Modeling and Simulation of Quadrotor UAV with Tilting Rotors

Mahmoud Elfeky,Moustafa Elshafei,Abdul-Wahid A. Saif,Mohamed F. Al-Malki 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2016 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.14 No.4

Quadrotors have recently been drawing greater research and commercial attention to the point that theyhave become one of the most popular types of unmanned aerial vehicles. Their applications vary from entertainmentto transportation, commercial and even military applications. In this paper, a novel quadrotor design is proposed. The design decouples all motions by allowing each rotor to tilt in two directions about the quadrotor fixed frame. This modification improves the stability and safety of the quadrotor and gives it more manoeuvrability and robustness. The mathematical model of the proposed system is carried out using Newton-Euler technique. Several flightscenarios are also simulated under a simple PID controller to illustrate the superiority over conventional quadrotordesigns.

Generalized Coupled Markov Chain Model for Characterizing Categorical Variables in Soil Mapping

Park, Eungyu,Elfeki, Amro M. M.,Song, Yungoo,Kim, Kangjoo Soil Science Society of America 2007 Soil Science Society of America journal Vol.71 No.3

Modulatory Effect of Fenugreek Saponins on the Activities of Intestinal and Hepatic Disaccharidase and Glycogen and Liver Function of Diabetic Rats

Khaled Hamden,Abdelfattah Elfeki,Bassem Jaouadi,Samir Bejar,Tahia Salami,Serge Carreau 한국생물공학회 2010 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.15 No.5

Diabetes mellitus is a serious health concern throughout the world and is often associated with a variety of bodily disorders such as liver toxicity and dysfunction. This study elucidates the effect of fenugreek saponin administration on disaccharidase and glycogen activities in the intestine and liver of surviving diabetic rats. It also evaluates the effect of saponin feeding using a number of liver toxicity indices, namely stress oxidant, liver dysfunction markers and metabolism. Our findings indicate that the fenugreek saponin fraction significantly modulated the disaccharidase and glycogen enzyme activities in the intestine and liver of rats, increased the hepatic glycogen content, suppressed the increase of blood glucose level and improved results in the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The fenugreek saponin extract also efficiently protected the hepatic function, which was evidenced by the significant increases of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT),gluthation peroxidase (GPX), aspartate transaminase (AST),alanine transaminase (ALT) and lactate deshydrogenase (LDH) enzyme activities. Fenugreek saponin also induced a notable delay in the absorption of LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides and a remarkable increase in levels of HDLcholesterol. A histological analysis of the hepatic tissues further established the positive effect of fenugreek saponin. Overall, the findings of the current study indicate that fenugreek saponins exhibit attractive properties and can be considered as promising candidates for future application as therapeutic agents in biotechnological and bioprocessbased technologies, particularly those related to the development of anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective and hypolipidemic drugs.

Antibacterial and in vivo reactivity of bioactive glass and poly(vinyl alcohol) composites prepared by melting and sol-gel techniques

Salha Boulila,Hafed Elfeki,Hassane Oudadesse,Rim Kallel,Bertrand Lefeuvre,Mostafa Mabrouk,Slim Tounsi,Dhekra Mhalla,Amany Mostafa,Khansa Chaabouni,Fatma Makni-Ayedi,Allal Barroug,Tahia Boudawara,Abdel 한국화학공학회 2016 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.33 No.5

Bioactive glass particle is used in the repair of bone defects. This material undergoes a series of surface in vivo reactions, which leads to osteointegration. We evaluated the effect of the bioactive glass synthesis, sol-gel (BG(S)) versus melting (BG(M)), associated with polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) on in vivo bioactivity with biochemical parameters, liver-kidney histological structure and antibacterial in vitro activity. These composites were testified in many bacteria and implanted in ovariectomized rat. The serum and organs (liver and kidney) of all groups, control and treated rats, were collected to investigate the side effects of our composites, BG(S)-PVA and BG(M)-PVA, in comparison with control and ovariectomized rats. Also, the implants, before and after implantation, were prepared for analysis using physicochemical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Our results have shown the stability of natremia, kaliemia, calcemia and phosphoremia. The histological structures of liver and kidney in implanted rats are intact compared to control and ovariectomized rats. BG(S)-PVA is characterized by a higher antibacterial effect on negative and positive gram bacteria than BG(M)-PVA. The physicochemical results have confirmed a progressive degradation of BG(S)-PVA and BG(M)-PVA, while replacing the implant by an apatite layer. But this bioactivity of BG(S)-PVA is faster than BG(M)-PVA. We can therefore confirm, on the one hand, the biocompatibility of our two implants and, on the other hand, the beneficial effect of sol-gel synthesis technique versus melting, both on the antibacterial effect and on the rapid formation of layer hydroxyapatite, and consequently on osteogenesis.

Inhibitory Effect of Fenugreek Galactomannan on Digestive Enzymes Related to Diabetes, Hyperlipidemia, and Liver-kidney Dysfunctions

Khaled Hamden,Abdelfattah Elfeki,Bassem Jaouadi,Samir Bejar,Serge Carreau 한국생물공학회 2010 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.15 No.3

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of fenugreek galactomannan on intestinal glucose uptake in surviving diabetic rats. It explored their potential action with respect to lowering maltase, lactase,and sucrase activities in the small intestine of galactomannan-treated diabetic group compared to the diabetic control group. The findings indicate that the increase of blood glucose levels was significantly suppressed in the galactomannan-treated group than those in the diabetic rats. Moreover, the galactomannan isolated from fenugreek exhibited a prominent selective inhibitory effect against intestinal lipase activity. It was found to significantly delay the absorption of LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides and the increase in HDL-cholesterol. In addition, fenugreek galactomannan efficiently protect the hepatic function observed by the considerable decrease of aspartate and alanine transaminases (AST and ALT) and lactate deshydrogenase (LDH) contents in the serum of diabetic rats. The beneficial effects of fenugreek galactomannan were also evidenc-ed by their capacity to inhibit diabetes-induced kidney injury through lowering the urea and creatinine content in plasma. Overall, the conclusion of the present study indicate that fenugreek galactomannan displays a number of promising properties and attributes for future applications as therapeutic agents in biotechnological and bioprocess-based technologies, particularly those interested in the development of anti-diabetic and hypolipidemic drugs.

Deuteromethylactin B from a Freshwater-derived Streptomyces sp.

Anam F. Shaikh,Maryam Elfeki,Samantha Landolfa,Urszula Tanouye,Stefan J.Green,Brian T. Murphy 한국생약학회 2015 Natural Product Sciences Vol.21 No.4

Compared to their terrestrial and marine counterparts, little is known about the capacity of freshwater-derived actinomycete bacteria to produce novel secondary metabolites. In the current study, we highlight the disparities that exist between cultivation-independent and -dependent analyses of actinomycete communities from four locations in Lake Michigan sediment. Furthermore, through phylogenetic analysis of strains isolated from these locations, we identified a Streptomyces sp., strain B025, as being distinct from other Streptomyces spp. isolated from sediment. Upon fermentation this strain produced a rare class of eight-membered lactone secondary metabolites, which have been for their antitumor properties. We used spectroscopic and chemical derivitization techniques to characterize octalactin B (1) in addition to its corresponding novel, unnatural degradation product (2).

Seismic performance of concrete frames reinforced with superelastic shape memory alloys

Youssef, M.A.,Elfeki, M.A. Techno-Press 2012 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.9 No.4

Reinforced concrete (RC) framed buildings dissipate the seismic energy through yielding of the reinforcing bars. This yielding jeopardizes the serviceability of these buildings as it results in residual lateral deformations. Superelastic Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) can recover inelastic strains by stress removal. Since SMA is a costly material, this paper defines the required locations of SMA bars in a typical RC frame to optimize its seismic performance in terms of damage scheme and seismic residual deformations. The intensities of five earthquakes causing failure to a typical RC six-storey building are defined and used to evaluate seven SMA design alternatives.

Seismic performance of concrete frames reinforced with superelastic shape memory alloys

M.A. Youssef,M.A. Elfeki 국제구조공학회 2012 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.9 No.4

Reinforced concrete (RC) framed buildings dissipate the seismic energy through yielding of the reinforcing bars. This yielding jeopardizes the serviceability of these buildings as it results in residual lateral deformations. Superelastic Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) can recover inelastic strains by stress removal. Since SMA is a costly material, this paper defines the required locations of SMA bars in a typical RC frame to optimize its seismic performance in terms of damage scheme and seismic residual deformations. The intensities of five earthquakes causing failure to a typical RC six-storey building are defined and used to evaluate seven SMA design alternatives.

Protective effects of Artemisia arborescens essential oil on oestroprogestative treatment induced hepatotoxicity

Sabah Dhibi,Amani Ettaya,Abdelfettah Elfeki,Najla Hfaiedh 한국영양학회 2015 Nutrition Research and Practice Vol.9 No.5

BACKGROUND: Currently, natural products have been shown to exhibit interesting biological and pharmacological activities and are used as chemotherapeutic agents. The purpose of this study, conducted on Wistar rats, was to evaluate the beneficial effects of Artemisia arborescens oil on oestroprogestative treatment induced damage on liver. MATERIALS/METHODS: A total of 36 Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups; a control group (n = 9), a group of rats who received oestroprogestative treatment by intraperitoneal injection (n = 9), a group pre-treated with Artemisia arborescens then injected with oestroprogestative treatment (n = 9), and a group pre-treated with Artemisia arborescens (n = 9). To minimize the handling stress, animals from each group were sacrificed rapidly by decapitation. Blood serum was obtained by centrifugation and the livers were removed, cleaned of fat, and stored at -80℃ until use. RESULTS: In the current study, oestroprogestative poisoning resulted in oxidative stress, which was demonstrated by 1) a significant increase of lipid peroxidation level in hepatic tissue 2) increased levels of serum transaminases (aspartate amino transferase and serum alanine amino transferase), alkaline phosphatase, glycemia and triglycerides and a decrease in the level of cholesterol 3) alteration of hepatic architecture. Pre-administration of Artemisia arborescens oil was found to alleviate oestroprogestative treatment induced damage by lowering lipid peroxidation level and by increasing activity of catalase, superoxide-dismutase, and glutathione-peroxidase in liver and by reducing disruption of biochemical parameters. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the results obtained in this study confirmed that Artemisia essential oil protects against oestroprogestative administration induced hepatotoxicity by restoration of liver activities.

Dietary Nigella sativa and Peganum harmala Oils Reverses Hyperglycaemia, Hepatotoxicity, and Metabolism in Rats

Khaled Hamden,Serge Carreau,Kamel Jamoussi,Fatma Ayadi,Fadhel Garmazi,Abdelfattah Elfeki 한국식품과학회 2009 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.18 No.3

This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic action of administration of Nigella sativa (NS) and Peganum harmala (PH) oils in diabetes and hepatic toxicity. Results show that treatment of diabetic rats with NS oil or PH oil ameliorate hyperglycaemia induced stress oxidative and hepatic dysfunction in diabetic rats. Administration of NS or PH oil to diabetic rats caused an anti-diabetic and antioxidant activities by the decrease in plasmatic glucose level and increase in hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities, reduced glutathione (GSH) and glycogen contents compared to untreated diabetic rats. Besides, NS and PH oils protect the hepatic function observed by decrease of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TCh), and increase of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-Ch) levels in serum and hepatic tissues. Moreover, a diminution in the bilirubin, transaminase glutanic pyruvic (TGP), and transaminase pyruvic oxaloacetic (TPO) contents in serum and the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances levels (TBARs) in hepatic tissues are also detected.