An overview of anti-diabetic plants used in Gabon: Pharmacology and Toxicology

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Ethnopharmacological relevance: The management of diabetes mellitus management in African communities, especially in Gabon, is not well established as more than 60% of population rely on traditional treatments as primary healthcare. The aim of this review was to collect and present the scientific evidence for the use of medicinal plants that are in currect by Gabonese traditional healers to manage diabetes or hyperglycaemia based here on the pharmacological and toxicological profiles of plants with anti-diabetic activity. There are presented in order to promote their therapeutic value, ensure a safer use by population and provide some bases for further study on high potential plants reviewed. Materials and methods: Ethnobotanical studies were sourced using databases such as Online Wiley library, Pubmed, Google Scholar, PROTA, books and unpublished data including Ph.D. and Master thesis, African and Asian journals. Keywords including ‘Diabetes’ ‘Gabon’ ‘Toxicity’ ‘Constituents’ ‘hyperglycaemia’ were used. Results: A total of 69 plants currently used in Gabon with potential anti-diabetic activity have been identified in the literature, all of which have been used in in vivo or in vitro studies. Most of the plants have been studied in human or animal models for their ability to reduce blood glucose, stimulate insulin secretion or inhibit carbohydrates enzymes. Active substances have been identified in 12 out of 69 plants outlined in this review, these include Allium cepa and Tabernanthe iboga. Only eight plants have their active substances tested for anti-diabetic activity and are suitables for further investigation. Toxicological data is scarce and is dose-related to the functional parameters of major organs such as kidney and liver. Conclusion: An in-depth understanding on the pharmacology and toxicology of Gabonese anti-diabetic plants is lacking yet there is a great scope for new treatments. With further research, the use of Gabonese anti-diabetic plants is important to ensure the safety of the diabetic patients in Gabon.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Synthesis and antitumor activity of a 2-hydroxy substituted chalcone (C6)

Cancers account for approximately 13% of all deaths each year with breast cancer being one of the most common. Chemotherapeutic agents used in cancer usually have nonspecific toxicity which kills both tumor and normal cells and cause serious side effects that often limit their efficacy. This study aimed to synthesize chalcone and evaluate its antitumor activity. Chalcone was synthesized using Claisen-Schmidt condensation and characterized using spectroscopic techniques. The LD50 of the synthesized compound was estimated using OECD-425 guidelines in rats. A mammary tumor was induced with a single subcutaneous administration of 65 mg/kg of 1-methyl nitrosourea (MNU). The rats were palpated weekly to determine the size of the tumor. Eight weeks post MNU administration, the rats were divided into five groups of six rats each and treated with graded doses (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg) of the compound and paclitaxel (10 mg/kg) for six weeks. Before treatment, three rats were randomly selected and sacrificed, and mammary gland samples were subjected to histological assessment to confirm the induction of the tumor. At the end of the treatment, the rats were euthanized, and mammary glands were collected and subjected to histological evaluation. The possible mechanism of action of the synthesized compound was elucidated in silico using molecular docking. The compound was synthesized and named C6. C6 was found to be relatively safe with LD50 above 2000 mg/kg and exhibited remarkable antitumor activity. MNU-induced mammary tumor rats treated with C6 produced a significant decrease in tumor diameter when compared with the untreated group, histology slides displayed fewer signs of hyperplasia and small numbers of connective tissue with larger lobules when compared with the untreated group. In silico tubulin-binding interactions revealed that C6 binding to tubulin was like that of colchicine, and also has higher affinity to tubulin than colchicine.  The synthesized chalcone demonstrated significant antitumor activities in MNU-induced mammary tumors in rats postulated via inhibition of tubulin polymerization

Meta-KANSEI modeling with Valence-Arousal fMRI dataset of brain

Background: Traditional KANSEI methodology is an important tool in the field of psychology to comprehend the concepts and meanings; it mainly focusses on semantic differential methods. Valence-Arousal is regarded as a reflection of the KANSEI adjectives, which is the core concept in the theory of effective dimensions for brain recognition. From previous studies, it has been found that brain fMRI datasets can contain significant information related to Valence and Arousal. Methods: In this current work, a Valence-Arousal based meta-KANSEI modeling method is proposed to improve the traditional KANSEI presentation. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) was used to acquire the response dataset of Valence-Arousal of the brain in the amygdala and orbital frontal cortex respectively. In order to validate the feasibility of the proposed modeling method, the dataset was processed under dimension reduction by using Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) based segmentation and Mean Shift (MS) clustering. Furthermore, Affective Norm English Words (ANEW) by IAPS (International Affective Picture System) were used for comparison and analysis. The data sets from fMRI and ANEW under four KANSEI adjectives of angry, happy, sad and pleasant were processed by the Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) algorithm. Finally, a defined distance based on similarity computing was adopted for these two data sets. Results: The results illustrate that the proposed model is feasible and has better stability per the normal distribution plotting of the distance. The effectiveness of the experimental methods proposed in the current work was higher than in the literature. Conclusions: mean shift can be used to cluster and central points based meta-KANSEI model combining with the advantages of a variety of existing intelligent processing methods are expected to shift the KANSEI Engineering (KE) research into the medical imaging field

Analisis Hasil Pengukuran Nilai Kecepatan Rata-Rata Bunyi Di Udara dengan Menggunakan Piranti Lunak Audacity

Telah dilakukan penelitian analisis kecepatan rata-rata bunyi di udara menggunakan bantuan piranti lunak audacity. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat hubungan antara variasi jarak yang diberikan (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, dan 6 m) terhadap kecepatan rata-rata bunyi di udara. Eksperimen yang dilakukan memanfaatkan pemantulan suara dari garpu dan sendok  yang kemudian gelombang suaranya dianalisis menggunakan fitur waktu perekaman bunyi awal dan gema yang ada pada piranti lunak audacity. Metode regresi linier digunakan untuk keperluan analisis data serta menentukan kecepatan bunyi dengan hasil sebesar v = (351 6) m/s. Persentase kecepatan relatif ( dihitung guna mendapatkan informasi ralat relatif dari hasil kecepatan dengan hasil sebesar 3,4%. Hasil percobaan ini masih dalam jangkauan nilai kecepatan bunyi di udara secara teori (). Koefisien determinasi dengan R2 = 0,993 menunjukkan variabel jarak dan waktu memiliki keterikatan yang kuat. Dengan demikian, audacity dapat menjadi alternatif untuk menghitung cepat rambat bunyi di udara

Analisis Sistem Informasi Akuntansi Pada Penerimaan, Pengeluaran & Transparansi Kas di Kantor Kelurahan Banjar Serasan

The purpose of this study was to understand the implementation of the Accounting Information System on Cash Receipts, Disbursements, and Transparency in the Banjar Serasan Village Office. This study uses a qualitative approach to gain a comprehensive understanding. The research data consists of primary data obtained through interviews with informants involved in the financial management process, as well as secondary data obtained through observation and documentation studies. Data collection techniques used include interviews, observation, and documentation studies. The analytical method used in this study adopts a postpositivism philosophy, which focuses on objective understanding and objective data analysis. The data collected was analyzed thematically, identified emerging patterns and themes, and given an in-depth interpretation. The results showed that the accounting information system implemented in the Banjar Serasan Village Office made a significant contribution to the mechanism of cash receipts and disbursements. However, research also finds that transparency to the public is limited due to local regulations that prohibit public disclosure of financial information. Informants in this study revealed that these limitations are the result of policies that have been set and must be followed.Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk memahami implementasi Sistem Informasi Akuntansi pada Penerimaan, Pengeluaran, dan Transparansi Kas di Kantor Kelurahan Banjar Serasan. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif untuk mendapatkan pemahaman yang komprehensif. Data penelitian ini terdiri dari data primer yang diperoleh melalui wawancara dengan informan yang terlibat dalam proses pengelolaan keuangan, serta data sekunder yang diperoleh melalui observasi dan studi dokumentasi. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan meliputi wawancara, observasi, dan studi dokumentasi. Metode analisis yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini mengadopsi filosofi postpositivisme, yang berfokus pada pemahaman objektif dan analisis data yang obyektif. Data yang terkumpul dianalisis secara tematik, diidentifikasi pola dan tema yang muncul, serta diberikan interpretasi yang mendalam. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa sistem informasi akuntansi yang diterapkan di Kantor Kelurahan Banjar Serasan memberikan kontribusi yang signifikan dalam mekanisme penerimaan dan pengeluaran kas. Namun, penelitian juga menemukan bahwa transparansi kepada masyarakat terbatas dikarenakan adanya peraturan daerah yang melarang pengungkapan informasi keuangan secara publik. Informan dalam penelitian ini mengungkapkan bahwa keterbatasan ini adalah hasil dari kebijakan yang telah ditetapkan dan harus diikuti

Descriptive Statistical Analysis of Experimental Data for Wettability Alteration with Smart Water Flooding in Carbonate Reservoirs

Smart water flooding is a promising eco-friendly method for enhancing oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs. The optimal salinity and ionic composition of the injected water play a critical role in the success of this method. This study advances the field by employing machine learning and data analytics to streamline the determination of these critical parameters, which are traditionally reliant on time-intensive laboratory work. The primary objectives are to utilize data analytics to examine how smart water flooding influences wettability modification, identify key parameter ranges that notably alter the contact angle, and formulate guidelines and screening criteria for successful lab design. This design aims to shift rock conditions from oil-wet to water-wet by choosing the optimal salinity and ionic concentrations for smart water flooding. Analyzing a comprehensive dataset of 484 data points from 48 studies, primarily focused on calcium carbonate (72.7%), We assessed properties of rocks and oils, injection brine characteristics, and contact angles before and after smart water injection from 2010 to 2023. Our findings highlight a strong correlation between the initial contact angle and the change post-smart water flooding, indicating the critical role of the rock\u27s initial wettability. We identified that high concentrations of sodium, calcium, and chloride ions adversely affect wettability alteration, while sulfate ions contribute positively. Furthermore, outliers were removed, and after comprehensive analysis, application guidelines were developed for each significant parameter for calcium carbonate, limestone, and dolomite rock. Our research further reveals that calcium carbonate exhibits intermediate initial wettability, whereas dolomite and limestone show more muscular initial water-wet conditions. Smart water ionic composition analysis revealed distinct responses in calcium carbonate compared to dolomite and limestone, underlining the importance of tailoring smart water composition to specific rock types. The analysis highlights that oils with lower api gravity, acid numbers, and viscosities exhibit more excellent responsiveness in altering wettability. Overall, this study significantly advances smart water flooding in carbonate reservoirs, offering a framework for optimizing eor techniques by salinity and ionic composition. Additionally, it establishes a screening criterion for optimal salinity and ionic ranges, potentially reducing time-consuming experiments

All-sky LIGO Search for Periodic Gravitational Waves in the Early S5 Data

We report on an all-sky search with the LIGO detectors for periodic gravitational waves in the frequency range 50--1100 Hz and with the frequency's time derivative in the range -5.0E-9 Hz/s to zero. Data from the first eight months of the fifth LIGO science run (S5) have been used in this search, which is based on a semi-coherent method (PowerFlux) of summing strain power. Observing no evidence of periodic gravitational radiation, we report 95% confidence-level upper limits on radiation emitted by any unknown isolated rotating neutron stars within the search range. Strain limits below 1.E-24 are obtained over a 200-Hz band, and the sensitivity improvement over previous searches increases the spatial volume sampled by an average factor of about 100 over the entire search band. For a neutron star with nominal equatorial ellipticity of 1.0E-6, the search is sensitive to distances as great as 500 pc--a range that could encompass many undiscovered neutron stars, albeit only a tiny fraction of which would likely be rotating fast enough to be accessible to LIGO. This ellipticity is at the upper range thought to be sustainable by conventional neutron stars and well below the maximum sustainable by a strange quark star.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figur

A case of hydrated lime (CaOH)2 toxicity in

A sudden increase in mortality was observed in a fish pond stocked with 1034 6-weeks old Clarias juveniles, after exhibiting various forms of nervous disorders such as severe irritation and erratic convulsive swimming habits. A total of 165 mortality, with mean of 20.6 ± 14.8/day were recorded within the first week of stocking. A perfect positive correlation of water level in the pond R2= 0.92, with inverse mortality R2= 0.14 and pH values R2= 0.78 within the first 8 days were recorded. Carcasses exhibited various forms of skin discoloration, petechial and ecchymotic hemorrhages were observed on the cranium, base of the fins, body sides and bloated belly. Many carcasses had eroded body mucous, manifested by various forms of grayish bands of skin lesion. Mean optimal values for nitrate (0,mg/litre), nitrite (0.1,mg/litre) and ammonia (0.1mg/litre) in the water were recorded using commercial multiple water testing kit, although declining pH value of 11 to 7.5 was observed within the period. Another set of 200 Clarias juveniles of the same batch was raised in an adjacent pond, and appeared clinically healthy. Spontaneous recovery was observed upon transfer of the whole juveniles to a new pond of fresh water, with mean pH 7.5 and treated with oxytetracycline and vitaminmineral supplements. Diagnosis of acute lime toxicity was made. Normal growth was restored but, evidence of necrotic skin discoloration was retained to adulthood in 20% of the fishes.Keywords: Clarias gariepinus juveniles, hydrated lime, toxicit

Revisiting the School-Based Management Recent Studies

This paper aims at reviewing the School-Based Management recent studies. As the research method, researcher follows the systematic procedures for literature review article such as collecting data, reviewing, categorizing, and presentation. This paper answers the three questions: (A) definition of SBM, (B) factors considered to implement SBM, and (C) the roles of practitioners. Data is based mainly on secondary data, published papers in the international journals in particular. In the findings, the researcher presents a certain definition of SBM defined by prior researchers, authority sharing, facility and infrastructure management, budget management, autonomy, transparency as well as the roles of school players, in-depth and breadth. Eventually, the recommendations are also appointed for further studies to promote the School-Based Management literature