Neuroprotective Effects of Germinated Brown Rice against Hydrogen Peroxide Induced Cell Death in Human SH-SY5Y Cells

The neuroprotective and antioxidative effects of germinated brown rice (GBR), brown rice (BR) and commercially available γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) against cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells have been investigated. Results show that GBR suppressed H(2)O(2)-mediated cytotoxicity and induced G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest in SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, GBR reduced mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and prevented phosphatidylserine (PS) translocation in SH-SY5Y cells, key features of apoptosis, and subsequent cell death. GBR exhibited better neuroprotective and antioxidative activities as compared to BR and GABA. These results indicate that GBR possesses high antioxidative activities and suppressed cell death in SH-SY5Y cells by blocking the cell cycle re-entry and apoptotic mechanisms. Therefore, GBR could be developed as a value added functional food to prevent neurodegenerative diseases caused by oxidative stress and apoptosis.     

Photocatalytic Degradation of p-Cresol by Zinc Oxide under UV Irradiation

Photocatalytic degradation of p-cresol was carried out using ZnO under UV irradiation. The amount of photocatalyst, concentration of p-cresol and pH were studied as variables. The residual concentration and mineralization of p-cresol was monitored using a UV-visible spectrophotometer and total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer, respectively. The intermediates were detected by ultra high pressure liquid chromatography (UPLC). The highest photodegradation of p-cresol was observed at 2.5 g/L of ZnO and 100 ppm of p-cresol. P-cresol photocatalytic degradation was favorable in the pH range of 6-9. The detected intermediates were 4-hydroxy-benzaldehyde and 4-methyl-1,2-benzodiol. TOC studies show that 93% of total organic carbon was removed from solution during irradiation time. Reusability shows no significant reduction in photocatalytic performance in photodegrading p-cresol.     

Formation and characterization of pDNA-loaded alginate microspheres for oral administration in mice

Alginate, a natural polysaccharide, was explored in this study as an oral delivery vehicle of a mammalian expression vector into the murine intestinal mucosa. Alginate microspheres were produced through water-in-oil (W/O) emulsification method. Average diameter sizes of microspheres were 46.88 μm±3.07 μm with significant size reduction upon utilization of 1.0% Span80. Plasmid DNA (pDNA) carrying green fluorescent protein reporter gene (GFP), pVAX-GFP, was encapsulated within microspheres at efficiencies of 72.9 to 74.4%, carrying maximum load of 6 μg pDNA. Alginate microspheres demonstrated shrinkage in pH 1.2 and swelling in pH 9.0 with pDNA release about twice the amount released in acidic environment. Oral delivery of pVAX-GFP loaded-microspheres, at 50 μg, 100 μg and 150 μg dose, was performed on BALB/c mice. Tissue biodistribution, investigated through flow cytometric analysis, demonstrated GFP positive intestinal cells (<1.0%) with 1.3-fold higher levels for the 100 μg dose; therefore suggesting feasibility of the approach for oral gene delivery and vaccination.     

Optical tomography: Image improvement using mixed projection of parallel and fan beam modes

Mixed parallel and fan beam projection is a technique used to increase the quality images. This research focuses on enhancing the image quality in optical tomography. Image quality can be defined by measuring the Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) and Normalized Mean Square Error (NMSE) parameters. The findings of this research prove that by combining parallel and fan beam projection, the image quality can be increased by more than 10% in terms of its PSNR value and more than 100% in terms of its NMSE value compared to a single parallel beam.     

Stagnation point flow towards a stretching/shrinking sheet in a micropolar fluid with a convective surface boundary condition

The problem of a steady laminar two‐dimensional stagnation point flow towards a stretching/shrinking sheet in a micropolar fluid with a convective surface boundary condition is studied. The governing partial differential equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations using a similarity transformation, before being solved numerically using the Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg method with shooting technique. The effects of the material parameter and the convective parameter on the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics are disscussed. It is found that the skin friction coefficient and the heat transfer rate at the surface decrease with increasing values of the material parameter. Moreover, dual solutions are found to exist for the shrinking case, while for the stretching case, the solution is unique. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

Gene expression programming for total bed material load estimation—a case study

This paper presents Gene-Expression Programming (GEP), which is an extension to the genetic programming (GP) approach to predict the total bed material load for three Malaysian rivers. The GEP is employed without any restriction to an extensive database compiled from measurements in the Muda, Langat, and Kurau rivers. The GEP approach demonstrated a superior performance compared to other traditional sediment load methods. The coefficient of determination, R² (= 0.97) and the mean square error, MSE (= 0.057) of the GEP method are higher than those of the traditional method. The performance of the GEP method demonstrates its predictive capability and the possibility of the generalization of the model to nonlinear problems for river engineering applications.     

Properties of epoxidized palm oil plasticized polytlactic acid

In this study, epoxidized palm oil (EPO) was utilized as a plasticizer for polylactic acid (PLA) using chloroform as a solvent by solution casting process at six weight ratios of PLA/EPO, 95/05, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, and 50/50, respectively. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to identify the functional groups of PLA, EPO, and PLA/EPO blends. Thermal stability, mechanical, and morphological properties of the blends were investigated by thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), tensile properties measurements, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) technique, respectively. The FTIR spectra indicate that there are some molecular interactions by intramolecular hydrogen bond between PLA and EPO. All sets of PLA/EPO blends show high thermal stability and significant improvement of mechanical properties compare to pure PLA. The highest elongation at break (about 210%) was obtained when the ratio of PLA/EPO blend was 80/20. Morphological results of PLA/EPO blends show that ESO was good miscible with PLA.     

Photochemical removal of NO(2) by using 172-nm Xe(2) excimer lamp in N(2) or air at atmospheric pressure

Photochemical removal of NO(2) in N(2) or air (5-20% O(2)) mixtures was studied by using 172-nm Xe(2) excimer lamps to develop a new simple photochemical aftertreatment technique of NO(2) in air at atmospheric pressure without using any catalysts. When a high power lamp (300 mW/cm(2)) was used, the conversion of NO(2) (200-1000 ppm) to N(2) and O(2) in N(2) was >93% after 1 min irradiation, whereas that to N(2)O(5), HNO(3), N(2), and O(2) in air (10% O(2)) was 100% after 5s irradiation in a batch system. In a flow system, about 92% of NO(2) (200 ppm) in N(2) was converted to N(2) and O(2), whereas NO(2) (200-400 ppm) in air (20% O(2)) could be completely converted to N(2)O(5), HNO(3), N(2), and O(2) at a flow rate of 1l/min. It was found that NO could also be decomposed to N(2) and O(2) under 172-nm irradiation, though the removal rate is slower than that of NO(2) by a factor of 3.8. A simple model analysis assuming a consecutive reaction NO(2)-->NO-->N+O indicated that 86% of NO(2) is decomposed directly into N+O(2) and the rest is dissociated into NO+O under 172-nm irradiation. These results led us to conclude that the present technique is a new promising catalyst-free photochemical aftertreatment method of NO(2) in N(2) and air in a flow system.     

Carburizing of Duplex Stainless Steel (DSS) Under Compression Superplastic Deformation

A new surface carburizing technique which combines superplastic deformation with superplastic carburizing (SPC) is introduced. SPC was conducted on duplex stainless steel under compression mode at a fixed 0.5?height reduction strain rates ranging from 6.25?×?10^?5?to 1?×?10^?3?s^?1?and temperature ranging from 1173?K to 1248?K (900?°C to 975?°C). The results are compared with those from conventional and non-superplastic carburizing. The results show that thick hard carburized layers are formed at a much faster rate compared with the other two processes. A more gradual hardness transition from the surface to the substrate is also obtained. The highest carburized layer thickness and surface hardness are attained under SPC process at 1248?K (975?°C) and 6.25?×?10^?5?s^?1?with a value of (218.3?±?0.5)???m and (1581.0?±?5.0) HV respectively. Other than that, SPC also has the highest scratch resistance.     

Effect of recombinant human erythropoietin on insulin resistance in hemodialysis patients

Insulin resistance is a characteristic feature of uremia. Insulin resistance and concomitant hyperinsulinemia are present irrespective of the type of renal disease. Treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) was said to be associated with improvement in insulin sensitivity in uremic patients. The aim of this study was to compare insulin resistance in adult uremic hemodialysis (HD) patients including diabetic patients treated with or without rHuEPO. A total of 59 HD patients were studied, patients were divided into 2 groups of subjects: 30 HD patients on regular rHuEPO treatment (group A), and 29 HD patients not receiving rHuEPO (group B) diabetic patients were not excluded. Full medical history and clinical examination, hematological parameters, lipid profile, serum albumin, parathyroid horomone, Kt/V, fasting glucose, and insulin levels were measured in all subjects. Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA‐IR) was used to compare insulin resistance. The results of this study showed that the mean insulin level of HD patients treated with rHuEPO (group A) (17.5 ± 10.6 μU/mL) was significantly lower than patients without rHuEPO (group B) (28.8 ± 7.7 μU/mL), (P<0.001). Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance levels in group A were significantly lower than in group B (3.8 ± 2.97, 7.98 ± 4.9, respectively, P<0.001). Insulin resistance reflected by HOMA‐IR levels among diabetic patients in group A was significantly lower than among diabetic patients in group B (3.9 ± 3.2, 9.4 ± 7.2, respectively, P<0.001). Also, HOMA‐IR levels among nondiabetic patients in group A were significantly lower than among nondiabetic patients in group B (3.7 ± 2.85, 6.9 ± 1.43, respectively, P<0.01). We found a statistically significant negative correlation between duration of erythropoietin treatment, fasting blood glucose, insulin levels, and insulin resistance (r=?0.62, ?0.71, and ?0.57, P<0.001). Patients treated with rHuEPO showed less insulin resistance compared with patients not treated with rHuEPO in diabetic and nondiabetic patients and, duration of erythropoietin treatment is negatively correlated with insulin levels and insulin resistance in HD patients.