Evaluation of antioxidant and anti-lipid peroxidation potentials of Nigella sativa and onion extract on nicotine-induced lung damage

Background: The present work aimed to compare the protective effect of Nigella sativa (NS) and onion extract on the nicotine-induced lung damage in rats. The antioxidant and anti-lipid peroxidation potentials of both agents on nicotine-induced lung damage were studied. Materials and methods: Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley albino rats, treated for 18 weeks, were divided into six groups: one negative control group, two positive control groups (oral onion and oral NS), nicotine-treated group, onion extract-treated group (concomitant nicotine and onion extract) and NS-treated group (concomitant nicotine and NS oil). The assessment of lung structure was based on haematoxylin and eosin and transmission electron microscopy. Lung malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), catalase (CAT), lung glutathione (GSH), and epithelial lining fluid GSH (ELF GSH) were used for assessment of the antioxidant and anti-lipid peroxidation potentials of NS and onion extract. Results: The lung of the nicotine-treated group exhibited emphysematous air spaces, collapsed corrugated alveoli with ruptured interalveolar septa in some specimen and thickened septa in the others, massive congestion, extravasation of red blood cells, inflammatory cellular infiltration and fluid exudate. Much improvement was observed in the onion-treated group despite the presence of residual pathological affection. The lung in the NS-treated group showed the nearly normal architecture with slight congestion. Administration of nicotine promoted lipid peroxidation (elevation of MDA) and decreased the level of the antioxidant markers (SOD, CAT, lung GSH and ELF GSH). With the use of onion extract and NS, the level of MDA decreased by 17.85% and 35.71% while the levels of SOD, CAT, GSH, and ELF GSH increased. The increase was more prominent in the NS-treated group. The levels in the NS-treated group reached nearly the level markers of the control group. Conclusions: Nigella sativa and onion extract attenuate the pathological effect of nicotine in the lung rats through antioxidative and anti-lipid peroxidative mechanisms with higher protection to NS

Threshold Verification Technique for Network Intrusion Detection System

Internet has played a vital role in this modern world, the possibilities and opportunities offered are limitless. Despite all the hype, Internet services are liable to intrusion attack that could tamper the confidentiality and integrity of important information. An attack started with gathering the information of the attack target, this gathering of information activity can be done as either fast or slow attack. The defensive measure network administrator can take to overcome this liability is by introducing Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) in their network. IDS have the capabilities to analyze the network traffic and recognize incoming and on-going intrusion. Unfortunately the combination of both modules in real time network traffic slowed down the detection process. In real time network, early detection of fast attack can prevent any further attack and reduce the unauthorized access on the targeted machine. The suitable set of feature selection and the correct threshold value, add an extra advantage for IDS to detect anomalies in the network. Therefore this paper discusses a new technique for selecting static threshold value from a minimum standard features in detecting fast attack from the victim perspective. In order to increase the confidence of the threshold value the result is verified using Statistical Process Control (SPC). The implementation of this approach shows that the threshold selected is suitable for identifying the fast attack in real time.Comment: 8 Pages, International Journal of Computer Science and Information Securit

Thyroid hormone dysfunctions affect the structure of rat thoracic aorta: a histological and morphometric study

Background: There are limited data about the influence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism on the connective tissue component and smooth muscle cells of the thoracic aorta. The aim was to study the histological changes of the wall of the thoracic aorta in the hypothyroid and hyperthyroid rats. Morphometric measurements were also done.Materials and methods: Thirty adult rats were used. They were divided into control, hyperthyroid, and hypothyroid groups. Each group consisted of 10 rats. The animals were sacrificed at the end of 8 weeks and the descending aorta was excised. Sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin, orcein and Masson’s trichrome stains. Themorphometric measurement included: number of smooth muscle cell nuclei, number of the elastic lamellae, thickness of the tunica media, elastic fibre optic density, and relative collagen area.Results: Atheromatous plagues had been observed in the hyperthyroid group. Thinning and rupture of the elastic lamellae had been observed in the hypothyroid group; these were accompanied with intimal ulceration and aortic dissection. The average number of smooth muscle cell nuclei in the hyperthyroid group had doubled and tripled compared to their fellows in the control and hypothyroid groups, respectively. The thickness of the tunica media increased in the hyperthyroid and hypothyroid groups by 75% and 35%. In addition, the relative collagen area increased in the previously mentioned groups by 142% and 120%, respectively. On the other hand, the mean elastic fibre optic density decreased in both groups by 30%.Conclusions: Structure wall affections of the intima and media of the descending aorta were associated with the thyroid hormone dysfunctions. These changes were more severe in the hypothyroid group.

The differential effects of high-fat and high- -fructose diets on the liver of male albino rat and the proposed underlying mechanisms

Background: The Western-style diet is characterised by the high intake of energy- -dense foods. Consumption of either high-fructose diet or saturated fat resulted in the development of metabolic syndrome. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. Many researchers studied the effect of high-fat diet (HFD), high-fructose diet (HFruD) and high-fructose high-fat diet (HFHF) on the liver. The missing data are the comparison effect of these groups i.e. are effects of the HFHF diet on the liver more pronounced? So, this study was designed to compare the metabolic and histopathological effect of the HFD, HFruD, and HFHF on the liver. The proposed underlying mechanisms involved in these changes were also studied.  Materials and methods: Twenty four rats were divided into four groups: con- trol, HFD, HFruD, and HFHF. Food was offered for 6 weeks. Biochemical, light microscopic, immunohistochemical (Inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS] and alpha-smooth muscle actin [α-SMA]), real-time polymerase chain reaction (gene expression of TNF-α, interleukin-6, Bax, BCL-2, and caspase 3), histomorphometric analysis and oxidative/antioxidative markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS], malondialdehyde [MDA]/glutathione [GSH] and superoxide dismutase [SOD]) were done.  Results: The HFD, HFruD and HFHF groups developed a cluster of liver disorders; steatosis, necrosis, inflammation, apoptosis, ballooning degeneration and cytopla- smic vacuolations. Internal metabolic impairments include elevated serum levels of glucose, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein and decreased serum levels of high density lipoprotein and albumin. The immunoreaction of the α-SMA and iNOS was strong in these groups. The oxidant markers (MDA and TBARS) were elevated, while the antioxidant markers (SOD and GSH) were decreased. The area per cent of collagen, inflammatory markers, caspase 3 and Bax were elevated, while the BCL-2/Bax ratio was decreased. The decrease in PAS, antioxidant markers and the elevation of the α-SMA, iNOS, inflammatory and oxidant markers were obvious in the HFHF when compared to that of the other groups.  Conclusions: High-fat diet, HFruD, and HFHF developed morphologic hepatic changes ranging from steatosis to necrosis and inflammation, besides the deve- lopment of internal metabolic impairments. The chief factors of hepatic injury were fat accumulation in the hepatocytes, oxidative stress and highly elevated iNOS. Compared to the other groups, HFHF’s effect was more prominent.

An Empirical Study on Organizational Acceptance Accounting Information Systems in Sharia Banking

The purpose of this research is to investigate the correlation of management support and self-efficacy variables, to perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioral intention to use variables of accounting information systems of Islamic Banking. This study aims to discover the roles of external variables, including management support and self-efficacy variables which influence perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of accounting information systems (AIS) of Islamic Banking. The study was conducted in several Islamic Banking in Malang City, East Java, which consist of Bank Mega Syariah, Bank Syariah Mandiri, Bank Muamalat, Bank Panin Syariah, Bank Jatim Syariah, BTN Syariah, CIMB Niaga Syariah, BRI Syariah, and BNI Syariah. The population of this study are employees who worked and dispersed all over Islamic Banking in Malang City and samples of 135 people as system users were used for data examination. This study emphasized on quantitative approach in data analysis which uses Generalized Structured Component Analysis (GSCA) approach. The result shows that all tested hypotheses have significantly positive correlations, which are: management support on perceived ease of use, management support on perceived usefulness, self-efficacy on perceived ease of use, self-efficacy on perceived usefulness, perceived usefulness on behavioral intention of use of AIS; and perceived ease of use on behavioral intention of use of AIS

Theory of remote entanglement via quantum-limited phase-preserving amplification

We show that a quantum-limited phase-preserving amplifier can act as a which-path information eraser when followed by heterodyne detection. This 'beam splitter with gain' implements a continuous joint measurement on the signal sources. As an application, we propose heralded concurrent remote entanglement generation between two qubits coupled dispersively to separate cavities. Dissimilar qubit-cavity pairs can be made indistinguishable by simple engineering of the cavity driving fields providing further experimental flexibility and the prospect for scalability. Additionally, we find an analytic solution for the stochastic master equation, a quantum filter, yielding a thorough physical understanding of the nonlinear measurement process leading to an entangled state of the qubits. We determine the concurrence of the entangled states and analyze its dependence on losses and measurement inefficiencies.Comment: Main text (11 pages, 5 figures), updated to the published versio

Effect of water to cement ratio and replacement percentage of recycled concrete aggregate on the concrete strength

Fine Recycled Concrete Aggregate (FRCA) is one of the construction waste can be recycled. It can be the aggregate to replace the natural aggregate in concrete since we know the physical properties of materials are hard and strong. Demand for sand in the concrete production has been increased which become the problems in the concrete industry. This work deals with the effect of concrete incorporating with FRCA as partial replacement of sand. The percentage of natural sand replaced by the FRCA was 0%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 45% and 60%. Other than that, water cement ratio was manipulated variable started form 0.40, 0.45, 0.50, 0.55 and 0.60. In short, 20% replacement was the most suitable interaction of FRCA in the concrete occur that contribute to increasing in compressive strength. The porosity properties of FRCA been neutralized on that replacement percentage by the present of optimum filler effect generated form the very fine FRCA particle during the mixing process. Meanwhile, 0.50 water cement ratio was optimum condition for cement hydration process using FRCA as partial sand replacement

Tautomerism of 5-methyl imidazolidine thio derivatives in the gas phase: a density functional study

Relative tautomerisation energies, enthalpies, entropies, Gibbs free energies, and dipole moments for 5-methyl-2,4-dioxo-imidazolidine and its thio analogous have been studied in the gas phase using hybrid density functional at the B3LYP level of theory using 6-31(d) and 6-31