Obesity as part of metabolic syndrome is a major lifestyle disorder throughout the world. Current drug treatments for obesity produce small and usually unsustainable decreases in body weight with the ...risk of major adverse effects. Surgery has been the only treatment producing successful long‐term weight loss. As a different but complementary approach, lifestyle modification including the use of functional foods could produce a reliable decrease in obesity with decreased comorbidities. Functional foods may include fruits such as berries, vegetables, fibre‐enriched grains and beverages such as tea and coffee. Although health improvements continue to be reported for these functional foods in rodent studies, further evidence showing the translation of these results into humans is required. Thus, the concept that these fruits and vegetables will act as functional foods in humans to reduce obesity and thereby improve health remains intuitive and possible rather than proven.
Summary
Cellular transport of ions, especially by ion channels, regulates physiological function. The transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, with 30 identified so far, are cation channels with ...high calcium permeability. These ion channels are present in metabolically active tissues including adipose tissue, liver, gastrointestinal tract, brain (hypothalamus), pancreas and skeletal muscle, which suggests a potential role in metabolic disorders including obesity. TRP channels have potentially important roles in adipogenesis, obesity development and its prevention and therapy because of their physiological properties including calcium permeability, thermosensation and taste perception, involvement in cell metabolic signalling and hormone release. This wide range of actions means that organ‐specific actions are unlikely, thus increasing the possibility of adverse effects. Delineation of responses to TRP channels has been limited by the poor selectivity of available agonists and antagonists. Food constituents that can modulate TRP channels are of interest in controlling metabolic status. TRP vanilloid 1 channels modulated by capsaicin have been the most studied, suggesting that this may be the first target for effective pharmacological modulation in obesity. This review shows that most of the TRP channels are potential targets to reduce metabolic disorders through a range of mechanisms.
Capsaicin, the major active constituent of chilli, is an agonist on transient receptor potential vanilloid channel 1 (TRPV1). TRPV1 is present on many metabolically active tissues, making it a ...potentially relevant target for metabolic interventions. Insulin resistance and obesity, being the major components of metabolic syndrome, increase the risk for the development of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In vitro and pre-clinical studies have established the effectiveness of low-dose dietary capsaicin in attenuating metabolic disorders. These responses of capsaicin are mediated through activation of TRPV1, which can then modulate processes such as browning of adipocytes, and activation of metabolic modulators including AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Modulation of these pathways by capsaicin can increase fat oxidation, improve insulin sensitivity, decrease body fat, and improve heart and liver function. Identifying suitable ways of administering capsaicin at an effective dose would warrant its clinical use through the activation of TRPV1. This review highlights the mechanistic options to improve metabolic syndrome with capsaicin.
Abstract
This paper presents a machine learning model for the prediction of two mechanical properties, namely concrete compressive strength and chloride penetration depth. A total of five machine ...learning algorithms, including Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVR), Gradient Boosting (GB), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN), are employed on the collected data set. The winner model is then selected, and its hyperparameters are tuned using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. To avoid overfitting of the model on the test data set 10 k-fold cross-validations are used. Features are handled for missing data set values using mean values of available data for the same features. The model performance results are measured using Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R
2
). The proposed model yielded 97% accuracy with a 4 MPa value of RMSE, which indicates an efficient model. Out of all the models, Random Forest Regressor and Gradient Boosting Regressor Model performed well.
This study presents a robust Hybrid ReLU-Activated Backpropagation Neural Network (BPNN) model for predicting shear strength (VFRCM) in RC beams reinforced with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix ...(FRCM) composites. The model demonstrates exceptional accuracy, boasting a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.924 and a mean root mean squared error (RMSE) of 10.611 kN on the test set. Leveraging k-fold cross-validation, the model's performance is rigorously assessed across ten data splits, emphasizing its reliable predictive capabilities. Hyperparameter optimization, guided by Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), reveals an optimal value of α = 0.5757, minimizing the Mean Squared Error (MSE) to 74.53 for the dataset. Feature importance analysis underscores the significant role of critical parameters in shear strength prediction, with the longitudinal reinforcement ratio (ρl) emerging as the most influential feature, contributing 37.55 % to the model's predictive power. Additionally, the effective beam depth (d) is identified as the second most influential feature, providing approximately 16 % to the accurate prediction of VFRCM in RC beams strengthened with FRCM composites.
Background
Varus collapse is one of the pivotal mechanisms of failure following surgical fixation of proximal humerus fractures. The aim of the present study was to evaluate functional and ...radiological outcomes of non-vascularized fibular autograft as medial support with locking plate construct for comminuted proximal humerus fractures (PHF’s).
Materials and methods
We retrospectively evaluated 18 patients with unstable PHF’s in the age group 50–70 years with a minimum follow-up of two years. All the fracture patterns were classified according to Resch, Neer’s and AO classification and either medial calcar compromise or comminution were present in all. Open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) with a locking plate was performed for all the patients along with intramedullary fibular autograft to support medial calcar. Radiological outcome was assessed by neck-shaft angle (NSA) graded according to the Paavolainen grading method and difference in the humeral head height (HHH). Functional outcome was assessed by shoulder range of motion (ROM), University of California—Los Angeles (UCLA) score and American shoulder and elbow surgeons score (ASES).
Results
Radiological union at the fracture site was achieved in all the patients at mean of 8 months (range 6–12 months). Range of movements were mean flexion of 123.89, extension 35.28, internal rotation 66.94, external rotation 57.78 and abduction of 115° at final follow-up. The average NSA was in the range of 120°–130° and none of the patients showed difference in HHH of ≥ 4 mm in the immediate post-operative radiograph and that taken on final follow-up. The functional outcome assessed by ASES score (mean 89.44) and UCLA score (mean 29.61) suggested fair to good results. None of the patients has shown varus collapse and avascular necrosis. Neither there were any complications related to the donor area.
Conclusions
In unstable proximal humerus fractures with calcar comminution or void, PHILOS plate fixation augmented with fibular autograft as a medial support reduces varus collapse and promotes early radiological union.
A 51-kiloton magnetised Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector, using Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) as active detector elements, aims to study atmospheric neutrinos. A prototype - 1/600 of the weight of ...ICAL, called mini-ICAL was installed in the INO transit campus at Madurai. A modest proof-of-principle cosmic muon veto detector of about 1 m × 1 m × 0.3 m dimensions was setup a few years ago, using scintillator paddles. The measured cosmic muon veto efficiency of 99.98% and simulation studies of muon-induced background events in the ICAL detector surrounded by an efficient veto detector were promising. This led to the idea of constructing a bigger cosmic muon veto around the mini-ICAL detector. Details of the design and construction of the detector including the electronics, trigger and DAQ systems planned will be briefly presented.
•A liquid nitrogen cooled sorption cryopump is developed for the High Heat Flux Test Facility at IPR.•Design details, fabrication details, operational concept and thermo-structural analysis results ...are described.•The pump geometrical concept is novel because it provides ease of assembly, integration and trouble free operation in horizontal and vertical direction mounting.•The pump has 250 mm opening and offers pumping speed of ∼5106.6 l/s for water vapour and ∼1197 l/s for nitrogen using liquid nitrogen as coolant.•The pump integration and operation with High Heat Flux Test Facility is discussed.High Heat Flux Test Facility (HHFTF) at Institute for Plasma Research is established for testing thermal performance of Plasma Facing Components (PFC) and Plasma Facing Materials (PFM) that are expected to withstand steady-state and transient heat flux of the order of 10 MW/m2 and 20 MW/m2, respectively, expected in plasma fusion devices. During high heat flux testing of PFCs and PFMs, water vapour and other trapped gases are released. For the pumping need, a cryocooler based commercial cryopump and a turbo-pump is used. In addition to that, an indigenously developed liquid nitrogen cooled cryopump is mounted to the High Heat Flux (HHF) test facility. The developed cryopump has 250CF inlet flange and mounted vertically downward to an angle port (50°) to the D-shaped vacuum chamber of the HHF facility. The pump has integrated liquid nitrogen bath to provide stable cooling to the cryopanels and radiation shield. Cryopanels are made of copper and coated with micro-porous activated charcoal. The pump's geometrical concept is novel because it provides ease of assembly, integration and trouble free operation in horizontal and vertical direction mounting. The pump offers pumping speed of ∼5106.6 l/s for water vapour and ∼1197 l/s for nitrogen using liquid nitrogen as coolant. The pump geometry, thermal and structural analysis, fabrication and experimental details are discussed in this paper. After integrating the cryopump to the HHF test facility, performance studies were carried out and initial test results are also discussed.
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