Thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties of oil palm cellulose nanofibril reinforced green epoxy nanocomposites.

In this study, significant improvements in mechanical properties have been seen through the efficient inclusion of Oil Palm Cellulose Nanofibrils (CNF) as nano-fillers into green polymer matrices produced from biomass with a 28 % carbon content. The goal of the research was to make green epoxy nanocomposites utilizing solution blending process with acetone as the solvent with the different CNF loadings (0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 wt%). An ultrasonic bath was used in conjunction with mechanical stirring to guarantee that CNF was effectively dispersed throughout the green epoxy. The resultant nanocomposites underwent thorough evaluation, comparing them to unfilled green epoxy and evaluating their morphological, mechanical, and thermal behavior using a variety of instruments. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was used to validate findings, which showed that the CNF were dispersed optimally inside the nanocomposites. The thermal degradation temperature (Td) of the nanocomposites showed a marginal decrement of 0.8 % in temperatures (from 348 °C to 345 °C), between unfilled green epoxy (neat) and 0.1 wt% of CNF loading. The mechanical test results, which showed a 13.3 % improvement in hardness and a 6.45 % rise in tensile strength when compared to unfilled green epoxy, were in line with previously published research. Overall, the outcomes showed that green nanocomposites have significantly improved in performance.

Comparative impact of replacing fish meal with azolla on growth, water quality, and physiology of red tilapia fingerlings at varying salinities.

A 210-day experiment to assess the efficacy of substituting azolla plant powder at levels of 0, 20, 40, and 60% for fish meal on red tilapia fingerlings (RTF, initial weight of 18.23 ± 0.12 g) performance under salinity levels of 5, 18, and 28ppt. Among the various conditions, RTF-fed 20% azolla at 28 and 5ppt salinity showcased the highest specific growth rate (SGR), whereas the lowest SGR was observed in fish-fed 60% azolla at 5ppt salinity. Upon azolla incorporation, noteworthy elevations in phytoplankton, zooplankton, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, NH3, and NO3 were noted and conversely, azolla introduction led to decreased NH4 and NO2 concentrations in all salinity levels. Further, a significant (p < 0.05) interaction between azolla levels and water salinity (S×A) significantly impacted the hematological parameters of RTF. The highest levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and total protein (TP) were found in RTF-fed 20% azolla at 28ppt salinity, while the lowest CAT and TP levels occurred in RTF-fed 60% azolla at 5ppt salinity. The highest aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were recorded in the RTF group fed 60% azolla at 5ppt salinity, with the lowest values seen in the group given 20% azolla at 28ppt salinity. RTF fed a 20% azolla diet at 18ppt salinity exhibited the highest lysozyme value, in contrast to the lowest value observed in the RTF group fed the control diet at 18ppt salinity. In conclusion, this study recommends the utilization of azolla at inclusion levels ranging from 20 to 40%, as it has the potential to notably enhance the immune system and elevate the survival rate of RTF.

Exploring nanocellulose frontiers: A comprehensive review of its extraction, properties, and pioneering applications in the automotive and biomedical industries.

Material is an inseparable entity for humans to serve different purposes. However, synthetic polymers represent a major category of anthropogenic pollutants with detrimental impacts on natural ecosystems. This escalating environmental issue is characterized by the accumulation of non-biodegradable plastic materials, which pose serious threats to the health of our planet's ecosystem. Cellulose is becoming a focal point for many researchers due to its high availability. It has been used to serve various purposes. Recent scientific advancements have unveiled innovative prospects for the utilization of nanocellulose within the area of advanced science. This comprehensive review investigates deeply into the field of nanocellulose, explaining the methodologies employed in separating nanocellulose from cellulose. It also explains upon two intricately examined applications that emphasize the pivotal role of nanocellulose in nanocomposites. The initial instance pertains to the automotive sector, encompassing cutting-edge applications in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, while the second exemplifies the use of nanocellulose in the field of biomedical applications like otorhinolaryngology, ophthalmology, and wound dressing. This review aims to provide comprehensive information starting from the definitions, identifying the sources of the nanocellulose and its extraction, and ending with the recent applications in the emerging field such as energy storage and biomedical applications.

MANAGEMENT OF AMNESTIC AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS AFTER KETAMINE ANESTHESIA.

General anesthesia may cause damage of the central nervous system and cognitive dysfunction in the postoperative period. A new intranasal form of Noopept (N-Phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester) was developed by our team at the Department of the medical technology (Zaporizhzhia State Medical University, Ukraine). The objectives of this investigation were the study of neuroprotective action of Noopept and to prove using in the clinic for correction of amnestic and behavioral disorders after ketamine anesthesia. We discovered that the intranasal administration of noopept after ketamine anesthesia significantly decreases anxiety and excitability, raises the animal's activity, shows an intensive antiamnesic effects and increases animal's training ability. Noopept significantly exceeds piracetam and cerebrocurin according to neuroprotective effects.

Impact psychologique, qualité de vie et traitements des patients adultes souffrant de fluorose dentaire dans une région endémique au nord du Nigeria

Objectif : Evaluer l'impact de la Fluorose Dentaire (FD) sur la Qualité de Vie (QdV) et déterminer les traitements nécessaires parmi les adultes affectés qui fréquentent la clinique dentaire d'un Centre Hospitalier Universitaire dans un lieu endémique.Matériels et méthodes : L'évaluation de tous les patients consécutifs adultes fréquentant les cliniques de diagnostic et de restauration orales a été menée pour diagnostiquer la FD en utilisant l'indice de fluorose de Dean. L'impact de la FD sur la QdV avait été évaluée avec les questionnaires abrégées sur le profil de la santé bucco-dentaire (OHIP-14). La comparaison des résultats d'impact avait été menée en utilisant le test t de Student, les statistiques ANOVA, et les corrélations entre les caractéristiques des sujets et l'impact avait été évalué avec un modèle de régression multiple. Résultats : La fluorose dentaire a été diagnostiquée chez 172 sujets avec une moyenne d'âge de 27,89 ans (SD : 7,763), alors que 11,6% des sujets avait consulté la clinique à cause de FD. La moyenne OHIP-14 était de 2,4967 (SEM : 0,2394) avec le score le plus élevé pour le malaise psychologique 0,8930, (SEM : 0,0738), et le handicap psychologique soit 0,7942, (SEM : 0,0752), alors que ceux qui étaient préoccupés par l'apparence de leurs dents avaient les notes les plus élevées soit 0,61 (SEM : 0,05). La sévérité de l'impact psychologique était corrélée au motif de consultation (P = 0,00). Aucune association n'avait trouvée concernant l'impact et le sexe (P = 0,64), l'impact et le groupe d'âges (P = 0,32), et l'impact et la profession (P = 0,29). Des associations similaires ont été constatées concernant l'impact psychologique.Conclusion : L'impact général était faible, mais surtout en raison des effets psychologiques sur les malades avec une faible QdV et ressenti par ceux qui cherchaient un traitement et ceux qui avaient les fluoroses dentaires les plus sévères

Genetic selection pressure in TLR9 gene may enforce risk for SLE in Indian Tamils.

Objectives Lupus is a classical systemic autoimmune disease with genetics as one of the well known causative factors for the disease pathogenesis. Toll-like receptors are the major pattern recognition receptors associated with innate immunity and also act as an interface with the adaptive immunity. Genetic polymorphisms in genes encoding TLRs were implicated in the development of infections, malignancies and autoimmune diseases. TLR9 is a member of TLR family, and recognizes the CpG DNA motifs of pathogens. Though the incidence rate of lupus in Asians was reported to be low (30 - 50/100,000 population), poor disease prognosis due to higher incidence of renal complications and aggressive disease worsens the scenario. The ability of TLR9 to detect and elicit an immune response against double-stranded DNA makes TLR9 a relevant factor to be tested for its association with the clinical and serological phenotypes of lupus. However, lack of relevant genetic data on normative frequencies of the TLR9 (rs187084) polymorphism may serve as a constraint to derive the sample size to conduct case control association studies. Hence this study was conducted to establish the normative frequency of TLR9 (rs187084) polymorphism in Indian Tamils. Materials and methods The TLR9 (rs187084) polymorphism was screened in South Indian Tamils ( n = 208) by PCR-RFLP. Results and discussion We observed a higher occurrence of the mutant allele (65%) in South Indian Tamils. No gender disparity with respect to the mutant allele frequency was observed. The higher incidence of mutant allele in both genders suggests that this population had undergone a genetic selection pressure as an evolutionary genetic measure to withstand the prevailing endemic infections like TB and malaria. Though the enhanced expression of TLR9 was protective against infections, it may also influence the development of autoimmune diseases. Conclusion The higher incidence of theTLR9 (rs187084) over-expression mutation in Indian Tamils is suggestive of a genetic adaptation or selection pressure to withstand the prevailing endemic infectious and parasitic diseases. However, this genetic adaptation poses a greater risk to develop autoimmune diseases like SLE etc through complex gene environment interactions. The normative frequency of the TLR9 (rs187084) polymorphism established in our population could now be used to define the sample size for future case control studies.

Effects of hormone therapy and dietary soy on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in ovariectomized atherosclerotic monkeys.

OBJECTIVE: Hormone therapy (HT) and dietary soy (Soy) inhibit myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in nonatherosclerotic animals. The aim of this study was to determine their independent and interactive effects on I/R in monkeys previously fed an atherogenic diet for 15 months. DESIGN: Ovariectomized atherosclerotic monkeys (n = 40) were divided into one of four dietary treatment groups: (1) casein as the protein source, (2) casein and added HT (the equivalent of 5 mug ethinyl estradiol + 1 mg norethindrone acetate daily), (3) Soy protein providing 141 mg total isoflavones daily, or (4) Soy + HT. After 12 months monkeys were anesthetized, and their left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded for 1 hour and reperfused for 4 hours. Infarct size was the percentage of the area at risk not staining with triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Additional measures were myocardial blood flow, stroke volume, coronary output, myeloperoxidase, and malondialdehyde. RESULTS: There was an interactive negative effect of HT + Soy to increase infarct size from approximately 30% (in other groups) to 55% (P = 0.0004). Additionally, there were negative main effects of Soy on blood flow, coronary output, and stroke volume during I/R (all P values <0.05). There were no effects of treatment on either myeloperoxidase or malondialdehyde. CONCLUSIONS: Neither HT nor Soy had beneficial effects, whereas their combination had harmful effects, on myocardial I/R injury in monkeys with preexisting atherosclerosis. The mechanism of this negative interaction remains unclear but may relate to Soy's negative effects on hemodynamics.

Transcatheter closure of coronary-to-pulmonary fistula by nonconventional coils in a patient with tetralogy of Fallot.

We report a case in which a coronary-to-pulmonary fistula was successfully occluded in a patient with tetralogy of Fallot by employing the cut floppy tips of coronary angioplasty guidewires using a new technique.

Isolated extra-cranial internal carotid artery aneurysm in a young adult with Eale's disease.

A young male patient, a known case of Eale's disease presented with a large isolated aneurysm of the extra-cranial part of internal carotid artery. Detailed investigation failed to establish the etiology of the aneurysm, and it is possible that the underlying pathology may be the same as that of Eale's disease. Eale's disease is an idiopathic vascular disease of the peripheral retina and we hypothesize that aneurysm in this patient may be associated with Eale's disease of the eye.

Concurrent infections of Trichinella spiralis and Toxoplasma gondii in mice.

Concurrent infections with two parasites: a nematode, Trichinella spiralis, and a protozoon. Toxoplasma gondii, were investigated. Antibody production (total immunoglobulin and IgM) was similar in double and single infections. However, the number of Toxoplasma cysts in the brains of mice infected with Trichinella and challenged 1-6 weeks later with Toxoplasma was higher than in mice infected with Toxoplasma alone, while mice infected with Toxoplasma and challenged 4-14 days later with Trichinella had lower worm burdens in the intestine than animals infected with Trichinella alone. Greater loss in body weight was observed in mice infected with both parasites than in those infected with either parasite alone.