Patients in MICs were younger, shorter and with a slightly lower body-mass index, more often had diabetes and active cancer, but less often chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure than patients from HICs. Sequential organ failure assessment scores were similar in MICs and HICs. Use of LTVV in MICs and HICs was comparable (42\ub74% vs 44\ub72%; absolute difference \u20131\ub769 [\u20139\ub758 to 6\ub711] p=0\ub767; data available in 3174 [82%] of 3852 patients). The median applied positive end expiratory pressure was lower in MICs than in HICs (5 [IQR 5\u20138] vs 6 [5\u20138] cm H2O; p=0\ub70011). ICU mortality was higher in MICs than in HICs (30\ub75% vs 19\ub79%; p=0\ub70004; adjusted effect 16\ub741% [95% CI 9\ub752\u201323\ub752]; p<0\ub70001) and was inversely associated with gross domestic product (adjusted odds ratio for a US$10 000 increase per capita 0\ub780 [95% CI 0\ub775\u20130\ub786]; p<0\ub70001). Interpretation: Despite similar disease severity and ventilation management, ICU mortality in patients without ARDS is higher in MICs than in HICs, with a strong association with country-level economic status. Funding: No funding

    Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study.

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    PURPOSE: As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS: Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks
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