Biochemical and anti-inflammatory effect of Ocimum americanum Linn. extracts on gentamicin- and cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats

Larbie Christopher,Nyarko Ruby A.,Oyagbemi Ademola A.,Jarikre Theophilus A.,Adjei Clement O.,Aseidu Emmanuel B.,Mawuenyega Rosemond,Emikpe Benjamin O. 경희대학교 융합한의과학연구소 2021 Oriental Pharmacy and Experimental Medicine Vol.21 No.4

Interest in medicinal plant research and usage has risen due to many reported side effects of synthetic drugs and their relatively higher cost. Ocimum americanum (family Lamiaceae) is a commonly used spice in Ghana with the aqueous extracts of leaves, flowers and stem been rich in saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, and tannins. The aim of the study was to evaluate the nephroprotective potential of the aqueous extracts of O. americanum parts on gentamicin- and cisplatin-induced toxicity in rats. In a ten-day experiment, nephrotoxicity was induced with gentamicin (GM; 100 mg/kg b.wt. for 8 days) and cisplatin (Cisp; 6 mg/kg b.wt. for 1 day) after pre-treatment with 250 mg/kg b.wt. of the leaves, stem, and flower extracts of O. americanum and standard drug, silymarin (100 mg/kg b.wt.) for 10 days. The nephroprotective activity was evaluated by assaying the activity of serum kidney function parameter, kidney oxidative stress parameters, kidney inflammatory cytokines (NF-κB and IL-1) and histopathology. The activities of kidney function parameters of animals were significantly increased following Cisp and GM treatment with resultant alteration is kidney microarchitecture, over-expressions of NF-κB and IL1 and kidney oxidative stress markers. Extract pre-treatment restored kidney function to near-normal, downregulating the expressions of IL-1 and NF-κB and improved levels of reduced GSH contents, GPx and SOD activities. However, leaves extract showed the best protection against GM while all extracts showed improved protection (> 50%) against Cisp. Extract of Ocimum americanum exhibit nephroprotective activity and could be developed as a potent kidney protector.

The TANDEM Euratom project: Context, objectives and workplan

Vaglio-Gaudard C.,Dominguez Bautista M.T.,Frignani M.,Fütterer M.,Goicea A.,Hanus E.,Hollands T.,Lombardo C.,Lorenzi S.,Miss J.,Pavel G.,Pucciarelli A.,Ricotti M.,Ruby A.,Schneidesch C.,Sholomitsky S. 한국원자력학회 2024 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.56 No.3

The TANDEM project is a European initiative funded under the EURATOM program. The project started on September 2022 and has a duration of 36 months. TANDEM stands for Small Modular ReacTor for a European sAfe aNd Decarbonized Energy Mix. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) can be hybridized with other energy sources, storage systems and energy conversion applications to provide electricity, heat and hydrogen. Hybrid energy systems have the potential to strongly contribute to the energy decarbonization targeting carbon-neutrality in Europe by 2050. However, the integration of nuclear reactors, particularly SMRs, in hybrid energy systems, is a new R&D topic to be investigated. In this context, the TANDEM project aims to develop assessments and tools to facilitate the safe and efficient integration of SMRs into low-carbon hybrid energy systems. An open-source “TANDEM” model library of hybrid system components will be developed in Modelica language which, by coupling, will extend the capabilities of existing tools implemented in the project. The project proposes to specifically address the safety issues of SMRs related to their integration into hybrid energy systems, involving specific interactions between SMRs and the rest of the hybrid systems; new initiating events may have to be considered in the safety approach. TANDEM will study two hybrid systems covering the main trends of the European energy policy and market evolution at 2035’s horizon: a district heating network and power supply in a large urban area, and an energy hub serving energy conversion systems, including hydrogen production; the energy hub is inspired from a harbor-like infrastructure. TANDEM will provide assessments on SMR safety, hybrid system operationality and techno-economics. Societal considerations will also be encased by analyzing European citizen engagement in SMR technology safety.

Dose optimization of breast balloon brachytherapy using a stepping Ir192 HDR source

Choi, Chang Hyun,Ye, Sung‐,Joon,Parsai, E. Ishmael,Shen, Sui,Meredith, Ruby,Brezovich, Ivan A.,Ove, Roger John Wiley and Sons Inc. 2009 Journal of applied clinical medical physics Vol.10 No.1

<P>To develop dose optimization schemes of breast balloon brachytherapy using a stepping of Ir192 HDR source.</P><P>There is a considerable underdosage (11%–13%) of PTV due to anisotropy of a stationary source in breast balloon brachytherapy. We improved the PTV coverage by varying multiple dwell positions and weights. We assumed that the diameter of spherical balloons varied from 4.0 cm to 5.0 cm, that the PTV was a 1‐cm thick spherical shell over the balloon (reduced by the small portion occupied by the catheter path), and that the number of dwell positions varied from 2 to 13 with 0.25‐cm steps, oriented symmetrically with respect to the balloon center. By assuming that the perfect PTV coverage can be achieved by spherical dose distributions from an isotropic source, we developed an optimization program to minimize two objective functions defined as: (1) the number of PTV‐voxels having more than 10% difference between optimized doses and spherical doses, and (2) the difference between optimized doses and spherical doses per PTV‐voxel.</P><P>The optimal PTV coverage occurred when applying 8–11 dwell positions with weights determined by the optimization scheme. Since the optimization yields ellipsoidal isodose distributions along the catheter, there is relative skin sparing for cases with source movement approximately tangent to the skin. We also verified the optimization in CT‐based treatment planning systems.</P><P>Our volumetric dose optimization for PTV coverage showed close agreement to linear or multiple‐points optimization results from the literature. The optimization scheme provides a simple and practical solution applicable to the clinic.</P><P>PACS number: 87.55.de</P>

Impact of numerical choices on water conservation in the E3SM Atmosphere Model version 1 (EAMv1)

Zhang, Kai,Rasch, Philip J.,Taylor, Mark A.,Wan, Hui,Leung, Ruby,Ma, Po-Lun,Golaz, Jean-Christophe,Wolfe, Jon,Lin, Wuyin,Singh, Balwinder,Burrows, Susannah,Yoon, Jin-Ho,Wang, Hailong,Qian, Yun,Tang, Q Copernicus GmbH 2018 Geoscientific model development Vol.11 No.5

<P><p><strong>Abstract.</strong> The conservation of total water is an important numerical feature for global Earth system models. Even small conservation problems in the water budget can lead to systematic errors in century-long simulations. This study quantifies and reduces various sources of water conservation error in the atmosphere component of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model.</p> <p>Several sources of water conservation error have been identified during the development of the version 1 (V1) model. The largest errors result from the numerical coupling between the resolved dynamics and the parameterized sub-grid physics. A hybrid coupling using different methods for fluid dynamics and tracer transport provides a reduction of water conservation error by a factor of 50 at 1<span class='inline-formula'>^∘</span> horizontal resolution as well as consistent improvements at other resolutions. The second largest error source is the use of an overly simplified relationship between the surface moisture flux and latent heat flux at the interface between the host model and the turbulence parameterization. This error can be prevented by applying the same (correct) relationship throughout the entire model. Two additional types of conservation error that result from correcting the surface moisture flux and clipping negative water concentrations can be avoided by using mass-conserving fixers. With all four error sources addressed, the water conservation error in the V1 model becomes negligible and insensitive to the horizontal resolution. The associated changes in the long-term statistics of the main atmospheric features are small.</p> <p>A sensitivity analysis is carried out to show that the magnitudes of the conservation errors in early V1 versions decrease strongly with temporal resolution but increase with horizontal resolution. The increased vertical resolution in V1 results in a very thin model layer at the Earth's surface, which amplifies the conservation error associated with the surface moisture flux correction. We note that for some of the identified error sources, the proposed fixers are remedies rather than solutions to the problems at their roots. Future improvements in time integration would be beneficial for V1.</p> </P>

Prostate Specific Antigen and Gleason Score in Men with Prostate Cancer at a Private Diagnostic Radiology Centre in Western Jamaica

Anderson-Jackson, Lennox,McGrowder, Donovan A.,Alexander-Lindo, Ruby Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.4

Background: Prostate cancer is the most common malignant tumour in men and the second most common cause of male cancer death. The study examines the clinicopathological features of patients with prostate cancer consecutively diagnosed at a private Diagnostic Radiology Centre in Western Jamaica over a 6-year period. Method: The medical records, including the pathology reports of 423 consecutive patients who had transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) - guided prostate biopsy between January 2006 and December 2011 were reviewed. Results: The mean age at diagnosis of the 191 men with prostate adenocarcinoma was $68.5{\pm}0.59$ years with the majority in the 70 - 79 year age group (43.5%). Moderately differentiated carcinomas (Gleason score of 6) comprised the largest group with 72 cases (37.9%); poorly differentiated cancers with Gleason scores of 8 - 10 comprised 49 cases (25.8%). The PSA levels increased with Gleason score. The mean PSA levels for men with Gleason score of 6 was $50.1{\pm}30.0$ ng/mL compared with $136.5 {\pm}59.9$ ng/mL in patients with Gleason score of 8 and $140.5{\pm}31.8$ ng/mL in patients with Gleason score of 9. Perineural invasion was present in 7.85% of the cases overall; high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) was present in 4.71% of the biopsies. Conclusion: Although the majority of patients had moderate, and moderate to poor differentiated carcinomas, the number with poorly differentiated carcinoma was high. This is a reflection of the patients' late clinical presentation at the time of diagnosis.

마드리드 리오

부르고스 & 가히두(Burgos & Garrido),포라스 라 카스타(Porras La Casta),루비오 & 아-살라(Rubio & A-Sala),웨스트 8(West 8),아나 뮐러(사진),예룬 무스(사진),마드리드 시의회(Madrid City Council) 현대건축사 2016 월간 CONCEPT Vol.- No.208

Carcass and Meat Quality Traits in an Embden×Toulouse Goose Cross Raised in Organic Dehesa

Sole, M.,Pena, F.,Domenech, V.,Clemente, I.,Polvillo, O.,Valera, M.,Verona, J.C.,Rubi, M.,Molina, A. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2016 Animal Bioscience Vol.29 No.6

This study assessed the influence of genetic type (Embden-Anser anser, EE; Toulouse-Anser anser, TT and F1 cross, ET) for meat characteristics (carcass, meat quality and fatty acid (FA) profiles), of domestic geese "Anser anser domesticus" raised in dehesa as an alternative, organic feeding system. Carcass and breast muscle weight (p<0.01) were greater for the ET group at the same live weight. None of the groups showed differences in the production of fatty liver with this type of feeding. Higher values were found for maximum Warner-Bratzler shear force (between 7.62 and $8.87kg/cm^2$), which implies the improvement of this parameter. High levels of oleic FAs were obtained, especially for the TT group. The polyunsaturated/saturated FA ratio was highest for the ET group (p<0.001), reflecting the optimum nutritional values as a component of a healthy consumer diet.