Background and Aim: Zingiber officinale (ginger) extract increased dopamine concentration in various brain areas. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate how ginger extract can affect the ...efficiency of D2 receptor agonist (bromocriptine) and antagonist (chlorpromazine) on pain sensitivity in rats. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight adult male rats in standard conditions divided into eight groups, i.e. the control, the ginger sham1, sham2, ginger, bromocriptine 10 or 30 µM + ginger, and chlorpromazine 20 or 40 µM + ginger. The cannulation of the lateral ventricle was conducted unilaterally by the stereotaxic procedure. A pain sensitivity test was carried out in all the groups by formalin test on the 16th day. Results: The results of this study indicated that ginger could remarkablly (P<0.01) reduce pain sensitivity in all stages of the formalin test. As the data revealed, bromocriptine 10 or 30 µg/rat and chlorpromazine 20 or 40 µg/rat significantly (P<0.01) decreased the pain sensitivity in all phases of the formalin test in comparison with the control and sham groups. However, chlorpromazine 20 or 40 µg/rat noticeably (P<0.01) increased the pain sensitivity when compared to ginger and bromocriptine groups. Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, ginger mimics the analgesic effect of bromocriptine. Moreover, ginger has attenuated the hyperalgesic effect of chlorpromazine. It seems that ginger has a synergistic effect with the analgesic effect of the dopamine D2 receptor.
Isolated mechanical systems-e.g., those floating in space, in free-fall, or on a frictionless surface-are able to achieve net rotation by cyclically changing their shape, even if they have no net ...angular momentum. Similarly, swimmers immersed in "perfect fluids" are able to use cyclic shape changes to both translate and rotate even if the swimmer-fluid system has no net linear or angular momentum. Finally, systems fully constrained by direct nonholonomic constraints (e.g., passive wheels) can push against these constraints to move through the world. Previous work has demonstrated that the displacement induced by these shape changes corresponds to the amount of constraint curvature that the gaits enclose. Properly assessing or optimizing the utility of a gait also requires considering the time or resources required to execute it: A gait that produces a small displacement per cycle, but that can be executed in a short time, may produce a faster average velocity than a gait that produces more displacement, but takes longer to complete a cycle at the same instantaneous effort. In this paper, we consider gaits under two instantaneous measures of effort. For each of these costs, we demonstrate that fixing the average instantaneous cost to a unit value allows us to transform the effort costs into time-to-execute costs for any given gait cycle. We then illustrate how the interaction between the constraint curvature and these costs leads to characteristic geometries for optimal cycles, in which the gait trajectories resemble elastic hoops distended from within by internal pressures.
The performance of the persulphate/Mn
3
O
4
nanoparticles (PS/Mn
3
O
4
) oxidation process was investigated for the degradation of acid blue 113 (AB113) azo dye. XRD, N
2
adsorption-desorption ...analysis, FE-SEM and EDX confirmed the successful synthesis of Mn
3
O
4
nanoparticles. The effect of three independent variables including PS concentration, Mn
3
O
4
dosage and solution pH on the system response was optimised by genetic algorithm (GA) and central composite design (CCD) techniques. The results of ANOVA and fit statistics (P-value < 0.0001,
= 0.9772) showed that the proposed quadratic model can predict the AB113 removal efficiency with high confidence. The optimum points for PS concentration, Mn
3
O
4
dosage and solution pH were predicted to be 61.46 mg/L, 57.69 and 3.00, respectively, by CCD method. Under these conditions, after 60 min of reaction, the maximum experimental removal efficiency of AB113 in the PS/Mn
3
O
4
oxidation system and separate application of PS and Mn
3
O
4
were obtained 96.70%, 18.0% and 7.0%, respectively. The pseudo-first-order rate constants of AB113 degradation the PS/Mn
3
O
4
oxidation system and separate application of PS and Mn
3
O
4
were 0.0597, 0.0029 and 0.0015 min
−1
, respectively. In this way, the synergistic effect for degradation of AB113 in the PS/Mn
3
O
4
was determined 92.6%. Oxalic acid, naphthalen-1-ol and acetic acid were the major identified intermediates due to AB113 degradation.
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of the UV/S2O82− photocatalytic process in the presence of Al2O3 nanoparticles for the removal of dexamethasone from aqueous solution. In this ...experimental study, the variables pH, persulfate concentration, initial concentration of dexamethasone, the catalyst dose were studied in order to investigate the process efficiency. Furthermore, the efficiency of UV/S2O82− in the presence and absence of catalyst was investigated. The Al2O3 nanoparticle catalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image. The results showed that a decrease in pH and the initial concentration of dexamethasone increased the process efficiency. Given the increased concentrations of the persulfate and Al2O3, the removal efficiency was partially increased. In UV/S2O82−/Al2O3 under optimum conditions (pH = 3, t = 30 minutes, dexamethasone concentration = 20 mg/L, 0.5 mM of persulfate, and UV radiation = 55 watts), 94% of the dexamethasone was removed. The kinetic response showed that the reaction data corresponded to the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The results showed that the UV/S2O82− photochemical process can efficiently remove dexamethasone from aqueous solution in the presence of Al2O3 catalyst and the mineralization efficiency reached about 98%. Therefore, this process is recommended due to its high efficiency and availability for the removal of pharmaceutical compounds.
Background: B vitamins are essential nutrients to maintain body health. These water soluble vitamins are critical co-enzymes in different cycles. Also, the intake of an adequate energy in elderly ...contributes to more ability to perform daily activities. This study aims at assessing the energy and water-soluble vitamins intake in elderly population under health care in Isfahan, Iran. Methods: One hundred and fifty two old men and women (82 were under health care in Ghadir Elderly Care Center, Isfahan, Iran and 70 without health care) were enrolled in a case-control study. Food frequency questionnaire (168 items) was used for dietary intake assessment and N4 software for analysis of food content of the used diet. Results: The intake of energy was significantly higher in the elderly population under health care than those without health care (p=0.038). Also, after adjustion of variables for energy and B vitamins, B1 and B9 vitamins were higher in case group when compared to the control group (p=0.032, p=0.012), respectively. Conclusion: Old population in elderly centers had desirable levels of vitamins B1 and B9 and also energy intake denoting to the high health cares in the health centers.
This study was aimed to evaluate the performance of hydrated electron (eaq−) and SO2− generated from reaction between UV/sulfoxylate/phenol ring (USP) for the simultaneous removal of nitrate and ...pentachlorophenol (PCP) from aqueous solutions. The results indicated, with adding PCP (50 mg L−1) in the photoreactor, 94% of NO3− reduction (50 mg L−1) (with N2, NO2− and NH4+ selectivity of 98.9%, 0.21% and 0.85%, respectively) was achieved; while in the backbite of PCP in solution, 91.6% of NO3− was reduced (with N2, NO2− and NH4+ selectivity of 80.15%, 19.6% and 0.19%, respectively). Therefore, it turned out that the hydrated electrons generated in UV/phenol process, has a significant role in the reduction of nitrate and resulted in the higher N2 selectivity and the lower nitrite selectivity. This point can be the great importance from the public health point of view. Also 96% of PCP degradation and 87% of PCP mineralization were obtained by SO2− generated from UV/sulfoxylate. The optimum conditions (the maximum degradation and mineralization of PCP and also the maximum nitrate reduction (with the higher N2 selectivity and the lower nitrite selectivity)), were obtained at sulfoxylate dosage, 100 mg L−1; reaction time, 180 min and pH, 7.0. The USP process indicated the higher performance of USP than the UV alone and sulfoxylate alone, as nitrate and PCP reduction rates by UV alone, sulfoxylate alone and USP processes were obtained (24% and 66%), (18% and 17%) and (94% and 96%), respectively. Also kinetic studies were proved the results mentioned above, as values of robs for USP in the nitrate reduction and degradation of PCP were (17 and 31 times) and (1.4 and 4.25 times) than that of the sulfoxylate alone and UV alone, respectively. Values of energy consumption for the removal of nitrate and PCP were 26 kWh m−3 and 22 kWh m−3, respectively. The several intermediate products including acetic acid, ethane-1,2-diol, acetic acid dihydroxyethene isomers, benzoquinone, 2-chlorobenzene-1,4-diol, adipic acid were identified by the LC/MS analysis. Therefore, it was found the USP process due to smaller total cost and energy consumption and also the higher robs, might be an efficient method for the simultaneous removal of nitrate and pentachlorophenol (PCP) form aqueous solution.
•UV/sulfoxylate/phenol (USP) process is as a novel process.•USP is very effective for the simultaneous removal of nitrate and pentachlorophenol.•It proved (eaq−) and SO2− generated from USP is very effective in the reduction of nitrate and PCP.•94% of NO3− reduction and 96% of PCP degradation was achieved using USP.
This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of the UV/S
O
photocatalytic process in the presence of Al
O
nanoparticles for the removal of dexamethasone from aqueous solution. In this experimental ...study, the variables pH, persulfate concentration, initial concentration of dexamethasone, the catalyst dose were studied in order to investigate the process efficiency. Furthermore, the efficiency of UV/S
O
in the presence and absence of catalyst was investigated. The Al
O
nanoparticle catalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image. The results showed that a decrease in pH and the initial concentration of dexamethasone increased the process efficiency. Given the increased concentrations of the persulfate and Al
O
, the removal efficiency was partially increased. In UV/S
O
/Al
O
under optimum conditions (pH = 3, t = 30 minutes, dexamethasone concentration = 20 mg/L, 0.5 mM of persulfate, and UV radiation = 55 watts), 94% of the dexamethasone was removed. The kinetic response showed that the reaction data corresponded to the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The results showed that the UV/S
O
photochemical process can efficiently remove dexamethasone from aqueous solution in the presence of Al
O
catalyst and the mineralization efficiency reached about 98%. Therefore, this process is recommended due to its high efficiency and availability for the removal of pharmaceutical compounds.
This study was conducted to investigate the performance of sodium hydrosulfite-mediated photoreduction (SMP) process for the reduction of the pentachlorophenol (PCP). The influence of various ...parameters, quenchers and anions in water, were investigated on the performance of the SMP. The PCP degradation rates by SMP, UV alone and sodium hydrosulfite alone were achieved 100 %, 65 % and 16 %, respectively (under optimum conditions: sodium hydrosulfite dosage, 100 mg L−1; pH, 7.0 and reaction time, 80 min). Also, the kinetic studies confirmed the superiority of SMP than the other process (robs values for SMP were 69 and 9.8 times of the sodium hydrosulfite alone and UV alone, respectively).Under the selected conditions 56 % of total organic carbon (TOC) was mineralized. The amounts of energy consumed for SMP, UV alone and sodium hydrosulfite alone were estimated 16, 35 and 19 and kWh m-3, respectively. The results indicated adding quenchers in the solution, significantly was declined degradation performance. Therefore, it was found the SMP process due to smaller total cost and energy consumption and also the higher robs, might be an efficient method for the removal of pentachlorophenol form aqueous solution.
This study is dealing with optimisation of the green synthesised silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the Taguchi design. Orthogonal array of L9 type was used as an experimental design to detect the ...optimum conditions for synthesis of AgNPs. AgNPs were synthesised using the extract of Mentha longifolia as a reducing agent. In addition to the colour changes, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy was used to attest the appearance of AgNPs. Meanwhile, yielded AgNPs were characterised by FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. UV–visible spectrophotometer showed absorbance peak at 340 nm. DLS analysis showed that the synthesised AgNPs are 21.1 nm in optimum conditions. The optimised condition for the synthesis of AgNPs revealed that silver nitrate concentration was 10 mM, temperature was 60°C, pH was 9 and plant extract concentration was 3%. The results demonstrated that AgNPs can be synthesised by controlling silver nitrate and plant extract concentration, pH and temperature. The minimum diameter predicted by statistical model was 35 nm while the obtained diameter was 21.1 nm which is very close to the experimental designed measure. This indicates that the statistical predicated proposed by Taguchi was correct.
