An improved light dark box test by using a real-time video tracking system

In the behavioral science field, many of the oldest tests have still most frequently been used almost in the same way for decades. The subjective influence of human observer and the large inter-observer and interlab differences are substantial among these tests. This necessitates the possibility of using technological innovations for behavioral science to obtain new parameters, results and insights as well. The light-dark box (LDB) test is a characteristic tool used to assess anxiety in rodents. A complete behavioral analysis (including both anxiety and locomotion parameters) is not possible by performing traditional LDB test protocol, as it lacks the usage of a real-time video recording of the test. In the current report, we describe an improved approach to conduct LDB test using a real-time video tracking system

Ascorbic Acid Protects Against Restraint Stress-Induced Memory Deficits in Wistar Rats

OBJECTIVE: Chronic stress has been shown to cause oxidative damage in the central nervous system. Although stress-induced impairments in learning and memory have been studied extensively, very few studies have investigated possible ways to prevent their ill effects. The present work was designed to study the protective effects of ascorbic acid in memory loss induced by chronic restraint stress. METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats were designated into the following groups: (i) Normal control, (ii) Ascorbic acid treatment, (iii) Vehicle control, (iv) Restraint stress, (v) Restraint stress + vehicle, and (vi) Restraint stress + ascorbic acid treatment. At the end of 21 days, animals of all groups were subjected to memory tests using Morris water maze and passive avoidance apparatus. Then, the results obtained were compared between the experimental groups. RESULTS: Rats exposed to restraint stress alone and those pretreated with vehicle solution before restrained stress showed deficits in learning and impaired memory retention in the memory tests when compared to animals in other experimental groups. Animals pretreated with ascorbic acid before restraining showed significant improvement in memory retention in the same memory tests. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study suggest the possibility of using ascorbic acid as a dietary supplement to prevent stress-induced memory impairments

FORMULATION AND IN VITRO CHARACTERIZATION OF ACECLOFENAC SUSTAINED RELEASE PELLETS PREPARED BY SUSPENSION LAYERING TECHNIQUE USING SUGAR SPHERES

Abstract: The present work deals with the aceclofenac pellets prepared by suspension layering technique, using sugar spheres with various concentrations of ethyl cellulose and kollicoat SR-30D as enteric coating materials. Prepared pellets were evaluated for physical characteristics which showed excellent flow properties. Formulation F8 with the maximum drug content of 97.17% showed a prolonged in vitro drug release till 10hr when compared with the pure drug. The optimized formulation showed particle size distribution of 546µm.Further stability studies performed according to the ICH guidelines also showed no change in the drug content and property during the shelf life of 3months at prescribed RH and temperature conditions. Keywords: Aceclofenac, suspension layering, enteric coating, pellets

PHOTOVOLTAIC BASED FLEXIBLE MICROGRID SYSTEM USING FUZZY LOGIC

This paper presents a flexible ac distribution system device for microgrid applications. The device aims to improve the power quality and reliability of the overall power distribution system that the microgrid is connected to. The control design employs a new model predictive control algorithm which allows faster computational time for large power systems by optimizing the steady-state and the transient control problems separately. In this paper Fuzzy logic controlling technique has been introduced to extract the harmonic spectra of the grid voltage and the load currents in the microgrid. The design concept is verified through different test case scenarios to demonstrate the capability of the proposed device and the Matlab/Simulink results are Presented

5-Fluoro-6′H,7′H,8′H-spiro­[indoline-3,7′-pyrano[3,2-c:5,6-c′]di-1-benzopyran]-2,6′,8′-trione

In the title compound, C26H12FNO6, the central pyran ring and both benzopyran systems are nonplanar, having total puckering amplitudes of 0.139 (2), 0.050 (1) and 0.112 (2) Å, respectively. The central pyran ring adopts a boat conformation. The crystal structure is stabilized by C—H⋯O, N—H⋯O, N—H⋯F and C—H⋯π inter­actions

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of 2-(Aminoacid ester)-3-(6-methyl-2-pyridyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3,2 λ5- benzoxazaphosphinin-2-thiones

Synthesis of 2-(aminoacid ester)-3-(6-methyl-2-pyridyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3,2λ5-benzoxazaphosphinin-2-thiones (3a–j) was accomplished through a two-step process. It involves the prior preparation of 2-chloro-3-(6-methyl-2-pyridyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3,2λ5-benzoxazaphosphinin-2-thione monochloride (2) and its subsequent reaction with the aminoacid ester hydrochlorides in dry tetrahydrofuran-toluene in the presence of triethylamine at various temperatures. These compounds were characterizedby IR, 1H, 13C, 31P NMR and mass spectral data.Keywords: 2-[(6-methyl-2-pyridyl) amino] methylphenol, 1,3,2-benzoxazaphosphinin-2-thione, antimicrobial activit

Spatial memory perfomance of wistar rats exposed to mobile phone

INTRODUCTION: With the tremendous increase in number of mobile phone users world wide, the possible risks of this technology have become a serious concern. OBJECTIVE: We tested the effects of mobile phone exposure on spatial memory performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Wistar rats (10-12 weeks old) were exposed to 50 missed calls/day for 4 weeks from a GSM (900/1800MHz) mobile phone in vibratory mode (no ring tone). After the experimental period, the animals were tested for spatial memory performance using the Morris water maze test. RESULTS: Both phone exposed and control animals showed a significant decrease in escape time with training. Phone exposed animals had significantly (~3 times) higher mean latency to reach the target quadrant and spent significantly (~2 times) less time in the target quadrant than age- and sex-matched controls. CONCLUSION: Mobile phone exposure affected the acquisition of learned responses in Wistar rats. This in turn points to the poor spatial navigation and the object place configurations of the phone-exposed animals

Construction of Heteroatom-Doped Porous Carbon Architectures for Energy and Sensing Applications

In this chapter, we have concentrated on the main electrocatalytic oxygen processes, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and water splitting oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and biosensors based on porous carbon architectures, which are more important areas of research because of the rise in demand for energy management, supply, and disease diagnosis. Heteroatom-doped carbon hollow spheres are very useful because they have a large surface area, mesoporosity, spherical wall thicknesses, edge plane defect sites, catalytic active sites, and fast heterogeneous electron-transfer rates. These properties are very important for making commercial devices. This chapter provides an overview of hollow carbon nanospheres that are doped with single and double heteroatoms, as well as cobalt oxide. These carbon compounds function as dual catalysts for OER and ORR, as well as an effective electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction process in both acidic and alkaline media. Electrocatalytically, heteroatom-doped carbon sphere-modified electrodes can simultaneously and specifically identify and determine the analytes, while also validating the target species in real samples. N-doped hollow carbon spheres coated-Co3O4 functioned as an efficient dual-function oxygen electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction processes and also as a biosensor for highly effective electrochemical sensing of acetaminophen. A symmetric supercapacitor using dual heteroatom-doped and SBA-15 templated porous carbon was also discussed