Effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of Ziziphus jujuba on the peripheral blood cells in Balb/c mice

Introduction: In the Iranian traditional medicine, Ziziphus jujuba is recommended for treatment of anemia, but no investigation has addressed this issue. In the present study, the effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of this plant was evaluated on the peripheral blood cells in male Balb/c mice. Methods: Hydro-alcoholic extract was prepared from the fruits of the Ziziphus jujuba. Male mice were injected with normal saline or the extract (100, 200 or 400 mg/kg, i.p.) for a period of two weeks. Afterwards, the mice were anesthetized and blood samples were taken from their hearts and then the peripheral blood was evaluated by a Cell Counter apparatus. White blood cells differential analysis was manually performed under a microscope. Data was statistically analyzed using One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey post-hoc test. Results: Ziziphus jujuba extracts (100 and 400 mg/kg) caused a significant reduction in the percentages of monocytes and neutrophils, respectively (P0.05). Conclusion: Findings of this study show that Ziziphus jujuba extract increases the percentage of lymphocytes and also reduces the percentage of monocytes and neutrophils

Performance Comparison of Various Textile Composition and Structure Through Full-Wave Electromagnetic Simulation and Measurement

This paper presents the performance of microstrip patch antenna integrated with textile as a substrate, designed for wearable application. Comparative study between cotton fabric as a substrate with copper tape as radiating element and FR-4 as a substrate with E-textile as a radiating element is performed to evaluate the performance of antennas. The antennas integrated in the proposed structures operate at resonant frequency of 5 GHz. Parameters such as fabric thickness and dielectric permittivity are determined through laboratory measurement prior to simulation to ensure accurate analysis and to take into account non-ideal conditions. Preliminary analysis is performed to observe and investigate the characteristics and electromagnetic performance of the antennas when different types of textile are used as the substrate. Antenna prototypes with two different compositions has been fabricated and tested for validation. The fabricated prototypes give good return loss performance which is -27dB at 4.3 GHz resonant frequency for prototype 1 and -22 dB at 4.7 GHz for prototype 2 (e-textile). However, the frequency for Prototype 2 (E-textile) is slightly shifted about 30% to the left due to non-ideal conditions of the textile materials. The ability of both antennas to radiate good signal is also measured. Based on the measurement data, Prototype 2 (E-textile) shows better performance with higher received power compare to Prototype 1 (copper tape) which is -43 dBm within 1 meter range, while - 58 dBm for Prototype 1

Engineering Technology Program In Malaysia: A Market Survey

In line with industrial development which is growing rapidly in Malaysia, the country is in great needs of competent technical workforce able to apply the latest concept of technology, improve equipment and system utilization, optimizing operation and maintenance of equipments. Therefore, an engineering technology program will be introduced in Malaysia education system at higher level. In developing the electrical engineering technology program and designing a curriculum structure in Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), a market survey has been conducted to gather opinion from industries on the relevant subjects, duration of training required and also the career opportunity. The market research survey was conducted by the Committee of Development for Engineering Technology, UTeM in 2011. A total of 110 questionnaires were distributed to local and foreign companies throughoutMalaysia. The scope of the market survey covered the common understanding of the concept of Engineering Technologist,requirements from industry perspective, the relevant focus areas as well as perceptions towards the program. The findings shows that there is a demand for degree programs in Electrical Engineering Technolog

Studies On Adsorption/Desorption Of Carbon Dioxide With Respect To Thermal Regeneration Of Hydrotalcites.

This research is focused on evaluation of conditions for thermal regeneration of hydrotalcite. In this study synthesized hydrotalcite prepared under reported optimum conditions namely calcination temperature (600oC) and Mg/Al mol ratio (3.0), and commercial hydrotalcite are compared for adsorption and desorption capacities

The Use of a Rabbit Model to Evaluate the Influence of Age on Excision Wound Healing

Background: The wound healing involves a highly co-ordinated cascade of cellular and immunological response over a period of time including coagulation, inflammation, granulation tissue formation, epithelialization, collagen synthesis and tissue remodeling. Wounds in aged heal more slowly than those in younger, mainly because of co morbidities that occurs as one ages. Present study is about the influence of age on wound healing. 1x1cm2 (100mm) wounds were created on the back of the animal. The animals were divided into two groups; one group had animals in the age group of 3-9 months while another group had animals in the age group of 15-21 months. Materials and Methods: 24 clinically healthy rabbits in the age group of 3-21 months were used as experimental animals and divided in two groups viz A and B. All experimental parameters i.e Excision wound model, Measurement of wound area, Protein extraction and estimation, Protein extraction and estimation and DNA extraction and estimation were done by standard methods. Results: The parameters studied were wound contraction, hydroxyproline, glucosamine, protein and DNA. Significant increase (p<0.005) in the hydroxyproline, glucosamine, protein and DNA and significant decrease in wound area (p<0.005) was observed in the age group of 3-9 months when compared to animals of age group of 15-21 months. Wound contraction together with hydroxyproline, glucosamine, protein and DNA estimations suggest that advance age results in retarded wound healing. Conclusion: The decrease wound contraction and accumulation of hydroxyproline, glucosamine, protein and DNA in group B animals may be associated with the reduction or delay in growth factors because of the advancing age

New methodology for predicting vertical atmospheric profile and propagation parameters in sub-tropical Arabian Gulf region

YesA new simplified approach is proposed to evaluate the vertical refractivity profile within the lowest 1 km of atmosphere from the analysis of surface refractivity, Ns, in areas where upper air data are not available. Upper-air measurements from the nearest available radiosonde location with similar surface profile to these sites are utilized. The profiles of Ns and refractivity extrapolated to sea level, No, obtained from surface meteorological data using both fixed stations and radiosonde are investigated and compared. Vertical refractivity gradient, ΔN, is evaluated at three atmospheric layer heights within the first kilometer above the ground in addition to propagation parameters relevant to each atmospheric layer. At six sites, different approaches are compared for the analysis of three important parameters; namely effective earth radius factor, k, anomalous propagation probability parameter, β0, and point refractivity gradient at 65 m not exceeded for 1% of time, dN1. The k-factor parameter is investigated using a new weighted average approach of ΔN at 65 m, 100 m and 1 km layers above the ground. The results are compared with the latest ITU maps and tables for the same area