Study on AI-2 signaling molecules activity and the effect of matrine on AI-2 in Staphylococcus epidermidis LuxS/AI-2 quorum sensing%产膜表皮葡萄球菌LuxS/AI-2型密度感应系统AI-2的活性及苦参碱对其的影响

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

李雪; 何芳; 卢金霞; 管翠萍; 周学章

2017-01-01

[Objective] This study investigated the activity of AI-2 signaling molecules in Staphylococcus epidermidis planktonic bacteria and biofilm bacteria and the effect of matrine.[Method] The growth curve of Staphylococcus epidermidis planktonic bacteria and biofilm bacteria was drawn and AI-2 concentration was measured using the V.harveyi bioluminescence assay.The transcription level of luxS gene was analyzed using real-time PCR.The AI-2 signaling molecules of Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC35984 were treated with matrine and the changes of AI-2 signaling molecules activity were determined.[Result] In Staphylococcus epidermidis planktonic bacteria growth process,AI-2 signaling molecule activity and the relative expression quantity of luxS gene reached the maximum in the logarithmic phase before decreasing gradually.Their change curves were similar with planktonic growth curve.However,in the growth process of Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm bacteria,the activity trend was similar with the biofilm growth.The relative expression quantity of luxS gene had an opposite trend to biofilm growth.Matrine had inhibitory effect on AI-2 signaling molecule activity in planktonic and biofilm bacteria,and the inhibitory effect was stronger to planktonic bacteria.[Conclusion] AI-2 signaling molecule activity and relative expression quantity of luxS gene highly correlated with the growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis and its biofilm formation.Matrine significantly reduced the AI-2 signaling molecule activity of Staphylococcus epidermidis.%[目的]研究产膜表皮葡萄球菌生物被膜菌和液相浮游菌LuxS/AI-2型密度感应系统中AI-2信号分子的活性及苦参碱对其的影响.[方法]绘制产膜表皮葡萄球菌ATCC35984液相浮游菌及生物被膜菌的生长曲线;利用哈维氏弧菌BB170(Vibrio harveyi BB170)作为报告菌株检测表皮葡萄球菌AI-2�

21 CFR 352.10 - Sunscreen active ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Sunscreen active ingredients. 352.10 Section 352.10 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... until further notice. For the convenience of the user, the revised text is set forth as follows: § 352...

Tweeting AI: Perceptions of AI-Tweeters (AIT) vs Expert AI-Tweeters (EAIT)

OpenAIRE

Manikonda, Lydia; Dudley, Cameron; Kambhampati, Subbarao

2017-01-01

With the recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), various organizations and individuals started debating about the progress of AI as a blessing or a curse for the future of the society. This paper conducts an investigation on how the public perceives the progress of AI by utilizing the data shared on Twitter. Specifically, this paper performs a comparative analysis on the understanding of users from two categories -- general AI-Tweeters (AIT) and the expert AI-Tweeters (EAIT) who ...

Consensus Modeling for Prediction of Estrogenic Activity of Ingredients Commonly Used in Sunscreen Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huixiao Hong

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Sunscreen products are predominantly regulated as over-the-counter (OTC drugs by the US FDA. The “active” ingredients function as ultraviolet filters. Once a sunscreen product is generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE via an OTC drug review process, new formulations using these ingredients do not require FDA review and approval, however, the majority of ingredients have never been tested to uncover any potential endocrine activity and their ability to interact with the estrogen receptor (ER is unknown, despite the fact that this is a very extensively studied target related to endocrine activity. Consequently, we have developed an in silico model to prioritize single ingredient estrogen receptor activity for use when actual animal data are inadequate, equivocal, or absent. It relies on consensus modeling to qualitatively and quantitatively predict ER binding activity. As proof of concept, the model was applied to ingredients commonly used in sunscreen products worldwide and a few reference chemicals. Of the 32 chemicals with unknown ER binding activity that were evaluated, seven were predicted to be active estrogenic compounds. Five of the seven were confirmed by the published data. Further experimental data is needed to confirm the other two predictions.

Fixed-Dose Combination Drug Approvals, Patents and Market Exclusivities Compared to Single Active Ingredient Pharmaceuticals.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Jing; Rodriguez-Monguio, Rosa; Seoane-Vazquez, Enrique

2015-01-01

Fixed-dose combinations (FDC) contain two or more active ingredients. The effective patent and exclusivity life of FDC compared to single active ingredient has not been assessed. Trends in FDA approved FDC in the period 1980-2012 and time lag between approval of FDC and single active ingredients in the combination were assessed, and the effective patent and exclusivity life of FDC was compared with their single active ingredients. New molecular entities (NMEs), new therapeutic biologics license applications (BLAs) and FDC data were collected from the FDA Orange Book and Drugs@FDA. Analysis included FDC containing one or more NMEs or BLAs at first FDA approval (NMEs-FDC) and only already marketed drugs (Non-NMEs-FDC). Descriptive, Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon Rank Sum analyses were performed. During the study period, the FDA approved 28 NMEs-FDC (3.5% of NMEs) and 117 non-NMEs-FDC. FDC approvals increased from 12 in the 1980s to 59 in the 2000s. Non-NMEs-FDC entered the market at a median of 5.43 years (interquartile range 1.74, 10.31) after first FDA approval of single active ingredients in the combination. The Non-NMEs-FDC entered the market at a median of 2.33 years (-7.55, 2.39) before approval of generic single active ingredient. Non-NME-FDC added a median of 9.70 (2.75, 16.24) years to the patent and exclusivity life of the single active ingredients in the combination. FDC approvals significantly increased over the last twenty years. Pharmaceutical companies market FDC drugs shortly before the generic versions of the single ingredients enter the market extending the patent and exclusivity life of drugs included in the combination.

Fixed-Dose Combination Drug Approvals, Patents and Market Exclusivities Compared to Single Active Ingredient Pharmaceuticals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Hao

Full Text Available Fixed-dose combinations (FDC contain two or more active ingredients. The effective patent and exclusivity life of FDC compared to single active ingredient has not been assessed.Trends in FDA approved FDC in the period 1980-2012 and time lag between approval of FDC and single active ingredients in the combination were assessed, and the effective patent and exclusivity life of FDC was compared with their single active ingredients.New molecular entities (NMEs, new therapeutic biologics license applications (BLAs and FDC data were collected from the FDA Orange Book and Drugs@FDA. Analysis included FDC containing one or more NMEs or BLAs at first FDA approval (NMEs-FDC and only already marketed drugs (Non-NMEs-FDC. Descriptive, Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon Rank Sum analyses were performed.During the study period, the FDA approved 28 NMEs-FDC (3.5% of NMEs and 117 non-NMEs-FDC. FDC approvals increased from 12 in the 1980s to 59 in the 2000s. Non-NMEs-FDC entered the market at a median of 5.43 years (interquartile range 1.74, 10.31 after first FDA approval of single active ingredients in the combination. The Non-NMEs-FDC entered the market at a median of 2.33 years (-7.55, 2.39 before approval of generic single active ingredient. Non-NME-FDC added a median of 9.70 (2.75, 16.24 years to the patent and exclusivity life of the single active ingredients in the combination.FDC approvals significantly increased over the last twenty years. Pharmaceutical companies market FDC drugs shortly before the generic versions of the single ingredients enter the market extending the patent and exclusivity life of drugs included in the combination.

Data-mining of potential antitubercular activities from molecular ingredients of traditional Chinese medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamal, Salma; Scaria, Vinod

2014-01-01

Background. Traditional Chinese medicine encompasses a well established alternate system of medicine based on a broad range of herbal formulations and is practiced extensively in the region for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases. In recent years, several reports describe in depth studies of the molecular ingredients of traditional Chinese medicines on the biological activities including anti-bacterial activities. The availability of a well-curated dataset of molecular ingredients of traditional Chinese medicines and accurate in-silico cheminformatics models for data mining for antitubercular agents and computational filters to prioritize molecules has prompted us to search for potential hits from these datasets. Results. We used a consensus approach to predict molecules with potential antitubercular activities from a large dataset of molecular ingredients of traditional Chinese medicines available in the public domain. We further prioritized 160 molecules based on five computational filters (SMARTSfilter) so as to avoid potentially undesirable molecules. We further examined the molecules for permeability across Mycobacterial cell wall and for potential activities against non-replicating and drug tolerant Mycobacteria. Additional in-depth literature surveys for the reported antitubercular activities of the molecular ingredients and their sources were considered for drawing support to prioritization. Conclusions. Our analysis suggests that datasets of molecular ingredients of traditional Chinese medicines offer a new opportunity to mine for potential biological activities. In this report, we suggest a proof-of-concept methodology to prioritize molecules for further experimental assays using a variety of computational tools. We also additionally suggest that a subset of prioritized molecules could be used for evaluation for tuberculosis due to their additional effect against non-replicating tuberculosis as well as the additional hepato-protection offered by

Study on THz spectra of the active ingredients in the TCM

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, ShiHua; Wang, WenFeng; Liu, GuiFeng; Ge, Min; Zhu, ZhiYong

2008-03-01

Terahertz spectroscopy has tremendous potential for applications to evaluate the quality of the drugs including the TCM. In this paper, the Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy investigated two active ingredients: Andrographolide and Dehydroandrographoline, isolated from Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees. We also measured the mixtures of two active ingredients at the different ratio and the quantitative analysis is also applied to determine the contents of compound. The Terahertz spectroscopy is a potential and promising technique in identifying the components, evaluating the drugs sanitation and inspecting the quality of medicine including TCM.

21 CFR 352.20 - Permitted combinations of active ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Permitted combinations of active ingredients. 352.20 Section 352.20 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... effective date was stayed until further notice. For the convenience of the user, the text is set forth as...

21 CFR 344.12 - Ear drying aid active ingredient.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ear drying aid active ingredient. 344.12 Section 344.12 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... alcohol 95 percent in an anhydrous glycerin 5 percent base. [65 FR 48905, Aug. 10, 2000] ...

AIS authentication

CERN Multimedia

2006-01-01

Users are invited to use the NICE password for AIS authentication. As announced in CNL June-August 2006 (see http://www.cerncourier.com/articles/cnl/3/6/14/1) it is possible to use the NICE username and password to log on to AIS. The procedure is now fully operational and users can themselves reset the AIS password such that the NICE password will be used for authentication required by AIS applications. We strongly recommend CERN users who have a NICE account (this is the case of most users) to do this, with the objective to reduce the number of passwords they need to remember. This can be achieved very easily, directly from the Change Password option on the AIS login (https://aislogin.cern.ch/). Users should just select the '[Change Password]' option displayed at the bottom of the page, provide the 'Old Password' and then click on the button 'Use Nice password' followed by 'Submit'. Change Password option on the AIS login windowSetting the AIS password - Use Nice Password It should be noted that the proce...

Present status of application of AI in nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitamura, Masaharu

1989-01-01

Artificial intelligence (AL) techniques have been introduced actively in the nuclear industry in pursuit of increased safety and efficiency. The present report outlines some AI techniques currently used in nuclear facilities. This type of techniques have increasingly been introduced to such areas as design, construction, operation, maintenance, quality control and analysis. Most of them use knowledge engineering techniques including expert systems. Positive efforts at research and application of various more advance AI techniaues have started recently. For application of AI techniques, activities in nuclear power plants can be divided into two groups. One includes 'analytical' activities such as operation, maintenance and analysis, while the other includes 'synthetic' activities such as design, construction and fuel control. The most important AI technology for the analytical activities is diagnosis. Thus the report outlines major processes to which diagnostic techniques are applicable, and knowledge description and inference methods used for diagnosis. For AI techniques for synthetic activities, some problems and possible solutions are addressed. Development efforts in and outside Japan are also outlined. (Nogami, K.)

AI applications in sheet metal forming

CERN Document Server

Hussein, Hussein

2017-01-01

This book comprises chapters on research work done around the globe in the area of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in sheet metal forming. The first chapter offers an introduction to various AI techniques and sheet metal forming, while subsequent chapters describe traditional procedures/methods used in various sheet metal forming processes, and focus on the automation of those processes by means of AI techniques, such as KBS, ANN, GA, CBR, etc. Feature recognition and the manufacturability assessment of sheet metal parts, process planning, strip-layout design, selecting the type and size of die components, die modeling, and predicting die life are some of the most important aspects of sheet metal work. Traditionally, these activities are highly experience-based, tedious and time consuming. In response, researchers in several countries have applied various AI techniques to automate these activities, which are covered in this book. This book will be useful for engineers working in sheet metal industri...

21 CFR 333.320 - Permitted combinations of active ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Permitted combinations of active ingredients. 333.320 Section 333.320 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Note: At 75 FR 9776, Mar. 4, 2010, § 333.320 was revised, effective Mar. 4, 2011. For the convenience...

Plant Cell Cultures as Source of Cosmetic Active Ingredients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ani Barbulova

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The last decades witnessed a great demand of natural remedies. As a result, medicinal plants have been increasingly cultivated on a commercial scale, but the yield, the productive quality and the safety have not always been satisfactory. Plant cell cultures provide useful alternatives for the production of active ingredients for biomedical and cosmetic uses, since they represent standardized, contaminant-free and biosustainable systems, which allow the production of desired compounds on an industrial scale. Moreover, thanks to their totipotency, plant cells grown as liquid suspension cultures can be used as “biofactories” for the production of commercially interesting secondary metabolites, which are in many cases synthesized in low amounts in plant tissues and differentially distributed in the plant organs, such as roots, leaves, flowers or fruits. Although it is very widespread in the pharmaceutical industry, plant cell culture technology is not yet very common in the cosmetic field. The aim of the present review is to focus on the successful research accomplishments in the development of plant cell cultures for the production of active ingredients for cosmetic applications.

Nano-microdelivery systems for oromucosal delivery of an active ingredient

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2014-01-01

A composition for oromucosal delivery of at least one active ingredient, more particularly a lipid nano-microdelivery system comprising a nicotine component and/or a flavour component, wherein the nicotine component may be delivered to the oral cavity via absorption through the mucosal membranes...

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis for trace elements of basic ingredients of pan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaidi, J.H.; Arif, M.; Fatima, I; Qureshi, I.H.

2002-01-01

Extensive use of pan, by one-tenth of world's population, entails the evaluation of trace element contents in its ingredients. Radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) was developed and successfully employed to determine the concentration of 36 trace elements (essential, toxic and nonessential) in its four basic ingredients, leaf of betel pepper, betel nut, catechu and lime. The radiochemical separation methodology has significantly improved the detection limits of most of these elements due to suppression of Compton background. Base-line values of certain toxic and essential elements in these ingredients is provided. The daily intake of essential and toxic elements through pan was estimated and compared with the recommended values. The cumulative intake of Mn is four times higher than the recommended value and that of toxic elements is well below the tolerance limits. (author)

Expression of scavenger receptor‐AI promotes alternative activation of murine macrophages to limit hepatic inflammation and fibrosis

Science.gov (United States)

Labonte, Adam C.; Sung, Sun‐Sang J.; Jennelle, Lucas T.; Dandekar, Aditya P.

2016-01-01

The liver maintains an immunologically tolerant environment as a result of continuous exposure to food and bacterial constituents from the digestive tract. Hepatotropic pathogens can take advantage of this niche and establish lifelong chronic infections causing hepatic fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Macrophages (Mϕ) play a critical role in regulation of immune responses to hepatic infection and regeneration of tissue. However, the factors crucial for Mϕ in limiting hepatic inflammation or resolving liver damage have not been fully understood. In this report, we demonstrate that expression of C‐type lectin receptor scavenger receptor‐AI (SR‐AI) is crucial for promoting M2‐like Mϕ activation and polarization during hepatic inflammation. Liver Mϕ uniquely up‐regulated SR‐AI during hepatotropic viral infection and displayed increased expression of alternative Mϕ activation markers, such as YM‐1, arginase‐1, and interleukin‐10 by activation of mer receptor tyrosine kinase associated with inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin. Expression of these molecules was reduced on Mϕ obtained from livers of infected mice deficient for the gene encoding SR‐AI (msr1). Furthermore, in vitro studies using an SR‐AI‐deficient Mϕ cell line revealed impeded M2 polarization and decreased phagocytic capacity. Direct stimulation with virus was sufficient to activate M2 gene expression in the wild‐type (WT) cell line, but not in the knockdown cell line. Importantly, tissue damage and fibrosis were exacerbated in SR‐AI–/– mice following hepatic infection and adoptive transfer of WT bone‐marrow–derived Mϕ conferred protection against fibrosis in these mice. Conclusion: SR‐AI expression on liver Mϕ promotes recovery from infection‐induced tissue damage by mediating a switch to a proresolving Mϕ polarization state. (Hepatology 2017;65:32‐43). PMID:27770558

[Important application of intestinal transporters and metabolism enzymes on gastrointestinal disposal of active ingredients of Chinese materia medica].

Science.gov (United States)

Bi, Xiaolin; Du, Qiu; Di, Liuqing

2010-02-01

Oral drug bioavailability depends on gastrointestinal absorption, intestinal transporters and metabolism enzymes are the important factors in drug gastrointestinal absorption and they can also be induced or inhibited by the active ingredients of Chinese materia medica. This article presents important application of intestinal transporters and metabolism enzymes on gastrointestinal disposal of the active ingredients of Chinese materia medica, and points out the importance of research on transport and metabolism of the active ingredients of Chinese materia medica in Chinese extract and Chinese medicinal formulae.

[Screening of anti-aging active ingredients and mechanism analysis based on molecular docking technology].

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Ran-Feng; Zhang, Xiao-Hua; Ye, Xiao-Tong; Yu, Wen-Kang; Wang, Yun

2016-07-01

Dampness evil is the source of all diseases, which is easy to cause disease and promote aging, while aging could also promote the occurence and development of diseases. In this paper, the relationship between the dampness evil and aging would be discussed, to find the anti-aging active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and analyze the anti-aging mechanism of dampness eliminating drug. Molecular docking technology was used, with aging-related mammalian target of rapamycin as the docking receptors, and chemical components of Fuling, Sangzhi, Mugua, Yiyiren and Houpo as the docking molecules, to preliminarily screen the anti-aging active ingredients in dampness eliminating drug. Through the comparison with active drugs already on the market (temsirolimus and everolimus), 12 kinds of potential anti-aging active ingredients were found, but their drug gability still needs further study. The docking results showed that various components in the dampness eliminating drug can play anti-aging activities by acting on mammalian target of rapamycin. This result provides a new thought and direction for the method of delaying aging by eliminating dampness. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Anti-bacteria Effect of Active Ingredients of Cacumen Platycladi on the Spoilage Bacteria of Sauced Pork Head Meat

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiao; Xu, Lingyi; Cui, Yuqian; Pang, Meixia; Wang, Fang; Qi, Jinghua

2017-12-01

Extraction and anti-bacteria effect of active ingredients of Cacumen Platycladi were studied in this paper. Extraction combined with ultrasonic was adopted. The optimum extraction condition was determined by single factor test; the anti-bacteria effect of active ingredients and minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) were valued by Oxford-cup method. The results indicated that kaempferol was the active ingredients of Cacumen Platycladi whose optimum extraction condition for ethanol concentrations were sixty-five percent and twenty minutes with ultrasonic assisted extraction.; the active ingredients of Cacumen Platycladi had anti-bacteria effect on Staphylococcus, Proteus, Bacillus, Serratia and MIC was 0.5 g/mL,0.5 g/mL,0.0313 g/mL and 0.0625 g/mL. The active constituent of Cacumen Platycladi is kaempferol which has obvious anti-bacteria effect and can be used to prolong the shelf-life of Low-temperature meat products.

Effect of penetration modifiers on the dermal and transdermal delivery of drugs and cosmetic active ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Otto, A; Wiechers, J W; Kelly, C L; Hadgraft, J; du Plessis, J

2008-01-01

In this study the effect of 2 penetration modifiers, dimethyl isosorbide (DMI) and diethylene glycol monoethyl ether (DGME) on the skin delivery of hydroquinone (HQ), salicylic acid (SA) and octadecenedioic acid (DIOIC) was investigated. Ten percent DMI and DGME were separately formulated into oil-in-water emulsions containing 1.8% HQ, SA and DIOIC, respectively. Skin delivery and the flux across split-thickness human skin of the active ingredients were determined using Franz diffusion cells. An emulsion with 10% water incorporated instead of the water-soluble penetration modifiers served as a control. The study showed that neither 10% DMI nor 10% DGME significantly enhanced the skin permeation of the various lipophilic active ingredients or the uptake into the skin. It was hypothesized that the addition of the penetration modifiers to the emulsions not only enhanced the solubility of the various active ingredients in the skin but also in the formulation, resulting in a reduced thermodynamic activity and hence a weaker driving force for penetration. Therefore, the effect of DMI and DGME on the solubility of the active ingredients in the skin was counteracted by a simultaneous reduction in the thermodynamic activity in the formulation. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

LuxS-independent formation of AI-2 from ribulose-5-phosphate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hardie Kim R

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In many bacteria, the signal molecule AI-2 is generated from its precursor S-ribosyl-L-homocysteine in a reaction catalysed by the enzyme LuxS. However, generation of AI-2-like activity has also been reported for organisms lacking the luxS gene and the existence of alternative pathways for AI-2 formation in Escherichia coli has recently been predicted by stochastic modelling. Here, we investigate the possibility that spontaneous conversion of ribulose-5-phosphate could be responsible for AI-2 generation in the absence of luxS. Results Buffered solutions of ribulose-5-phosphate, but not ribose-5-phosphate, were found to contain high levels of AI-2 activity following incubation at concentrations similar to those reported in vivo. To test whether this process contributes to AI-2 formation by bacterial cells in vivo, an improved Vibrio harveyi bioassay was used. In agreement with previous studies, culture supernatants of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus luxS mutants were found not to contain detectable levels of AI-2 activity. However, low activities were detected in an E. coli pgi-eda-edd-luxS mutant, a strain which degrades glucose entirely via the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, with ribulose-5-phosphate as an obligatory intermediate. Conclusion Our results suggest that LuxS-independent formation of AI-2, via spontaneous conversion of ribulose-5-phosphate, may indeed occur in vivo. It does not contribute to AI-2 formation in wildtype E. coli and S. aureus under the conditions tested, but may be responsible for the AI-2-like activities reported for other organisms lacking the luxS gene.

Autoinducer-2-like activity associated with foods and its interaction with food additives.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Lingeng; Hume, Michael E; Pillai, Suresh D

2004-07-01

The autoinducer-2 (AI-2) molecule produced by bacteria as part of quorum sensing is considered to be a universal inducer signal in bacteria because it reportedly influences gene expression in a variety of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The objective of this study was to determine whether selected fresh produce and processed foods have AI-2-like activity and whether specific food additives can act as AI-2 mimics and result in AI-2-like activity. The luminescence-based response of the reporter strain Vibrio harveyi BB170 was used as the basis for determining AI-2 activity in the selected foods and food ingredients. Maximum AI-2 activity was seen on the frozen fish sample (203-fold, compared with the negative control) followed by tomato, cantaloupe, carrots, tofu, and milk samples. Interestingly, some samples were capable of inhibiting AI-2 activity. Turkey patties showed the highest inhibition (99.8% compared with the positive control) followed by chicken breast (97.5%), homemade cheeses (93.7%), beef steak (90.6%), and beef patties (84.4%). AI-2 activity was almost totally inhibited by sodium propionate, whereas sodium benzoate caused 93.3% inhibition, compared with 75% inhibition by sodium acetate. Sodium nitrate did not have any appreciable effect, even at 200 ppm. Understanding the relationships that exist between AI-2 activity on foods and the ecology of pathogens and food spoilage bacteria on foods could yield clues about factors controlling food spoilage and pathogen virulence.

Development of new polysilsesquioxane spherical particles as stabilized active ingredients for sunscreens

Science.gov (United States)

Tolbert, Stephanie Helene

Healthy skin is a sign of positive self-worth, attractiveness and vitality. Compromises to this are frequently caused by extended periods of recreation in the sun and in turn exposure to the harmful effects of UV radiation. To maintain strength and integrity, protection of the skin is paramount. This can be achieved by implementing skin-care products which contain sunscreen active ingredients that provide UV protection. Unfortunately, photo-degradation, toxicity, and photo-allergies limit the effectiveness of present day sunscreen ingredients. Currently, this is moderated by physically embedding within inert silica particles, but leaching of the active ingredient can occur, thereby negating protective efforts. Alternatively, this research details the preparation and investigation of bridged silsesquioxane analogues of commercial ingredients which can be chemically grafted to the silica matrix. Studies with bridged salicylate particles detail facile preparation, minimized leaching, and enhanced UV stability over physically encapsulated and pendant salicylate counterparts. In terms of UVB protective ability, the highest maintenance of sun protection factor (SPF) after extended UV exposure was achieved with bridged incorporation, and has been attributed to corollary UV stability. Additionally, bridged salicylate particles can be classified as broad-spectrum, and rate from moderate to good in terms of UVA protective ability. Particles incorporated with a bridged curcuminoid silsesquioxane were also prepared and displayed comparable results. As such, an attractive method for sunscreen isolation and stabilization has been developed to eliminate the problems associated with current sunscreens, all while maintaining the established UV absorbance profiles of the parent compound. To appreciate the technology utilized in this research, a thorough understanding of sol-gel science as it pertains to hybrid organic/silica particles, including methods of organic fragment

An accurate and precise representation of drug ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanna, Josh; Bian, Jiang; Hogan, William R

2016-01-01

In previous work, we built the Drug Ontology (DrOn) to support comparative effectiveness research use cases. Here, we have updated our representation of ingredients to include both active ingredients (and their strengths) and excipients. Our update had three primary lines of work: 1) analysing and extracting excipients, 2) analysing and extracting strength information for active ingredients, and 3) representing the binding of active ingredients to cytochrome P450 isoenzymes as substrates and inhibitors of those enzymes. To properly differentiate between excipients and active ingredients, we conducted an ontological analysis of the roles that various ingredients, including excipients, have in drug products. We used the value specification model of the Ontology for Biomedical Investigations to represent strengths of active ingredients and then analyzed RxNorm to extract excipient and strength information and modeled them according to the results of our analysis. We also analyzed and defined dispositions of molecules used in aggregate as active ingredients to bind cytochrome P450 isoenzymes. Our analysis of excipients led to 17 new classes representing the various roles that excipients can bear. We then extracted excipients from RxNorm and added them to DrOn for branded drugs. We found excipients for 5,743 branded drugs, covering ~27% of the 21,191 branded drugs in DrOn. Our analysis of active ingredients resulted in another new class, active ingredient role. We also extracted strengths for all types of tablets, capsules, and caplets, resulting in strengths for 5,782 drug forms, covering ~41% of the 14,035 total drug forms and accounting for ~97 % of the 5,970 tablets, capsules, and caplets in DrOn. We represented binding-as-substrate and binding-as-inhibitor dispositions to two cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes (CYP2C19 and CYP2D6) and linked these dispositions to 65 compounds. It is now possible to query DrOn automatically for all drug products that contain active

Fibrate-modulated expression of fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and apolipoprotein A-I in cultured cynomolgus monkey hepatocytes. Role of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kockx, M.; Princen, H.M.G.; Kooistra, T.

1998-01-01

Fibrates are used to lower plasma triglycerides and cholesterol levels in hyperlipidemic patients. In addition, fibrates have been found to alter the plasma concentrations of fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I). We have investigated the in vitro

Inactive ingredient Search for Approved Drug Products

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — According to 21 CFR 210.3(b)(8), an inactive ingredient is any component of a drug product other than the active ingredient. Only inactive ingredients in the final...

Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart. Upregulates Paraoxonase 1 Gene Expression and Activity with Concomitant Reduction of Hepatic Steatosis in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Rebeca Pereira

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart., a fruit from the Amazon region, has emerged as a promising source of polyphenols. Açai consumption has been increasing owing to ascribed health benefits and antioxidant properties; however, its effects on hepatic injury are limited. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant effect of filtered açai pulp on the expression of paraoxonase (PON isoforms and PON1 activity in rats with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD. The rats were fed a standard AIN-93M (control diet or a high-fat (HF diet containing 25% soy oil and 1% cholesterol with or without açai pulp (2 g/day for 6 weeks. Our results show that açai pulp prevented low-density lipoprotein (LDL oxidation, increased serum and hepatic PON1 activity, and upregulated the expression of PON1 and ApoA-I in the liver. In HF diet-fed rats, treatment with açai pulp attenuated liver damage, reducing fat infiltration and triglyceride (TG content. In rats receiving açai, increased serum PON1 activity was correlated with a reduction in hepatic steatosis and hepatic injury. These findings suggest the use of açai as a potential therapy for liver injuries, supporting the idea that dietary antioxidants are a promising approach to enhance the defensive systems against oxidative stress.

Anti-bacteria effect of active ingredients of siraitia grosvenorii on the spoilage bacteria isolated from sauced pork head meat

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X.; Xu, L. Y.; Cui, Y. Q.; Pang, M. X.; Wang, F.; Qi, J. H.

2018-01-01

Extraction and anti-bacteria effect of active ingredients of Siraitia grosvenorii were studied in this paper. Extraction combined with ultrasonic was adopted. The optimum extraction condition was determined by single factor test; the anti-bacteria effect of active ingredients and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were valued by Oxford-cup method. The results indicated that optimum extraction condition of active ingredients extracted from Siraitia grosvenorii were described as follows: ethanol concentrations of sixty-five percent and twenty minutes with ultrasonic assisted extraction; the active ingredients of Siraitia grosvenorii had anti-bacteria effect on Staphylococcus epidermidis, Proteus vulgaris, Bacillus sp, Serratia sp and MIC was 0.125g/mL, 0.0625g/mL, 0.125g/mL and 0.125g/mL. The active constituent of Siraitia grosvenorii has obvious anti-bacteria effect on the spoilage bacteria isolated from Sauced pork head meat and can be used as a new natural food preservation to prolong the shelf-life of Low-temperature meat products.

Interactions and incompatibilities of pharmaceutical excipients with active pharmaceutical ingredients: a comprehensive review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonali S. Bharate

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Studies of active drug/excipient compatibility represent an important phase in the preformulation stage of the development of all dosage forms. The potential physical and chemical interactions between drugs and excipients can affect the chemical nature, the stability and bioavailability of drugs and, consequently, their therapeutic efficacy and safety. The present review covers the literature reports of interaction and incompatibilities of commonly used pharmaceutical excipients with different active pharmaceutical ingredients in solid dosage forms. Examples of active drug/excipient interactions, such as transacylation, the Maillard browning reaction, acid base reactions and physical changes are discussed for different active pharmaceutical ingredients belonging to different therapeutic categories viz antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-convulsant, antibiotic, bronchodialator, antimalarial, antiemetic, antiamoebic, antipsychotic, antidepressant, anticancer, anticoagulant and sedative/hypnotic drugs and vitamins. Once the solid-state reactions of a pharmaceutical system are understood, the necessary steps can be taken to avoid reactivity and improve the stability of drug substances and products.

Pesticide-exposure Matrix helps identify active ingredients in pesticides used in past years

Science.gov (United States)

Pesticide-exposure Matrix was developed to help epidemiologists and other researchers identify the active ingredients to which people were likely exposed when their homes and gardens were treated for pests in past years

Pesticide Active Ingredient Production Industry: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

Science.gov (United States)

This action promulgates national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for the pesticide active ingredient (PAI) production source category under section 112 of the Clean Air Act as amended (CAA or Act).

Optimization of the Method of Active Ingredients Adding to the Base of Medicinal Films Depending on Certain Variables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. L. Davtian

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The influence of variables of pharmaceutical factors on the technological processes of drugs manufacturing is incredibly important. Thus, in the development of a new drug in the form of medicinal films, the relevance and necessity of determining the effect of the methods of active substances adding on the effectiveness of the drug was determined. The aim is rationalization of the method of the active pharmaceutical ingredients adding into the composition of the developed drug. Materials and methods. As experimental samples we used medicinal films, which were made using various methods of active ingredients adding. The quality of the samples was evaluated by the antimicrobial activity against Clostridium sporogenes and Staphylococcus aureus, which was determined by the diffusion method in agar. Results. The study of the antimicrobial activity of medicinal films with various methods of active ingredients adding showed that the adding of metronidazole as an aqueous solution increases the antimicrobial activity of the films by 21.23%, 16.89%, 28.59%, respectively, compared with films of similar composition, in which metronidazole was added as a suspension, and the remaining ingredients were added by the same way. The introduction of chlorhexidine bigluconate and glucosamine hydrochloride in the film-forming solution lastly together with the solution of metronidazole increases the antimicrobial activity by 24.67%, which is probably due to the absence of contact between thermolabile ingredients and solutions of film-forming substances having a high dissolution temperature. Conclusions. The most rational is adding of metronidazole to the medicinal films in the form of a 0.01% aqueous solution in a mixture with the chlorhexidine bigluconate and glucosamine hydrochloride solution to the final film-forming solution.

Process Analytical Technology for Crystallization of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malwade, Chandrakant Ramkrishna; Qu, Haiyan

2018-01-01

Background: Pharmaceutical industry is witnessing increased pressure to introduce innovative and efficient processes for manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in order to be competitive as well as to meet the stringent product quality requirements set by regulatory authorities...... parameters and their impact on quality of APIs and subsequently the drug products assume great significance for pharmaceutical industry. Methods: This review paper focuses on application of PAT tools, an integral part of Quality by Design (QbD) approach, for better understanding, control, and design...

Photocatalytic degradation of sunscreen active ingredients mediated by nanostructured materials

Science.gov (United States)

Soto-Vazquez, Loraine

Water scarcity and pollution are environmental issues with terrible consequences. In recent years several pharmaceutical and personal care products, such as sunscreen active ingredients, have been detected in different water matrices. Its recalcitrant behavior in the environment has caused controversies and generated countless questions about its safety. During this research, we employed an advanced oxidation process (photocatalysis) to degrade sunscreen active ingredients. For this study, we used a 3x3 system, evaluating three photocatalysts and three different contaminants. From the three catalysts employed, two of them were synthesized. ZnO nanoparticles were obtained using zinc acetate dihydrated as the precursor, and TiO2 nanowires were synthesized from titanium tetrachloride precursor. The third catalyst employed (namely, P25) was obtained commercially. The synthesized photocatalysts were characterized in terms of the morphology, elemental composition, crystalline structure, elemental oxidation states, vibrational modes and surface area, using SEM-EDS, XRD, XPS, Raman spectroscopy and BET measurements, respectively. The photocatalysts were employed during the study of the degradation of p-aminobenzoic acid, phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid, and benzophenone-4. In all the cases, at least 50% degradation was achieved. P25 showed degradation efficiencies above 90%, and from the nine systems, 7 of them degraded at least 86%.

Eco-efficiency analysis for intensified production of an active pharmaceutical ingredient : a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dencic, I.; Ott-Reinhardt, D.; Kralisch, D.; Noel, T.; Meuldijk, J.; Croon, de M.H.J.M.; Hessel, V.; Laribi, Y.; Perrichon, P.

2014-01-01

This article presents results on cost and performance benefit analysis of optimization and intensification activities of a pharmaceutical process. A batch process for the production of a low-volume, high value active pharmaceutical ingredient, developed at Sanofi (France), has been used as a case

Active ingredients in anti-stigma programmes in mental health.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinfold, Vanessa; Thornicroft, Graham; Huxley, Peter; Farmer, Paul

2005-04-01

This paper draws upon a review of the relevant literature and the results of the recent Mental Health Awareness in Action (MHAA) programme in England to discuss the current evidence base on the active ingredients in effective anti-stigma interventions in mental health. The MHAA Programme delivered educational interventions to 109 police officers, 78 adults from different community groups whose working lives involved supporting people with mental health problems but who had received no mental health training and 472 schools students aged 14-15. Each adult target group received two intervention sessions lasting two hours. The two school lessons were 50 minutes each. Knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intent were assessed at baseline and follow-up. In addition focus groups were held with mental health service users to explore the impact of stigma on their lives and facilitators of educational workshops were interviewed to provide expert opinion on 'what works' to reduce psychiatric stigma. Personal contact was predictive of positive changes in knowledge and attitudes for the school students but not the police officers or community adult group. The key active ingredient identified by all intervention groups and workshop facilitators were the testimonies of service users. The statements of service users (consumers) about their experience of mental health problems and of their contact with a range of services had the greatest and most lasting impact on the target audiences in terms of reducing mental health stigma.

Stronger effects of Roundup than its active ingredient glyphosate in damselfly larvae.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssens, Lizanne; Stoks, Robby

2017-12-01

Pesticides are causing strong decreases in aquatic biodiversity at concentrations assumed safe by legislation. One reason for the failing risk assessment may be strong differences in the toxicity of the active ingredient of pesticides and their commercial formulations. Sublethal effects, especially those on behaviour, have been largely ignored in this context, yet can be equally important as lethal effects at the population and ecosystem levels. Here, we compared the toxicity of the herbicide Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate on survival, but also on ecologically relevant sublethal traits (life history, behaviour and physiology) in damselfly larvae. Roundup was more toxic than glyphosate with negative effects on survival, behaviour and most of the physiological traits being present at lower concentrations (food intake, escape swimming speed) or even only present (survival, sugar and total energy content and muscle mass) following Roundup exposure. This confirms the toxicity of the surfactant POEA. Notably, also glyphosate was not harmless: a realistic concentration of 2mg/l resulted in reduced growth rate, escape swimming speed and fat content. Our results therefore indicate that the toxicity of Roundup cannot be fully attributed to its surfactant, thereby suggesting that also the new generation of glyphosate-based herbicides with other mixtures of surfactants likely will have adverse effects on non-target aquatic organisms. Ecotoxicological studies comparing the toxicity of active ingredients and their commercial formulations typically ignore behaviour while the here observed differential effects on behaviour likely will negatively impact damselfly populations. Our data highlight that risk assessment of pesticides ignoring sublethal effects may contribute to the negative effects of pesticides on aquatic biodiversity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Triboelectrification of active pharmaceutical ingredients: week acids and their salts.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujinuma, Kenta; Ishii, Yuji; Yashihashi, Yasuo; Yonemochi, Estuo; Sugano, Kiyohiko; Tarada, Katsuhide

2015-09-30

The effect of salt formulation on the electrostatic property of active pharmaceutical ingredients was investigated. The electrostatic property of weak acids (carboxylic acids and amide-enole type acid) and their sodium salts was evaluated by a suction-type Faraday cage meter. Free carboxylic acids showed negative chargeability, whereas their sodium salts showed more positive chargeability than the free acids. However, no such trend was observed for amide-enole type acids. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chitin-Hyaluronan Nanoparticles: A Multifunctional Carrier to Deliver Anti-Aging Active Ingredients through the Skin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pierfrancesco Morganti

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The paper describes the process to produce Chitin Nanofibril-Hyaluronan nanoparticles (CN-HA, showing their ability to easily load active ingredients, facilitate penetration through the skin layers, and increase their effectiveness and safety as an anti-aging agent. Size and characterization of CN-HA nanoparticles were determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM and Zetasizer, while encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of the entrapped ingredients were controlled by chromatographic and spectrophotometric methods. Safeness was evidenced on fibroblasts and keratinocytes culture viability by the MTT (Methylthiazol assay; anti-aging activity was evaluated in vitro measuring antioxidant capacity, anti-collagenase activity, and metalloproteinase and pro-inflammatory release; efficacy was shown in vivo by a double-blind vehicle-controlled study for 60 days on 60 women affected by photo-aging. In addition, the CN-HA nanoparticles have shown interesting possibility to be used as active ingredients, for designing and making advanced medication by the electrospinning technology, as well as to produce transparent films for food packaging, by the casting method, and can be used also in their dry form as tissues or films without adding preservatives. These unusual CN-HA nanoparticles obtained from the use of raw materials of waste origin may offer an unprecedented occasion for making innovative products, ameliorating the quality of life, reducing pollution and safeguarding the environment’s integrity.

Design of Continuous Crystallizers for Production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Capellades Mendez, Gerard; Christensen, Troels V.

The production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) is conducted primarily in batch processes. This manufacturing approach is reinforced by a patent-driven business model and the need to minimize the process development times for newly patented drugs. However, the regulatory and business...... environments are now changing. The increasing costs of drug development, combined with the strict regulations and the competition from generic manufacturers, have pushed pharmaceutical companies to seek cheaper and more sustainable production methods. Transition from batch to Continuous Pharmaceutical...

Activity of autoinducer two (AI-2) in bacteria isolated from surface ripened cheeses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gori, Klaus; Jespersen, Lene

2007-01-01

). Corynebacterium casei, Microbacterium barkeri, Microbacterium gubbeenense and S. equorum subsp. linens (all isolated from the smear of surface ripened cheeses) using the AI-2 bioluminescence assay. This indicates that AI-2 signaling could take place between bacteria found in the smear of surface ripened cheeses....

X-ray diffraction study of kanwa used as active ingredient in achu ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, x-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD) technique was used to identify the mineral constituents of kanwa; an earthy material widely used as active ingredient in achu soup and other vegetable soups in Cameroon and several other West African countries. Results depicted trona (Na3H (CO3)2.2H2O) to be the main ...

Opinions expressed by Italian National Advisory Toxicological Committee on some active ingredients of pesticides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Camoni, I [Ist. Superiore di Sanita` , Rome (Italy). Lab. di Tossicologia Applicata

1996-03-01

The opinions expressed by the Italian National Advisory Toxicological Committee (CCTN) on some active ingredients of pesticides are presented. Carcinogenic and mutagenic effects of these substances have been examined and, on this basis, an evaluation and relative classification were expressed.

POST-ACIDIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF ANTHOCYANINS STABILITY AND ANTIOXIDAN ACTIVITY IN AÇAI FERMENTED MILK AND YOGURTS (Euterpe oleracea Mart.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DANIELA CAVALCANTE DOS SANTOS CAMPOS

2017-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study evaluated the post-acidification, stability of anthocyanins and antioxidant activity in açai yogurts and fermented milks for 28 days of cold storage. For the determination of post-acidification and stability of the functional properties of açai yogurt (IA and fermented milks (LFA, products stored at 4°C were evaluated on day 0 and every 7 days for pH, titratable acidity in lactic acid, instrumental color, anthocyanins and antioxidant activity by the DPPH free radical method. Acidification of both food matrixes was more evident between days 0 and 7 of evaluation. IA presented reduction in parameter L *, while chromaticity a * and b * of IA and LFA increased as the Açai pulp content increased; however, considering the evaluation period, it was found increase in L * and b * relating to anthocyanin degradation. Anthocyanins, as well as the antioxidant activity of IA and LFA, showed an increase in their values as the pulp content increased, but their concentrations reduced at the end of the storage period. IA and LFA can be considered excellent sources of antioxidants, being alternative to individuals not used to the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Artificial Intelligence Study (AIS).

Science.gov (United States)

1987-02-01

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGNECE HARDWARE ....... 2-50 AI Architecture ................................... 2-49 AI Hardware ....................................... 2...ftf1 829 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STUDY (RIS)(U) MAY CONCEPTS 1/3 A~NLYSIS AGENCY BETHESA RD R B NOJESKI FED 6? CM-RP-97-1 NCASIFIED /01/6 M |K 1.0...p/ - - ., e -- CAA- RP- 87-1 SAOFŔ)11 I ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STUDY (AIS) tNo DTICFEBRUARY 1987 LECT 00 I PREPARED BY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

AIS ASM Operational Integration Plan

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-01

Rack mount computer AIS Radio Interface Ethernet Switch 192.168.0.x Firewall Cable Modem 192.168.0.1 VTS Accred. Boundary AIS ASM Operational... AIS ASM Operational Integration Plan Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. August 2013 Report No...CD-D-07-15 AIS ASM Operational Integration Plan ii UNCLAS//Public | CG-926 R&DC | I. Gonin, et al. | Public August 2013 N O T I C

[Changed accumulation of active ingredient in different localities and growth period of Hemsleya zhejiangensis (Cucurbitaceae)].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Wang-Wei; Lei, Zu-Pei; Wang, Wei-Min; Liang, Wei-qing; Zhou, Wei-Qing; Jin, Xiao-Feng

2014-08-01

In this paper, the content of moisture, ethanol-soluble extractives, total saponins and polysaccharide of different tuber samples of Hemsleya zhejiangensis, from different localities, years and seasons, were detected based upon Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2010 version. The samples of roots, stems and leaves in summer were detected as well. The results are mainly as follows. (1)With tuber quality increasing, the content of total saponins increased and then decreased. The individual quality of tubers getting 594.06 g, the content of total saponins reached the peak. (2) The content of active ingredients in different localities was significantly different, and the population of Wuyanling had the maximum content of total saponins and polysaccharide. (3) The content of active ingredients revealed stability between the years 2012 and 2013, but the content of polysaccharide was significantly different. The content in 2012 was higher than that of 2013. (4) The content of active ingredients reached the peak in autumn, which was the best harvest season. (5) Among different component content detection of nutritional organs, tubers had the maximum content of ethanol-soluble extractives, total saponins and polysaccharide. Leaves also contained higher content of ethanol-soluble extractives and total saponins than roots and stems. All of these provide theoretical basis for plant, harvest and production of H. zhejiangensis, which is an endemic, rare, and endangered medicinal plants.

Use of AI-1024 and AI-4096 analyzers in multiple regimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaika, N.D.; Kovtunenko, I.S.; Savchuk, O.G.

1975-01-01

The operation of pulse multichannel analyzers in the following multidimensional modes: AI-1024-4 - amplitude mode from several transducers; amplitude mode from several transducers at different time intervals; AI-4096-3M - amplitude mode at different time intervals in each of four groups with unit BVI-1

Types of Pesticide Ingredients

Science.gov (United States)

Pesticide active ingredients are described by the types of pests they control or how they work. For example, algicides kill algae, biopesticides are derived from natural materials, and insecticides kill insects.

Lithium carbonate tablets. Preparation techniques influence over active ingredient liberation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bueno, J.H.F.; Oliveira, A.G. de; Toledo Salgado, P.E. de

1989-01-01

Lithium carbonate tablets, prepared using wet and dry granulation, were assessed in vitro so as to determine the active ingredient dissolution. In this study, standardized formulations were used and developed with usual adjuvants (lactose - maize starch). Parallel to the dissolution testing. The influence of the preparation process over some physical characteristics (hardness, friability and disintegration) was also analysed. Although a better performance was observed of tables prepared using dry granulation, the authors concluded that the wet process is more suitable in preparing tables with the mentioned drug. (author)

MassAI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2011-01-01

A software tool for general analysis and data-mining of mass-spectrometric datasets. The program features a strong emphasis on scan-by-scan identification and results-transparency. MassAI also accommodates residue level analysis of labelled runs, e.g. HDX.......A software tool for general analysis and data-mining of mass-spectrometric datasets. The program features a strong emphasis on scan-by-scan identification and results-transparency. MassAI also accommodates residue level analysis of labelled runs, e.g. HDX....

HIM-herbal ingredients in-vivo metabolism database.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hong; Tang, Kailin; Liu, Qi; Sun, Yi; Huang, Qi; Zhu, Ruixin; Gao, Jun; Zhang, Duanfeng; Huang, Chenggang; Cao, Zhiwei

2013-05-31

Herbal medicine has long been viewed as a valuable asset for potential new drug discovery and herbal ingredients' metabolites, especially the in vivo metabolites were often found to gain better pharmacological, pharmacokinetic and even better safety profiles compared to their parent compounds. However, these herbal metabolite information is still scattered and waiting to be collected. HIM database manually collected so far the most comprehensive available in-vivo metabolism information for herbal active ingredients, as well as their corresponding bioactivity, organs and/or tissues distribution, toxicity, ADME and the clinical research profile. Currently HIM contains 361 ingredients and 1104 corresponding in-vivo metabolites from 673 reputable herbs. Tools of structural similarity, substructure search and Lipinski's Rule of Five are also provided. Various links were made to PubChem, PubMed, TCM-ID (Traditional Chinese Medicine Information database) and HIT (Herbal ingredients' targets databases). A curated database HIM is set up for the in vivo metabolites information of the active ingredients for Chinese herbs, together with their corresponding bioactivity, toxicity and ADME profile. HIM is freely accessible to academic researchers at http://www.bioinformatics.org.cn/.

Proceedings of conference on AI applications in physical sciences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

A Conference cum workshop on AI applications in Physical Sciences was organised by the Indian Physics Association at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay during January 15-17, 1992. It was held in memory of Late Shri S.N. Seshadri, who was the moving spirit behind self reliance in instrumentation development for research and industry. The two day conference which was followed by one day workshop covered the following broad spectrum of topics in Artificial Intelligence: AI Tools and Techniques, Neural Networks, Robotics and Machine Vision, Fuzzy Control and Applications, Natural Language and Speech Processing, Knowledge based Systems, and AI and Allied applications. The conference dealt with recent advances and achievements in AI. It provided a forum for the exchange of valuable information and expertise in this fast emerging field. Over 200 scientists, engineers and computer professionals from various universities, R and D institutes and industries actively participated. 45 contributed papers and 8 invited talks were presented in the symposium. The volume contains selected papers which were contributed by the participants. Some of them dealt with AI applications in nuclear science and technology. (original)

Safety evaluation of an açai-fortified fruit and berry functional juice beverage (MonaVie Active(®)).

Science.gov (United States)

Schauss, Alexander G; Clewell, Amy; Balogh, Lajos; Szakonyi, Ilona Pasics; Financsek, Istvan; Horváth, János; Thuroczy, Julianna; Béres, Erzsébet; Vértesi, Adél; Hirka, Gabor

2010-11-28

The safety of an açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) pulp enriched fruit and berry juice, MonaVie Active®, fortified with the functional ingredient, glucosamine, was studied. The beverage was found not to be mutagenic, clastogenic, cytotoxic, or genotoxic, as determined by the bacterial reverse mutation assay, chromosomal aberration assay, mouse micronucleus assay, and mammalian cell gene mutation (L5178Y) assay. The single dose LD50 based on a 14-day acute oral toxicity study is greater than 20,000 mg/kg bw, the highest dose tested. In a repeat dose 90-day oral subchronic toxicity study by gavage, 220 animals were randomly assigned to a control group, an untreated group, or one of three experimental groups (10, 20 and 40 g/kg bw). No treatment-related significant changes in body weight, food and water consumption, ophthalmology, organ weights, urinanalysis, hematological and clinical chemistry, or gross pathology, were observed in surviving animals compared to the control groups. Three animals died midway through the observation period (male, 20 g/kg bw/day; male 40 g/kg bw/day; and, female, 10 g/kg bw/day). These animals died without preceding clinical symptoms, histopathological lesions, or evidence of injury to tissue or organs except for signs of suffocation/aspiration congestion, which was concluded to be due to problems with the gavage administration of the fluid test article, and not due to the test article itself. The NOEAL was determined to be 40 g/kg bw/day for male and female rats, which was the highest dose tested. Phylloquinone (vitamin K1) content averaged 21.7 μg/100 g, comparable to amounts found in iceberg lettuce. In conclusion, the results provide additional experimental evidence that MonaVie Active® juice is non-toxic. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of the quality control methods for active ingredients of Fungirex cream

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez Navarro, Maikel; Rodriguez Hernandez, Yaslenis; Suarez Perez, Yania

2014-01-01

Fungirex cream is a two-drug product, that is, undecylenic acid and zinc undecylenate over a suitable basis. Since this is a product not documented in the official monographs of the pharmacopoeia, simple analytical methods were suggested for quantitation of analytes of interest in the cream, which are useful for release of newly prepared cream batches. To validate two volumetric methods for the quality control of active ingredients in Fungirex cream

Ai

African Journals Online (AJOL)

:=g=~!Ai~~~~~g~~ ~~~~~~. Jim Taylor, Rob O'Donoghue and Alistair Clacherty. INTRODUCTION. The Department of Environment Affairs, in cooperation with ...

Active ingredients from natural botanicals in the treatment of obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, W-L; Zhu, L; Jiang, J-G

2014-12-01

Obesity is considered as a chronic disease that can induce a series of comorbidities and complications. Chinese medicine has long clinical experiences in the treatment of obesity. This review summarizes the natural products from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that are reported to have anti-obesity effects in the past two decades. Botanic TCM comprises 90% of total Chinese crude drugs, and generally contains various active ingredients, in which the effective anti-obesity ingredients identified can be divided into saponins, polysaccharides, alkaloids, polyphenols and others. Astragaloside IV, glycyrrhizin, macrostemonoside A, berberine, betaine, capsaicin, matrine, methyl piperate, piperine, rutaecarpine, asimilobine, epigallocatechingallate, magnolol, resveratrol, soybean-isoflavone, α-linolenic acid, emodin, geniposide, phillyrin, salidroside and ursolic acid are specified in this review, and their sources, models, efficacy are described. It is concluded that the mechanisms of these components for the treatment of obesity include: (i) suppression of appetite, increase of satiety, reduction of energy intake; (ii) reduction in the digestion and absorption of exogenous lipid; (iii) attenuation of the synthesis of endogenous lipid; (iv) promotion of the oxidation and expenditure of lipid and (v) improvement of lipid metabolism disorder. Authors believe that the effective compounds from TCM will provide an alternative and hopeful way for the treatment of obesity. © 2014 World Obesity.

Acetyl aspartic acid, a novel active ingredient, demonstrates potential to improve signs of skin ageing: from consumer need to clinical proof.

Science.gov (United States)

Mavon, A

2015-10-01

The megatrend of population ageing is leading to a growing demand for "anti-ageing" treatments, especially to prevent or treat skin ageing. Facing an increasing offer, consumers are choosing more and more skin care products supported by a scientific rationale, active ingredients and clinical proof of efficacy. Considering consumer expectations, this research led to the discovery of acetyl aspartic acid (A-A-A), a novel active ingredient to improve sagging skin and loss of skin firmness. This supplement is featuring seven manuscripts aiming at presenting the research and investigations from consumer insights, discovery of A-A-A, its in vitro activity confirmation, safety assessment, formulation and its dermal absorption to the clinical proof of efficacy, investigated through two pilots' double bind randomized and placebo controlled studies on photo-aged skin. This extensive research enabled us to discover A-A-A, as an active ingredient with potential to repair sign of skin ageing and supported by clinical proof of efficacy. This active ingredient will be soon launched in a commercial innovative skin care range, delivering desirable anti-wrinkle and skin lifting benefits. © 2015 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

Effects of Different Systemic Insecticides in Carotenoid Content, Antibacterial Activity and Morphological Characteristics of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var Diamante

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LEXTER R. NATIVIDAD

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to determine the effects of different systemic insecticides in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. Diamante. The study also assessed different systemic insecticides used in other plants in their effectiveness and suitability to tomato by evaluating the carotenoid content and antibacterial activity of each insecticide. Morphological characteristics such as the weight, the number and the circumference of tomato fruits and the height of the plant were also observed. Moreover, the cost effectiveness was computed. Treatments were designated as follows: Treatment 1- plants sprayed with active ingredient (a.i. cartap hydrochloride; Treatment 2 - plants sprayed with a.i. indoxacarb; Treatment 3- plants sprayed with a.i. chlorantraniliprole and thiamethoxam; Treatment 4 - plants sprayed with a.i. dinotefuran (positive control; and Treatment 5 - no insecticide applied. The experimental design used was Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD with three replications. The first three systemic insecticides with such active ingredient were not yet registered for tomato plant. Statistical analyses show that there were no significant differences among the weight, the number and the circumference of tomato fruits and the height of the plant for each treatment. Results showed that treatments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 extracts have 49.74, 44.16, 48.19, 52.57 and 50.60 μg/g of total carotenoids (TC, respectively. Statistical analysis shows that there no significant differences in the TC content of each treatment. The antibacterial activity of each plant sample showed no significant differences among treatments. Thin layer chromatographic analysis revealed that there were equal numbers of spots for all the plant samples.The study concluded that systemic insecticide with a.i. cartap hydrochloride be introduced to the farmers as insecticide for tomato plant since it shows comparable effect with the registered insecticide (T4 based on the morphological

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI01 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI01 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15592-1 FC-AI01E (Li...nk to Original site) - - - - - - FC-AI01E 307 Show FC-AI01 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI01 (Li.../dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI01Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...01E (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI01 (FC-AI01Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI01Q.Seq....uences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value FC-AI01 (FC-AI01Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI01Q.Seq.d/ 68 8e

Study on the mechanism of the bronchodilatory effects of Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) and identification of the active ingredient.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Maulik R; Bhalodia, Yagnik S; Pathak, Nimish L; Patel, Maulik S; Suthar, Kunal; Patel, Nilesh; Golwala, Dharmesh K; Jivani, Nurudin P

2013-12-12

In the traditional medicine, Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) is used in asthma, but scientific studies to provide evidence for medicinal uses are sparse. Thus this study was undertaken to provide evidence for medicinal use in asthma as a bronchodilator, and to identify active ingredient(s). In vivo, acetylcholine (Ach)-induced bronchospasm was conducted in guinea pig while isolated rat tracheal strip was suspended in organ bath to measure the concentration response curve using multichannel data acquisition system. The chloroform extract of Cynodon dactylon (CECD) protected against Ach-induced bronchospasm in guinea pigs, similar to atropine. In the in vitro studies, CECD relaxed carbachol (CCh) and high K+-induced contraction of rat tracheal strip, similar to atropine and verapamil respectively, suggesting antimuscarinic and calcium channel blocking (CCB) activities, which were confirmed by right ward shifting of CCh and Ca(+2) concentration response curve (CRC). The phosphodiestrase (PDE) inhibitory activity was confirmed by potentiation of isoprenaline-induced inhibitory response, similar to papaverine. Densitometry analyses led to the identification of scopoletin as an active ingredient. Effectively, it significantly inhibited high K+, and Ca(+2) induced contractile response, similar to verapamil. The phosphodiestrase (PDE) inhibitory activity was confirmed by direct evidence of potentiation of isoprenaline-induced inhibitory response, similar to papaverine. These results suggest that the bronchodilator activity of CECD is partly due to presence of scopoletin, and mediated possibly through CCB and PDE inhibition.

The role of active ingredients nanopowder Stichopus hermanii gel to bone resorption in tension area of orthodontic tooth movement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noengki Prameswari

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Orthodontic tooth movement is a continual and balanced process between bone deposition and bone resorption in pressure and tension sites. Stichopus hermanii is one of the best fishery commodities in Indonesia. It is natural and contains various active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulphate, cell growth factor, eicosa pentaenoic acid (EPA docosa hexaenoic acid (DHA and flavonoid that potentially play a role in orthodontic tooth movement. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the active ingredients of nanopowder Stichopus hermanii promoting bone resorption in tension area orthodontic tooth movement. Methods: A quantitative test for active ingredients of stichopus hermanii was conducted. Thirty two male Cavia cobaya were divisibled became four groups. K (– groups as a negative control group (without treatment, K (+ groups as a positive control group which were provided with a separator rubber for orthodontic tooth movement, and P1, P2 groups, which were treated with 3% and 3.5% stichopus hermanii for orthodontic tooth movement. After treatment the cavia cobaya were sacrificed. TRAP-6 expression as a osteoclast marker was examined by means of an immunohistochemistry method. Results: A one-way Anova test confirmed that TRAP-6 expression was significantly increased with p = 0.00 (p≤0,05 in P2 compared to K (+. P2 to K (–, P2 to P1 and P1 to K (+ had no significant differences Conclusion: Nanopowder Stichopus hermanii 3.5% has an active ingredient that could increase osteoclast activity to resorb periodontal ligament and alveolar bone in tension areas of orthodontic tooth movement.

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI13 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI13 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16263-1 FC-AI13F (Li...nk to Original site) FC-AI13F 507 - - - - - - Show FC-AI13 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI13 (Li.../dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI13Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...13F (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI13 (FC-AI13Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI13Q.Seq....nificant alignments: (bits) Value FC-AI13 (FC-AI13Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI13Q.Seq.d/ 963 0.0 VSA730 (VSA730Q)

Comparative hygienic assessment of active ingredients content in the air environment after treatment of cereal spiked crops by combined fungicides.

Science.gov (United States)

Kondratiuk, Mykola; Blagaia, Anna; Pelo, Ihor

2018-01-01

Introduction: The quality of the air environment significantly affects the health of the population. Chemical plant protection products in the spring and summer time may be the main pollutants of the air environment in rural areas. Chemical plant protection products are dangerous substances of anthropogenic origin. If applying pesticides in high concentrations, the risk of poisoning by active ingredients of pesticide preparations in workers directly contacting with it increases. The aim: Comparative hygienic assessment of active ingredients content in the air environment after treatment of cereal spiked crops by combined fungicides was the aim of the work. Materials and methods: Active ingredients of the studied combined fungicides, samples of air, and swabs from workers' skin and stripes from overalls were materials of the research. Methods of full-scale in-field hygienic experiment, gas-liquid chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, as well as statistical and bibliographic methods were used in the research. Results and conclusions: Active ingredients of the studied combined fungicides were not detected in the working zone air and atmospheric air at the levels exceeding the limits of its detection by appropriate chromatography methods. Findings confirmed the air environment safety for agricultural workers and rural population if studied combined fungicides are applied following the hygienically approved suggested application rates and in accordance of good agricultural practice rules. However the possible complex risk for workers after certain studied fungicides application may be higher than acceptable due to the elevated values for dermal effects. The complex risk was higher than acceptable in еру case of aerial spraying of both studied fungicides, meanwhile only one combination of active ingredients revealed possible risk for workers applying fungicides by rod method of cereal spiked crops treatment.

Active ingredients in Chinese medicines promoting blood circulation as Na+/K+ -ATPase inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ronald J Y; Jinn, Tzyy-rong; Chen, Yi-ching; Chung, Tse-yu; Yang, Wei-hung; Tzen, Jason T C

2011-02-01

The positive inotropic effect of cardiac glycosides lies in their reversible inhibition on the membrane-bound Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase in human myocardium. Steroid-like compounds containing a core structure similar to cardiac glycosides are found in many Chinese medicines conventionally used for promoting blood circulation. Some of them are demonstrated to be Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase inhibitors and thus putatively responsible for their therapeutic effects via the same molecular mechanism as cardiac glycosides. On the other hand, magnesium lithospermate B of danshen is also proposed to exert its cardiac therapeutic effect by effectively inhibiting Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase. Theoretical modeling suggests that the number of hydrogen bonds and the strength of hydrophobic interaction between the effective ingredients of various medicines and residues around the binding pocket of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase are crucial for the inhibitory potency of these active ingredients. Ginsenosides, the active ingredients in ginseng and sanqi, substantially inhibit Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase when sugar moieties are attached only to the C-3 position of their steroid-like structure, equivalent to the sugar position in cardiac glycosides. Their inhibitory potency is abolished, however, when sugar moieties are linked to C-6 or C-20 position of the steroid nucleus; presumably, these sugar attachments lead to steric hindrance for the entrance of ginsenosides into the binding pocket of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase. Neuroprotective effects of cardiac glycosides, several steroid-like compounds, and magnesium lithospermate B against ischemic stroke have been accordingly observed in a cortical brain slice-based assay model, and cumulative data support that effective inhibitors of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase in the brain could be potential drugs for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI17 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI17 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15690-1 FC-AI17P (Li...nk to Original site) FC-AI17F 587 FC-AI17Z 626 FC-AI17P 1212 - - Show FC-AI17 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI...nal site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI17Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...17P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI17 (FC-AI17Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI...slated Amino Acid sequence ANIATVGDFLKADTVVPKMIITYNKRKQGTDYLKAVIGPILSNVIKQELNLELKPNLVYA AIISEQEIRTGEKSTLDRNV

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI18 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI18 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15590-1 FC-AI18P (Li...nk to Original site) FC-AI18F 621 FC-AI18Z 703 FC-AI18P 1324 - - Show FC-AI18 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI...nal site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI18Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...18P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI18 (FC-AI18Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI...AVWPLIPGYERA DGEKQYPVAAMLCNFTKPTPTTPSLLTHDEVVTFFHEFGHVMHNMSTKVHYSMFSGTSVE RDFVECPSQLFEFWCWNKDVLVNKLSGHXKDHSKKLPTDLVERMIAAKNLNVAI

How active ingredient localisation in plant tissues determines the targeted pest spectrum of different chemistries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buchholz, Anke; Trapp, Stefan

2016-01-01

information sets revealed that the intracellular localisation of active ingredients determines the performance of test compounds against different target pests because of different feeding behaviours: mites feed on mesophyll, and aphids and whiteflies mostly in the vascular system. Polar compounds have a slow...

Selective oxidation of methionine residues in apolipoprotein A-I and its potential biological consequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panzenboeck, U.; Waldeck, R.; Rye, K.A.; Sloane, T.; Kritharides, L.; Stocker, R.

1998-01-01

The earliest stages of HDL oxidation are accompanied by the oxidation of specific Met residues in apolipoprotein AI and AII and the formation of Met sulfoxides (Met(O)) has been proposed to play a significant role in the reduction and hence detoxification of lipid hydroperoxides associated with HDL. Oxidation of HDL may generally decrease the anti-atherogenic properties of this lipoprotein, although both, the inhibition and the enhancement of cholesterol removal from cells has been reported for different types of oxidation. In light of these findings we have investigated the secondary structure, lipid affinity, LCAT activation and cholesterol-efflux promoting properties of native and selectively oxidized apo A-I(apo A-I +32 , containing Met(O) at Met l12 and Met l48 ) in purified or reconstituted forms. Data obtained by circular dichroism revealed that selective oxidation of Met residues 112 and 148 does not alter alpha helicity of the protein in solution, indicating that this oxidation is not sufficient to influence significantly this type of secondary structure of apo A-I in its 'lipid-free' form. The lipid affinity of native apo A-I and apo A-I +32 was determined as the rate of clearance of DMPC multilamellar to small unilamellar vesicles. Compared with the native protein, apo A-I +32 induced a 2-3 fold faster rate of clearance, suggesting that the increased hydrophilicity due Met(O) increased the rate for protein-lipid interactions. Met residues 112 and 148 reside in the hydrophobic faces of helices 5 and 7, and both these regions have been suggested to be important for both, LCAT activation and cholesterol efflux. Kinetic experiments have revealed that the affinity for LCAT is comparable for HDL reconstituted with either apo A-I or apo A-I +32 . Efflux of [ 3 H]-cholesterol from lipid-laden human monocytederived macrophages to isolated apolipoproteins was enhanced for apo A-I +32 compared with apo A-I, consistent with the DMPC clearance data. Together these

Grapefruit-felodipine interaction: effect of unprocessed fruit and probable active ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, D G; Dresser, G K; Kreeft, J H; Munoz, C; Freeman, D J; Bend, J R

2000-11-01

To determine whether unprocessed grapefruit can cause a drug interaction, whether the active ingredients are naturally occurring, and whether specific furanocoumarins or flavonoids are involved. The oral pharmacokinetics of felodipine and its dehydrofelodipine metabolite were determined after administration of felodipine 10 mg extended-release tablet with 250 mL commercial grapefruit juice, homogenized grapefruit segments, or extract of segment-free parts equivalent to one unprocessed fruit or water in a randomized four-way crossover study. Inhibition of recombinant CYP3A4 by furanocoumarins (bergamottin, 6',7'-epoxybergamottin, 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin) and flavonoids (naringenin optical isomers) was determined. Furanocoumarin and naringenin precursor (naringin) concentrations were measured in each grapefruit treatment. Felodipine AUC with commercial grapefruit juice, grapefruit segments, or grapefruit extract was on average 3-fold higher than that with water. Felodipine peak concentration was higher, but the half-life was unchanged. The dehydrofelodipine/felodipine AUC ratio was reduced. The furanocoumarins produced mechanism-based and competitive inhibition of CYP3A4. Bergamottin was the most potent mechanism-based inhibitor. Naringenin isomers produced only competitive inhibition. Bergamottin, 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin, and naringin concentrations varied among grapefruit treatments but were sufficient to inhibit markedly in vitro CYP3A4 activity. Unprocessed grapefruit can cause a drug interaction with felodipine. The active ingredients are naturally occurring in the grapefruit. Bergamottin is likely important in drug interactions with commercial grapefruit juice. 6',7'-Dihydroxybergamottin and naringin may be more important in grapefruit segments because they are present in higher concentrations. Any therapeutic concern for a drug interaction with commercial grapefruit juice should now be extended to include whole fruit and possibly confectioneries made

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI03 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI03 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15833-1 FC-AI03P (Li...nk to Original site) FC-AI03F 690 FC-AI03Z 651 FC-AI03P 1341 - - Show FC-AI03 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI...nal site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI03Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...03P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI03 (FC-AI03Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI...li*l*ivtlskv*qswyqvfcslmrftcwi*nv fht*ivhwsqhwhql*flqpivaiv*skapitifnlhmaslwif*ivl*sfvpfhiitmk sfkfspfvpqlki

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI04 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI04 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15121-1 FC-AI04E (Li...nk to Original site) - - - - - - FC-AI04E 772 Show FC-AI04 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI04 (Li.../dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI04Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...04E (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI04 (FC-AI04Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI04Q.Seq....qvnkhqqvvtktvsd vlvphqvhnqvfphipqqmtlvnkhqpvvtktvsdvlvphqvhnqvfphtpqlkiqvylq vfqvvvvtiisai

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI10 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI10 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16270-1 FC-AI10F (Li...nk to Original site) FC-AI10F 405 - - - - - - Show FC-AI10 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI10 (Li.../dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI10Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...10F (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI10 (FC-AI10Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI10Q.Seq.... sequence RKKRKSDYTSFSTYIHKLLKQITPPTNAKSNEKGDRKFTISSKAMSVMNSFVHDIFDRIA TEASGLAKKKKRQTLHSRDIQVAVRIILTGELAXHAI

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI23 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI23 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15308-1 FC-AI23Z (Li...nk to Original site) - - FC-AI23Z 603 - - - - Show FC-AI23 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI23 (Li.../dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI23Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...23Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI23 (FC-AI23Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI23Q.Seq....LNTLAKKNEQVVEGEILAKQLTGVTAEELSEFKACFSHFDKDN DNKLNRLEFSSCLKSIGDELTEEQLNQVISKIDTDGNGTISFEEFIDYMVSSRKGTDSVE STKAAFKVMAEDKDFITEAQIRAAI

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI05 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI05 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15516-1 FC-AI05E (Li...nk to Original site) - - - - - - FC-AI05E 1189 Show FC-AI05 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI05 (L...//dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI05Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...05E (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI05 (FC-AI05Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI05Q.Seq...KIVGEASLKNKGKMSRVLAAKAALSARFD ALCEVSDTSYGIAYKGAVDRRAAAIEGREVRKSLNAVKPEKSGNVAKYDHTKSATTNTTR DVATKSSKESSIKQEKQ

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI21 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI21 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16254-1 FC-AI21Z (Li...nk to Original site) - - FC-AI21Z 696 - - - - Show FC-AI21 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI21 (Li.../dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI21Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...21Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI21 (FC-AI21Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI21Q.Seq....YPGYMYTDLSTIYERAGRIQGRNGSITQI PILTMPNDDITHPIPDLTGYITEGQIFIDRQINNRQIYPPINVLPSLSRLMKSAI

The Role of Biologically Active Ingredients from Natural Drug Treatments for Arrhythmias in Different Mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jie; Hu, Dan; Song, Xiaoli; Han, Tao; Gao, Yonghong; Xing, Yanwei

2017-01-01

Arrhythmia is a disease that is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the heart rate or rhythm. It is the major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although several antiarrhythmic drugs have been used in clinic for decades, their application is often limited by their adverse effects. As a result, natural drugs, which have fewer side effects, are now being used to treat arrhythmias. We searched for all articles on the role of biologically active ingredients from natural drug treatments for arrhythmias in different mechanisms in PubMed. This study reviews 19 natural drug therapies, with 18 active ingredient therapies, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, quinones, and terpenes, and two kinds of traditional Chinese medicine compound (Wenxin-Keli and Shensongyangxin), all of which have been studied and reported as having antiarrhythmic effects. The primary focus is the proposed antiarrhythmic mechanism of each natural drug agent. Conclusion . We stress persistent vigilance on the part of the provider in discussing the use of natural drug agents to provide a solid theoretical foundation for further research on antiarrhythmia drugs.

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI12 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI12 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15484-1 FC-AI12Z (Li...nk to Original site) - - FC-AI12Z 614 - - - - Show FC-AI12 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI12 (Li.../dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI12Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...12Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI12 (FC-AI12Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI12Q.Seq....EKIVRRI ELLDGITCYRNEKAKDEIVLTGNSLELLSQSCATIQLRSAIKYKDVRKFLDGIYVSERNV LESN*in*riys

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI19 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI19 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15115-1 FC-AI19Z (Li...nk to Original site) - - FC-AI19Z 661 - - - - Show FC-AI19 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI19 (Li.../dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI19Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...19Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI19 (FC-AI19Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI19Q.Seq....lmrqswvkkiesi*lvl krrkkkknnkkkkkkkkkkklfn*lvnkkn*ik*kkllcnqkk Frame B: ---*ekaieilsklfsin*kfn**ysiiigkkstkyq

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI14 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI14 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16280-1 FC-AI14Z (Li...nk to Original site) - - FC-AI14Z 671 - - - - Show FC-AI14 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI14 (Li.../dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI14Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...14Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI14 (FC-AI14Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI14Q.Seq....nqrllv*lvvlskklqllnsnqsfkfkkvq rmkknsvkntkn*rfvllt*nlkslkrmpksknsptkliifilkly Frame B: ---lkdl*krtphl*stcfhhptlcssrrfclwslnai

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI06 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI06 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16465-1 FC-AI06E (Li...nk to Original site) - - - - - - FC-AI06E 1138 Show FC-AI06 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI06 (L...//dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI06Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...06E (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI06 (FC-AI06Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI06Q.Seq...FGRGIDIERVNVVINYDMAESADTYLHRVGRAGRFGTK GLAISFVPSKEDPVLEQVQSKFVVSIKELVATPDPSTYMSG*kkkkkkkknlfvlksikk k*kkk*in

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI09 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI09 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16149-1 FC-AI09Z (Li...nk to Original site) - - FC-AI09Z 591 - - - - Show FC-AI09 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI09 (Li.../dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI09Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI...09Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI09 (FC-AI09Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI09Q.Seq....*tkl ik*ilifykiknnkkkkkk Frame B: ---gt*kvpeflailfkrmasrsvlwy*rcltkakkglkapqtltik

Substituted Benzamides Containing Azaspiro Rings as Upregulators of Apolipoprotein A-I Transcription

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Hong

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I is the principal protein component of high density lipoprotein (HDL, which is generally considered as a potential therapeutic target against atherosclerosis. The understanding of the Apo A-I regulation mechanism has fuelled the development of novel HDL targeted therapeutic approaches. To identify novel agents that can upregulate Apo A-I expression, we performed a cell-based reporter assay to screen 25,600 small molecules. Based on the dataset obtained from screening, a series of novel analogs of substituted benzamides containing azaspiro rings were assessed for their ability to induce the transcription of the Apo A-I gene, and the structure-activity relationship (SAR around these analogs was also proposed. The results indicated that the trifluoromethyl substituted benzamide containing an azaspiro ring is a promising backbone for designing Apo A-I transcriptional upregulator and could be viable leads for development of new drugs to prevent and treat atherosclerosis in the future.

AI 3D Cybug Gaming

OpenAIRE

Ahmed, Zeeshan

2010-01-01

In this short paper I briefly discuss 3D war Game based on artificial intelligence concepts called AI WAR. Going in to the details, I present the importance of CAICL language and how this language is used in AI WAR. Moreover I also present a designed and implemented 3D War Cybug for AI WAR using CAICL and discus the implemented strategy to defeat its enemies during the game life.

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI15 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI15 (Link to dictyBase) - G01730 DDB0214993 Contig-U15123-1 FC-AI...15E (Link to Original site) - - - - - - FC-AI15E 856 Show FC-AI15 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI...3-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI15Q.Se...q.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI15E (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI15 (FC-AI15Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI...AAAAAAAATA sequence update 1996.12.24 Translated Amino Acid sequence kt*riyi*KMMIKYITIAILFIASLVKADLQFSLCPTCV

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI24 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI24 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - FC-AI24Z (Link to Original site) - - FC-AI...24Z 693 - - - - Show FC-AI24 Library FC (Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI24 (Link to dictyBas...e) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI...24Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI24Z (Link to Original s...ite) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI24 (FC-AI24Q) /CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI24Q.Seq.d/ XXXXXXXXXXAAATTAGAAAACAAA

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI08 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI08 (Link to dictyBase) - G01729 DDB0233148 Contig-U14939-1 FC-AI...08P (Link to Original site) FC-AI08F 654 FC-AI08Z 563 FC-AI08P 1217 - - Show FC-AI08 Library FC (Link... to library) Clone ID FC-AI08 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID G01729 dictyBase ID DDB0233148 Link to ...Contig Contig-U14939-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI...08Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI08P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI08 (FC-AI

Anti-cancer activities of Ganoderma lucidum: active ingredients and pathways

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chi H.J. Kao

2013-02-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTGanoderma lucidum, commonly referred to as Lingzhi, has been used in Asia for health promotion for centuries. The anti-cancer effects of G. lucidum have been demonstrated in both in vitro and in vivo studies. In addition, the observed anti-cancer activities of Ganoderma have prompted its usage by cancer patients alongside chemotherapy.The main two bioactive components of G. lucidum can be broadly grouped into triterpenes and polysaccharides. Despite triterpenes and polysaccharides being widely known as the major active ingredients, the different biological pathways by which they exert their anti-cancer effect remain poorly defined. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of action may lead to more widespread use of Ganoderma as an anti-cancer agent.The aim of this paper is to summarise the various bioactive mechanisms that have been proposed for the anti-cancer properties of triterpenes and polysaccharides extracted from G. lucidum. A literature search of published papers on NCBI with keywords “Ganoderma” and “cancer” was performed. Among those, studies which specifically examined the anti-cancer activities of Ganoderma triterpenes and polysaccharides were selected to be included in this paper.We have found five potential mechanisms which are associated with the anti-cancer activities of Ganoderma triterpenes and three potential mechanisms for Ganoderma polysaccharides. In addition, G. lucidum has been used in combination with known anti-cancer agents to improve the anti-cancer efficacies. This suggests Ganoderma’s bioactive pathways may compliment that of anti-cancer agents. In this paper we present several potential anti-cancer mechanisms of Ganoderma triterpenes and polysaccharides which can be used for the development of Ganoderma as an anti-cancer agent.

The BSM-AI project: SUSY-AI-generalizing LHC limits on supersymmetry with machine learning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caron, Sascha [Radboud Universiteit, Institute for Mathematics, Astro- and Particle Physics IMAPP, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Nikhef, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Kim, Jong Soo [UAM/CSIC, Instituto de Fisica Teorica, Madrid (Spain); Rolbiecki, Krzysztof [UAM/CSIC, Instituto de Fisica Teorica, Madrid (Spain); University of Warsaw, Faculty of Physics, Warsaw (Poland); Ruiz de Austri, Roberto [IFIC-UV/CSIC, Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular, Valencia (Spain); Stienen, Bob [Radboud Universiteit, Institute for Mathematics, Astro- and Particle Physics IMAPP, Nijmegen (Netherlands)

2017-04-15

A key research question at the Large Hadron Collider is the test of models of new physics. Testing if a particular parameter set of such a model is excluded by LHC data is a challenge: it requires time consuming generation of scattering events, simulation of the detector response, event reconstruction, cross section calculations and analysis code to test against several hundred signal regions defined by the ATLAS and CMS experiments. In the BSM-AI project we approach this challenge with a new idea. A machine learning tool is devised to predict within a fraction of a millisecond if a model is excluded or not directly from the model parameters. A first example is SUSY-AI, trained on the phenomenological supersymmetric standard model (pMSSM). About 300, 000 pMSSM model sets - each tested against 200 signal regions by ATLAS - have been used to train and validate SUSY-AI. The code is currently able to reproduce the ATLAS exclusion regions in 19 dimensions with an accuracy of at least 93%. It has been validated further within the constrained MSSM and the minimal natural supersymmetric model, again showing high accuracy. SUSY-AI and its future BSM derivatives will help to solve the problem of recasting LHC results for any model of new physics. SUSY-AI can be downloaded from http://susyai.hepforge.org/. An on-line interface to the program for quick testing purposes can be found at http://www.susy-ai.org/. (orig.)

The BSM-AI project: SUSY-AI-generalizing LHC limits on supersymmetry with machine learning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caron, Sascha; Kim, Jong Soo; Rolbiecki, Krzysztof; Ruiz de Austri, Roberto; Stienen, Bob

2017-01-01

A key research question at the Large Hadron Collider is the test of models of new physics. Testing if a particular parameter set of such a model is excluded by LHC data is a challenge: it requires time consuming generation of scattering events, simulation of the detector response, event reconstruction, cross section calculations and analysis code to test against several hundred signal regions defined by the ATLAS and CMS experiments. In the BSM-AI project we approach this challenge with a new idea. A machine learning tool is devised to predict within a fraction of a millisecond if a model is excluded or not directly from the model parameters. A first example is SUSY-AI, trained on the phenomenological supersymmetric standard model (pMSSM). About 300, 000 pMSSM model sets - each tested against 200 signal regions by ATLAS - have been used to train and validate SUSY-AI. The code is currently able to reproduce the ATLAS exclusion regions in 19 dimensions with an accuracy of at least 93%. It has been validated further within the constrained MSSM and the minimal natural supersymmetric model, again showing high accuracy. SUSY-AI and its future BSM derivatives will help to solve the problem of recasting LHC results for any model of new physics. SUSY-AI can be downloaded from http://susyai.hepforge.org/. An on-line interface to the program for quick testing purposes can be found at http://www.susy-ai.org/. (orig.)

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI07 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI07 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15296-1 | Contig-U15756-1 FC-AI...07P (Link to Original site) FC-AI07F 580 FC-AI07Z 723 FC-AI07P 1303 - - Show FC-AI07 Library FC (...Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI07 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Con...tig-U15296-1 | Contig-U15756-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI...07Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI07P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI07 (FC-AI

Dicty_cDB: FC-AI22 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC (Link to library) FC-AI22 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15369-1 | Contig-U15732-1 FC-AI...22P (Link to Original site) FC-AI22F 583 FC-AI22Z 683 FC-AI22P 1266 - - Show FC-AI22 Library FC (...Link to library) Clone ID FC-AI22 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Con...tig-U15369-1 | Contig-U15732-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/FC/FC-AI/FC-AI...22Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID FC-AI22P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >FC-AI22 (FC-AI

Derivation of general expression for variance in difference in the contents of active ingredient in raw material as determined at seller's and purchaser's site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narasimha Murty, B.; Prahlad, B.

2012-01-01

Material supply from a supplier to purchaser involve weighing of the material at both the sites. It is always of interest to know whether there is any difference in the weight of the material and more importantly in the weight of the active ingredient supplied and received. This paper describes the derivation of general expression for variance in difference in the contents of active ingredient in raw material as determined at the seller's and purchaser's site. The derived expression for the variance in difference in the content of active ingredient as determined at seller's and purchaser's site is a generic one though its application is demonstrated for two raw materials

Co-crystallization: An approach to improve the performance characteristics of active pharmaceutical ingredients

OpenAIRE

Jignasa Ketan Savjani

2015-01-01

Co-crystal chemistry has recently attracted supramolecular scientists. Co-crystals are comprising of hydrogen boding assembly between different molecules. Many issues related to performance characteristics of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) can be resolved using co-crystallization approach. Proper understanding of crystal structure of an API is required for successful formation of co-crystals with the selected co-former. This review article focus on explanation about co-crystals, in...

Analysis of the main active ingredients and bioactivities of essential oil from Osmanthus fragrans Var. thunbergii using a complex network approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Le; Tan, Nana; Hu, Jiayao; Wang, Huan; Duan, Dongzhu; Ma, Lin; Xiao, Jian; Wang, Xiaoling

2017-12-28

Osmanthus fragrans has been used as folk medicine for thousands of years. The extracts of Osmanthus fragrans flowers were reported to have various bioactivities including free radical scavenging, anti-inflammation, neuroprotection and antitumor effects. However, there is still lack of knowledge about its essential oil. In this work, we analyzed the chemical composition of the essential oil from Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii by GC-MS. A complex network approach was applied to investigate the interrelationships between the ingredients, target proteins, and related pathways for the essential oil. Statistical characteristics of the networks were further studied to explore the main active ingredients and potential bioactivities of O. fragrans var. thunbergii essential oil. A total of 44 ingredients were selected from the chemical composition of O. fragrans var. thunbergii essential oil, and that 191 potential target proteins together with 70 pathways were collected for these compounds. An ingredient-target-pathway network was constructed based on these data and showed scale-free property as well as power-law degree distribution. Eugenol and geraniol were screened as main active ingredients with much higher degree values. Potential neuroprotective and anti-tumor effect of the essential oil were also found. A core subnetwork was extracted from the ingredient-target-pathway network, and indicated that eugenol and geraniol contributed most to the neuroprotection of this essential oil. Furthermore, a pathway-based protein association network was built and exhibited small-world property. MAPK1 and MAPK3 were considered as key proteins with highest scores of centrality indices, which might play an important role in the anti-tumor effect of the essential oil. This work predicted the main active ingredients and bioactivities of O. fragrans var. thunbergii essential oil, which would benefit the development and utilization of Osmanthus fragrans flowers. The application of

Anti-tumor promoting potential of selected spice ingredients with antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities: a short review.

Science.gov (United States)

Surh, Young-Joon

2002-08-01

A wide variety of phenolic substances derived from spice possess potent antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activities. Examples are curcumin, a yellow colouring agent, contained in turmeric (Curcuma longa L., Zingiberaceae), [6]-gingerol, a pungent ingredient present in ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae) and capsaicin, a principal pungent principle of hot chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L, Solanaceae). The chemopreventive effects exerted by these phytochemicals are often associated with their antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. Cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been recognized as a molecular target of many chemopreventive as well as anti-inflammatory agents. Recent studies have shown that COX-2 is regulated by the eukaryotic transcription factor NF-kappaB. This short review summarizes the molecular mechanisms underlying chemopreventive effects of the aforementioned spice ingredients in terms of their effects on intracellular signaling cascades, particularly those involving NF-kappaB and mitogen-activated protein kinases.

Health Information in French (français)

Science.gov (United States)

... Biopsy - français (French) Bilingual PDF Health Information Translations Breast Biopsy - français (French) Bilingual PDF Health Information Translations Colposcopy - français (French) Bilingual PDF ...

Two new Oxalis species (Oxalidaceae) from the Ai-Ais / Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, South Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roets, F.; Oberlander, K.C.; Dreyer, L.L.

2012-01-01

South Africa has a rich, but scantily surveyed, desert flora. Documenting annual and geophytic species in this biome is challenging, as they usually only flower after adequate precipitation, which is characteristically erratic and infrequent. Recent floristic surveys in the Ai-Ais / Richtersveld

An SDR based AIS receiver for satellites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jesper Abildgaard; Mortensen, Hans Peter; Nielsen, Jens Frederik Dalsgaard

2011-01-01

For a few years now, there has been a high interest in monitoring the global ship traffic from space. A few satellite, capable of listening for ship borne AIS transponders have already been launched, and soon the AAUSAT3, carrying two different types of AIS receivers will also be launched. One...... of the AIS receivers onboard AAUSAT3 is an SDR based AIS receiver. This paper serves to describe the background of the AIS system, and how the SDR based receiver has been integrated into the AAUSAT3 satellite. Amongst some of the benefits of using an SDR based receiver is, that due to its versatility, new...... detection algorithms are easily deployed, and it is easily adapted the new proposed AIS transmission channels....

21 CFR 358.710 - Active ingredients for the control of dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, or psoriasis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

..., seborrheic dermatitis, or psoriasis. 358.710 Section 358.710 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION... Psoriasis § 358.710 Active ingredients for the control of dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, or psoriasis. The... psoriasis. (1) Coal tar, 0.5 to 5 percent. When a coal tar solution, derivative, or fraction is used as the...

Antidotal or protective effects of Curcuma longa (turmeric) and its active ingredient, curcumin, against natural and chemical toxicities: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Azar; Hosseinzadeh, Hossein

2018-03-01

Curcuma longa is a rhizomatous perennial herb that belongs to the family Zingiberaceae, native to South Asia and is commonly known as turmeric. It is used as herbal remedy due to the prevalent belief that the plant has medical properties. C. longa possesses different effects such as antioxidant, anti-tumor, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and gastroprotective activities. The recent studies have shown that C. longa and curcumin, its important active ingredient, have protective effects against toxic agents. In this review article, we collected in vitro and animal studies which are related to protective effects of turmeric and its active ingredient against natural and chemical toxic agents. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

AI its nature and future

CERN Document Server

Boden, Margaret A

2016-01-01

least - on the Internet. Margaret Boden considers the realistic and unrealistic expectations we have placed on AI, analyses its progress, and considers the value of its byproducts. ations we have placed on AI, analyses its progress, and considers the value of its byproducts.

Performance testing of real-time AI systems using the activation framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, L.; Duckworth, J.; Laznovsky, A.; Green, P.

1992-01-01

This paper describes methods for automated performance testing of real-time artificial intelligence systems using the Activation Framework software development tool. The Activation Framework is suitable for applications such as the diagnosis of power system failures, which require the interpretation of large volumes of data in real-time. The Activation Framework consists of tools for compiling groups of Expert Systems rules into executable code modules, for automatically generating code modules from high level system configuration descriptions, and for automatically generating command files for program compilation and linking. It includes an operating system environment which provides the code which is common from one real-time AI applications to the next. It also includes mechanisms, described here, for automatic performance testing. The principal emphasis of this paper is on a rule based language which is used to capture performance specifications. This specification is compiled into code modules which are used to automatically test the system. This testing can validate that the system meets performance requirements during development and after maintenance. A large number of tests can be randomly generated and executed and the correctness of the outputs automatically validated. The paper also describes graph directed testing methods to minimize the number of test runs required

Active Ingredients of Instructional Coaching: Developing a Conceptual Framework. R2Ed Working Paper 2015-3

Science.gov (United States)

White, Andrew S.; Howell Smith, Michelle; Kunz, Gina M.; Nugent, Gwen C.

2015-01-01

Although researchers have explored the impact of instructional coaching and named possible elements believed essential to effective coaching, there has yet to emerge from the literature a coherent model of those essential elements ("active ingredients"). This qualitative study sought to identify those elements through a systematic…

Active pharmaceutical ingredients detected in herbal food supplements for weight loss samples on the Dutch market

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reeuwijk, N.M.; Venhuis, B.J.; Kaste, de D.; Hoogenboom, L.A.P.; Rietjens, I.; Martena, M.J.

2014-01-01

Herbal food supplements claiming to reduce weight may contain active pharmacological ingredients (APIs) that can be used for the treatment of overweight and obesity. The aim of this study was to determine whether herbal food supplements for weight loss on the Dutch market contain APIs with weight

Modeling Progress in AI

OpenAIRE

Brundage, Miles

2015-01-01

Participants in recent discussions of AI-related issues ranging from intelligence explosion to technological unemployment have made diverse claims about the nature, pace, and drivers of progress in AI. However, these theories are rarely specified in enough detail to enable systematic evaluation of their assumptions or to extrapolate progress quantitatively, as is often done with some success in other technological domains. After reviewing relevant literatures and justifying the need for more ...

The implementation of AI technologies in computer wargames

Science.gov (United States)

Tiller, John A.

2004-08-01

Computer wargames involve the most in-depth analysis of general game theory. The enumerated turns of a game like chess are dwarfed by the exponentially larger possibilities of even a simple computer wargame. Implementing challenging AI is computer wargames is an important goal in both the commercial and military environments. In the commercial marketplace, customers demand a challenging AI opponent when they play a computer wargame and are frustrated by a lack of competence on the part of the AI. In the military environment, challenging AI opponents are important for several reasons. A challenging AI opponent will force the military professional to avoid routine or set-piece approaches to situations and cause them to think much deeper about military situations before taking action. A good AI opponent would also include national characteristics of the opponent being simulated, thus providing the military professional with even more of a challenge in planning and approach. Implementing current AI technologies in computer wargames is a technological challenge. The goal is to join the needs of AI in computer wargames with the solutions of current AI technologies. This talk will address several of those issues, possible solutions, and currently unsolved problems.

Tweeting AI: Perceptions of Lay vs Expert Twitterati

OpenAIRE

Manikonda, Lydia; Kambhampati, Subbarao

2017-01-01

With the recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), various organizations and individuals are debating about the progress of AI as a blessing or a curse for the future of the society. This paper conducts an investigation on how the public perceives the progress of AI by utilizing the data shared on Twitter. Specifically, this paper performs a comparative analysis on the understanding of users belonging to two categories -- general AI-Tweeters (AIT) and expert AI-Tweeters (EAIT) who ...

Launching AI in NASA ground systems

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, Dorothy C.; Truszkowski, Walter F.

1990-01-01

This paper will discuss recent operational successes in implementing expert systems to support the complex functions of NASA mission control systems at the Goddard Space Flight Center, including fault detection and diagnosis for real time and engineering analysis functions in the Cosmic Background Explorer and Gamma Ray Observatory missions and automation of resource planning and scheduling functions for various missions. It will also discuss ongoing developments and prototypes that will lead to increasingly sophisticated applications of artificial intelligence. These include the use of neural networks to perform telemetry monitoring functions, the implementation of generic expert system shells that can be customized to telemetry handling functions specific to NASA control centers, the applications of AI in training and user support, the long-term potential of implementing systems based around distributed, cooperative problem solving, and the use of AI to control and assist system development activities.

Deploying Embodied AI into Virtual Worlds

Science.gov (United States)

Burden, David J. H.

The last two years have seen the start of commercial activity within virtual worlds. Unlike computer games where Non-Player-Character avatars are common, in most virtual worlds they are the exception — and until recently in Second Life they were non-existent. However there is real commercial scope for Als in these worlds — in roles from virtual sales staff and tutors to personal assistants. Deploying an embodied AI into a virtual world offers a unique opportunity to evaluate embodied Als, and to develop them within an environment where human and computer are on almost equal terms. This paper presents an architecture being used for the deployment of chatbot driven avatars within the Second Life virtual world, looks at the challenges of deploying an AI within such a virtual world, the possible implications for the Turing Test, and identifies research directions for the future.

Model-based computer-aided design for controlled release of pesticides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Muro Sunè, Nuria; Gani, Rafiqul; Bell, G.

2005-01-01

In the field of controlled release technology for pesticides or active ingredients (AI), models that can predict its delivery during application are important for purposes of design and marketing of the pesticide product. Appropriate models for the controlled release of pesticides, if available, ...... extended models have been developed and implemented into a computer-aided system. The total model consisting of the property models embedded into the release models are then employed to study the release of different combinations of AIs and polymer-based microcapsules.......In the field of controlled release technology for pesticides or active ingredients (AI), models that can predict its delivery during application are important for purposes of design and marketing of the pesticide product. Appropriate models for the controlled release of pesticides, if available...

Areal Informations Systemet - AIS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, K.; Stjernholm, M.; Olsen, B. Ø.

Forord: Denne rapport giver en kort beskrivelse af Areal Informations Systemet (AIS), som er et databasesystem med natur- og miljødata, som kan stedfæstes geografisk. Projektet er gennemført i perioden 1996-2000 som et samarbejdsprojekt mellem Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser (DMU), Danmarks og...... og enkeltpersoner med interesse for natur- og miljøforhold i Danmark. Yderligere oplysninger om Areal Informations Systemet, herunder adgangsforhold, kan fås på DMU's hjemmeside med følgende adresse: http://ais.dmu.dk/ Projektet er finansieret af Miljø- og Energiministeriet, mens en række...... (planlægning, beskyttelse), geologi (overfladegeologi og marin geologi), samt marin dybdemodel. # Etablering af dataadgang for Miljø- og Energiministeriets institutioner til AIS-data. # Afprøvning af systemet i forhold til konkrete projekter. # Formidling af produkterne til brugerkredsen....

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Occupational Exposure to Agricultural Pesticide Chemical Groups and Active Ingredients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leah Schinasi

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This paper describes results from a systematic review and a series of meta-analyses of nearly three decades worth of epidemiologic research on the relationship between non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL and occupational exposure to agricultural pesticide active ingredients and chemical groups. Estimates of associations of NHL with 21 pesticide chemical groups and 80 active ingredients were extracted from 44 papers, all of which reported results from analyses of studies conducted in high-income countries. Random effects meta-analyses showed that phenoxy herbicides, carbamate insecticides, organophosphorus insecticides and the active ingredient lindane, an organochlorine insecticide, were positively associated with NHL. In a handful of papers, associations between pesticides and NHL subtypes were reported; B cell lymphoma was positively associated with phenoxy herbicides and the organophosphorus herbicide glyphosate. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was positively associated with phenoxy herbicide exposure. Despite compelling evidence that NHL is associated with certain chemicals, this review indicates the need for investigations of a larger variety of pesticides in more geographic areas, especially in low- and middle-income countries, which, despite producing a large portion of the world’s agriculture, were missing in the literature that were reviewed.

Expression of recombinant murine pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and a novel variant (PAPP-Ai) with differential proteolytic activity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søe, Rikke; Overgaard, Michael Toft; Thomsen, Anni R

2002-01-01

Murine pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) cDNA encoding a 1545 amino-acid protein has been cloned. We have also identified and cloned cDNA that encodes a novel variant of PAPP-A, PAPP-Ai, carrying a 29-residue highly basic insert. The point of insertion corresponds to a junction between...... with the proform of eosinophil major basic protein (proMBP). ProMBP functions as a proteinase inhibitor in the PAPP-A-proMBP complex, but whether any mechanistic parallel on regulation of proteolytic activity can be drawn between the insert of PAPP-Ai and the linkage to proMBP is not known. Importantly, these data...

What determines ingredient awareness of consumers? A study on ten functional food ingredients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bornkessel, S.; Bröring, S.; Omta, S.W.F.; Trijp, van J.C.M.

2014-01-01

Given the importance of consumer awareness of functional food ingredients for healthy food choices, the aim of this study is to explore consumers’ ingredient awareness and the determinants which influence the awareness about functional food ingredients. A sample of 200 German consumers was

The Role of Biologically Active Ingredients from Natural Drug Treatments for Arrhythmias in Different Mechanisms

OpenAIRE

Li, Jie; Hu, Dan; Song, Xiaoli; Han, Tao; Gao, Yonghong; Xing, Yanwei

2017-01-01

Arrhythmia is a disease that is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the heart rate or rhythm. It is the major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although several antiarrhythmic drugs have been used in clinic for decades, their application is often limited by their adverse effects. As a result, natural drugs, which have fewer side effects, are now being used to treat arrhythmias. We searched for all articles on the role of biologically active ingredients from natural drug t...

Studies on free-radical scavenging activity and identification of active ingredients of different plant crude extracts of Mentha piperita collected from Sur, Sultanate of Oman

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Mohammad Amzad Hossain; Aqeela Said Hamed AL Orimi; Afaf Mohammed Weli; Qasim Al-Riyami; Jamal Nasser Al-Sabahi

2014-01-01

Objective: To determine free radical scavenging activity and active chemical ingredients of different plant crude extracts of Mentha piperita (M. piperita). Methods: The dried powder leaves of M. piperita were extracted with polar organic solvent by Soxhlet extractor. The crude extract and its fractions of hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and butanol crude extracts were prepared. The antioxidant activity of different crude extracts from M. piperita was carried out by DPPH method with minor modification, and the active chemical ingredients of different plant crude extracts of M. piperita were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: Qualitative analysis of different polarities crude extracts by GC-MS found different types of active organic compounds. The antioxidant activity of different crude extracts were found to be in the order of chloroform extract> butanol extract> ethyl acetate extract> hexane extract>methanol extract. Majority identified compounds in the plant crude extracts by GC-MS were biologically active. Conclusions: Therefore, the isolation, purification, identification and characterization of bioactive compounds from various crude extracts of M. piperita might have ecological significance.

So Sorry––Never Sorry. Ai Weiwei’s Art between Tradition and Modernity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tania Becker

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Ai Weiwei’s 艾未未 (b. 1957 artistic expression revolves around his use of traditional Chinese techniques to create new designs and forms, shaping traditional materials into contemporary configurations. In the face of obstruction from state officials and local politicians, Ai Weiwei exposes himself to considerable personal risk in order to continue his activities as an artist and stay loyal to his convictions. This paper examines the roots of Ai Weiwei’s work in Chinese art history and looks at how the artist has deliberately adapted traditional motifs to bring about a sense of alienation. Ai Weiwei’s unique stance between current trends in western art and the Chinese feeling for handicrafts is also explored.

Adaptive Motion Gaming AI for Health Promotion

OpenAIRE

Paliyawan, Pujana; Kusano, Takahiro; Nakagawa, Yuto; Harada, Tomohiro; Thawonmas, Ruck

2017-01-01

This paper presents a design of a non-player character (AI) for promoting balancedness in use of body segments when engaging in full-body motion gaming. In our experiment, we settle a battle between the proposed AI and a player by using FightingICE, a fighting game platform for AI development. A middleware called UKI is used to allow the player to control the game by using body motion instead of the keyboard and mouse. During gameplay, the proposed AI analyze health states of the player; it d...

Swapping the N- and C-terminal domains of human apolipoprotein E3 and AI reveals insights into their structure/activity relationship.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark T Lek

Full Text Available Apolipoprotein (apo E3 and apoAI are exchangeable apolipoproteins that play a dominant role in regulating plasma lipoprotein metabolism. ApoE3 (299 residues is composed of an N-terminal (NT domain bearing a 4-helix bundle and a C-terminal (CT domain bearing a series of amphipathic α-helices. ApoAI (243 residues also comprises a highly helical NT domain and a less structured CT tail. The objective of this study was to understand their structural and functional role by generating domain swapped chimeras: apoE3-NT/apoAI-CT and apoAI-NT/apoE-CT. The bacterially overexpressed chimeras were purified by affinity chromatography and their identity confirmed by immunoblotting and mass spectrometry. Their α-helical content was comparable to that of the parent proteins. ApoE3-NT/apoAI-CT retained the denaturation profile of apoE3 NT domain, with apoAI CT tail eliciting a relatively unstructured state; its lipid binding ability improved dramatically compared to apoE3 indicative of a significant role of apoAI CT tail in lipid binding interaction. The LDL receptor interaction and ability to promote ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux of apoE3-NT/apoAI-CT was comparable to that of apoE3. In contrast, apoAI-NT/apoE-CT elicited an unfolding pattern and lipid binding ability that were similar to that of apoAI. As expected, DMPC/apoAI-NT/apoE-CT discoidal particles did not elicit LDLr binding ability, and promoted SR-B1 mediated cellular uptake of lipids to a limited extent. However, apoAI-NT/apoE-CT displayed an enhanced ability to promote cholesterol efflux compared to apoAI, indicative of a significant role for apoE CT domain in mediating this function. Together, these results indicate that the functional attributes of apoAI and apoE3 can be conferred on each other and that NT-CT domain interactions significantly modulate their structure and function.

[Advances in research on regulatory effects of chemical ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine on UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 expression and activity].

Science.gov (United States)

Xin, Hong; Xu, Wei

2017-02-01

Uridine 5'-diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase1A1(UGT1A1) is a major phase Ⅱ metabolism enzyme, responsible for glucuronidation and elimination of drugs and endogenous compounds, playing a vital role in sustaining endogenous metabolism balance. Therefore, changes in UGT1A1 expression/functional can not only cause adverse clinical drug/herbs-drug interactions, but also lead to metabolic disorder of endogenous substances, causing high blood bilirubin, bilirubin encephalopathy and liver injury, as well as other side effects. To date, many studies have found that a variety of clinical medicines and medicinal ingredients can regulate UGT1A1 activity. This article would summarize the advances in research on drug metabolism and toxicology in domestic and foreign literature, and investigate the regulatory effects of different types of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) ingredients(such as flavonoids, coumarins, alkaloids) on UGT1A1 expression and activity, including inhibitory effect of TCM chemical ingredients on UGT1A1 and effect of TCM chemical ingredients on UGT1A1. It is hoped that this review could provide depth understanding and certain reference for the interaction between chemical ingredients of TCM and UGT1A1, which is of great significance to guide the rational clinical use in future. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Artificial intelligence. Fears of an AI pioneer.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Stuart; Bohannon, John

2015-07-17

From the enraged robots in the 1920 play R.U.R. to the homicidal computer H.A.L. in 2001: A Space Odyssey, science fiction writers have embraced the dark side of artificial intelligence (AI) ever since the concept entered our collective imagination. Sluggish progress in AI research, especially during the “AI winter” of the 1970s and 1980s, made such worries seem far-fetched. But recent breakthroughs in machine learning and vast improvements in computational power have brought a flood of research funding— and fresh concerns about where AI may lead us. One researcher now speaking up is Stuart Russell, a computer scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, who with Peter Norvig, director of research at Google, wrote the premier AI textbook, Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, now in its third edition. Last year, Russell joined the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom as an AI expert focusing on “risks that could lead to human extinction.” Among his chief concerns, which he aired at an April meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, run by the United Nations, is the danger of putting military drones and weaponry under the full control of AI systems. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Why Don't Accounting Students like AIS?

Science.gov (United States)

Vatanasakdakul, Savanid; Aoun, Chadi

2011-01-01

Purpose: The demand for Accounting Information Systems (AIS) knowledge has increased exponentially over the past two decades, but studying AIS has not proved easy for many accounting students. The aim of the study is to understand the challenges accounting students face in studying AIS through investigation of the factors which may be contributing…

ANTIMICROBIAL AND SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITY OF INGREDIENTS OF BETEL QUID ON ORAL AND ENTERIC PATHOGENS

OpenAIRE

Niraj A Ghanwate; Prashant Thakare

2012-01-01

In this study, antimicrobial and synergistic activity of ingredients of betel quid i.e. kattha, lime, betel leaf, betel nut, cardamom, clove and fennel seeds was tested against microbial population of oral cavity and four enteric pathogens namely Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli and Shigell flexneri. For this purpose two methods were used. Pour plate method was used for calculating the reduction in microbial population in oral cavity and disk diffusion method was u...

Development and validation of stability indicating UPLC assay method for ziprasidone active pharma ingredient

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonam Mittal

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Ziprasidone, a novel antipsychotic, exhibits a potent highly selective antagonistic activity on D2 and 5HT2A receptors. Literature survey for ziprasidone revealed several analytical methods based on different techniques but no UPLC method has been reported so far. Aim: Aim of this research paper is to present a simple and rapid stability indicating isocratic, ultra performance liquid chromatographic (UPLC method which was developed and validated for the determination of ziprasidone active pharmaceutical ingredient. Forced degradation studies of ziprasidone were studied under acid, base, oxidative hydrolysis, thermal stress and photo stress conditions. Materials and Methods: The quantitative determination of ziprasidone drug was performed on a Supelco analytical column (100×2.1 mm i.d., 2.7 ΅m with 10 mM ammonium acetate buffer (pH: 6.7 and acetonitrile (ACN as mobile phase with the ratio (55:45-Buffer:ACN at a flow rate of 0.35 ml/ min. For UPLC method, UV detection was made at 318 nm and the run time was 3 min. Developed UPLC method was validated as per ICH guidelines. Results and Conclusion: Mild degradation of the drug substance was observed during oxidative hydrolysis and considerable degradation observed during basic hydrolysis. During method validation, parameters such as precision, linearity, ruggedness, stability, robustness, and specificity were evaluated, which remained within acceptable limits. Developed UPLC method was successfully applied for evaluating assay of Ziprasidone active Pharma ingredient.

SDI satellite autonomy using AI and Ada

Science.gov (United States)

Fiala, Harvey E.

1990-01-01

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the programming language Ada to help a satellite recover from selected failures that could lead to mission failure are described. An unmanned satellite will have a separate AI subsystem running in parallel with the normal satellite subsystems. A satellite monitoring subsystem (SMS), under the control of a blackboard system, will continuously monitor selected satellite subsystems to become alert to any actual or potential problems. In the case of loss of communications with the earth or the home base, the satellite will go into a survival mode to reestablish communications with the earth. The use of an AI subsystem in this manner would have avoided the tragic loss of the two recent Soviet probes that were sent to investigate the planet Mars and its moons. The blackboard system works in conjunction with an SMS and a reconfiguration control subsystem (RCS). It can be shown to be an effective way for one central control subsystem to monitor and coordinate the activities and loads of many interacting subsystems that may or may not contain redundant and/or fault-tolerant elements. The blackboard system will be coded in Ada using tools such as the ABLE development system and the Ada Production system.

Standardization of the Manufacturing Process of Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture Containing Melittin as the Active Ingredient

OpenAIRE

Yoonmi Lee; Sung-Geun Kim; In-Su Kim; Hwa-Dong Lee

2018-01-01

Background. Pharmacopuncture is a unique treatment in oriental medicine that combines chemical stimulation with conventional acupuncture. However, there are no standardized methods for preparing the herbal medicines used in pharmacopuncture, and it is not clear whether the active ingredients are safe and stable. Several studies have investigated nonstandardized preparation processes, but few investigations have addressed safety and preparation methods. Pharmacopuncture may provide an alternat...

AI and Mathematical Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angel Garrido

2012-01-01

Full Text Available From ancient times, the history of human beings has developed by a succession of steps and sometimes jumps, until reaching the relative sophistication of the modern brain and culture. Researchers are attempting to create systems that mimic human thinking, understand speech, or beat the best human chess player. Understanding the mechanisms of intelligence, and creating intelligent artifacts are the twin goals of Artificial Intelligence (AI. Great mathematical minds have played a key role in AI in recent years; to name only a few: Janos Neumann (also known as John von Neumann, Konrad Zuse, Norbert Wiener, Claude E. Shannon, Alan M. Turing, Grigore Moisil, Lofti A. Zadeh, Ronald R. Yager, Michio Sugeno, Solomon Marcus, or Lászlo A. Barabási. Introducing the study of AI is not merely useful because of its capability for solving difficult problems, but also because of its mathematical nature. It prepares us to understand the current world, enabling us to act on the challenges of the future.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Program-Expert Safety Assessments of Cosmetic Ingredients in an Open Forum.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyer, Ivan J; Bergfeld, Wilma F; Heldreth, Bart; Fiume, Monice M; Gill, Lillian J

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) is a nonprofit program to assess the safety of ingredients in personal care products in an open, unbiased, and expert manner. Cosmetic Ingredient Review was established in 1976 by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), with the support of the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA). Cosmetic Ingredient Review remains the only scientific program in the world committed to the systematic, independent review of cosmetic ingredient safety in a public forum. Cosmetic Ingredient Review operates in accordance with procedures modeled after the USFDA process for reviewing over-the-counter drugs. Nine voting panel members are distinguished, such as medical professionals, scientists, and professors. Three nonvoting liaisons are designated by the USFDA, CFA, and PCPC to represent government, consumer, and industry, respectively. The annual rate of completing safety assessments accelerated from about 100 to more than 400 ingredients by implementing grouping and read-across strategies and other approaches. As of March 2017, CIR had reviewed 4,740 individual cosmetic ingredients, including 4,611 determined to be safe as used or safe with qualifications, 12 determined to be unsafe, and 117 ingredients for which the information is insufficient to determine safety. Examples of especially challenging safety assessments and issues are presented here, including botanicals. Cosmetic Ingredient Review continues to strengthen its program with the ongoing cooperation of the USFDA, CFA, the cosmetics industry, and everyone else interested in contributing to the process.

"All-In-One Test" (AI1)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Giacalone, Davide; Bredie, Wender Laurentius Petrus; Frøst, Michael Bom

2013-01-01

by the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) technique is reported. In this exploratory "All-In-One Test"(AI1), subjects (N = 160) filled out a questionnaire with demographic and psychographic variables, and appropriateness ratings for specific sensory descriptors of beer. Subsequently, subjects gave hedonic ratings...... between appropriateness and actual hedonic response. Overall, the AI1 test provided interpretable results concerning consumer perception (sensory/hedonic) of the beers, and revealed relations with consumers' background information. Initial results with AI1 test show that it is an efficient and versatile...

AI-2 signalling is induced by acidic shock in probiotic strains of Lactobacillus spp.

Science.gov (United States)

Moslehi-Jenabian, Saloomeh; Gori, Klaus; Jespersen, Lene

2009-11-15

Survival and ability to respond to various environmental stresses such as low pH are important factors for lactobacilli for their function as probiotics. LuxS-mediated quorum sensing mechanism, which is based on the production of universal signal molecule called autoinducer-2 (AI-2), regulates important physiological traits and a variety of adaptive processes in different bacteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of acidic stress on LuxS-mediated quorum sensing (AI-2 signalling) in four probiotic strains of different Lactobacillus species. Initially, the production of AI-2-like molecule was investigated in four strains of Lactobacillus spp. at standard growth conditions using Vibrio harveyi bioluminescence assay. Species variation in AI-2 activity was observed. AI-2 activity started at early-exponential growth phase and increased during the mid-exponential phase concomitant with the reduction of pH, reaching maximum at late exponential phase (L. rhamnosus GG) or at stationary phase (L. salivarius UCC118, L. acidophilus NCFM and L. johnsonii NCC533). Acidic shock experiments were conducted on L. rhamnosus GG and L. acidophilus NCFM after exposure to different acidic shocks (pH 5.0, 4.0 and 3.0) and to pH 6.5 as control, measuring AI-2 activity and transcription of the luxS gene. AI-2 activity increased by lowering the pH in a dose dependent manner and was negatively influenced by acid adaptation. In both species, the luxS gene was repressed after exposure to pH 6.5 as control. However, after acidic shock (pH 4.0) a transient response of luxS gene was observed and the transcription augmented over time, reaching a maximum level and decreased subsequently. Acid adaptation of cells attenuated the transcription of this gene. Based on the observations done in the present study, the luxS gene appears to have a clear role in acidic stress response in probiotic lactobacilli. This might be important in the survival of these bacteria during the passage

New feed ingredients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Raamsdonk, van L.W.D.; Fels-Klerx, van der H.J.; Jong, de J.

2017-01-01

In the framework of sustainability and a circular economy, new ingredients for feed are desired and, to this end, initiatives for implementing such novel ingredients have been started. The initiatives include a range of different sources, of which insects are of particular interest. Within the

Impurities in Drug Products and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kątny, M; Frankowski, M

2017-05-04

Analytical methods should be selective and fast. In modern times, scientists strive to meet the criteria of green chemistry, so they choose analytical procedures that are as short as possible and use the least toxic solvents. It is quite obvious that the products intended for human consumption should be characterized as completely as possible. The safety of a drug is dependent mainly on the impurities that it contains. High pressure liquid chromatography and ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography have been proposed as the main techniques for forced degradation and impurity profiling. The aim of this article was to characterize the relevant classification of drug impurities and to review the methods of impurities determination for atorvastatin (ATV) and duloxetine (DLX) (both in active pharmaceutical ingredients and in different dosage forms). These drugs have an impact on two systems of the human body: cardiac and nervous. Simple characteristics of ATV and DLX, their properties and specificity of action on the human body, are also included in this review. The analyzed pharmaceuticals-ATV (brand name Lipiron) and DLX (brand name Cymbalta)-were selected for this study based on annual rankings prepared by Information Medical Statistics.

How Is Pulmonary Function and Exercise Tolerance Affected in Patients With AIS Who Have Undergone Spinal Fusion?

Science.gov (United States)

Jeans, Kelly A; Lovejoy, John F; Karol, Lori A; McClung, Anna M

2017-11-01

Prospectively enrolled AIS patients who underwent spinal fusion, with 2 year follow-up. To evaluate the cardiovascular fitness and activity level in patients with AIS pre- and post-spinal fusion and to determine if initial curve magnitude or pulmonary function is predictive of exercise capacity. Researchers have tried to link pulmonary function testing (PFT) to exercise capacity; the results are mixed. Some report no improvement in PFTs or aerobic activity after surgical correction, and PFT measures were not predictive of exercise capacity. Conflicting results have shown Vo 2max results to fall within normal range in AIS patients while PFTs show minimal impairment. AIS patients underwent PFT and oxygen consumption (VO 2 ) testing during a submaximal graded exercise test (GXT) pre- and post-spinal fusion. Vo 2max was predicted in those patients who completed the test to 85% of maximal heart rate. Pre- to postoperative changes were assessed and then compared to age-matched control subjects. Correlations between Vo 2max and curve severity, pulmonary function, and activity level were assessed. Thirty-seven patients participated. Vo 2max was predicted in 23 patients pre- and postoperation. There was a significant reduction in Vo 2max postfusion (39.5 ± 6.5 mL/kg/min vs 42.1 ± 8.1 mL/kg/min, p = .033); however, compared with controls (40.5 ± 6.5 mL/kg/min), all data were within the normal range (p > .05). AIS patients reporting high activity had significantly greater Vo 2max than those reporting low activity both pre and postoperatively, but this difference only met statistical significance preop (p .05). Vo 2max in patients with AIS is within normal range both pre- and postfusion. Pulmonary limitations are accommodated for with a slightly increased breathing rate and a slightly reduced overall workload. Activity level rather than curve severity affects Vo 2max outcomes following fusion in AIS. Copyright © 2017 Scoliosis Research Society. Published by Elsevier Inc

AI in space: Past, present, and possible futures

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Donald D.; Post, Jonathan V.

1992-01-01

While artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly present in recent space applications, new missions being planned will require even more incorporation of AI techniques. In this paper, we survey some of the progress made to date in implementing such programs, some current directions and issues, and speculate about the future of AI in space scenarios. We also provide examples of how thinkers from the realm of science fiction have envisioned AI's role in various aspects of space exploration.

The Potential of AI Techniques for Remote Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Estes, J. E.; Sailer, C. T. (Principal Investigator); Tinney, L. R.

1984-01-01

The current status of artificial intelligence AI technology is discussed along with imagery data management, database interrogation, and decision making. Techniques adapted from the field of artificial intelligence (AI) have significant, wide ranging impacts upon computer-assisted remote sensing analysis. AI based techniques offer a powerful and fundamentally different approach to many remote sensing tasks. In addition to computer assisted analysis, AI techniques can also aid onboard spacecraft data processing and analysis and database access and query.

Radioimmunoassay of apolipoprotein A-I of rat serum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fainaru, M.; Havel, R.J.; Felker, T.E.

1976-01-01

A double antibody radioimmunoassay technique was developed for quantification of apolipoprotein A-I, the major apoprotein of rat high density lipoprotein. Apo A-I was labelled with 125 I by the chloramine-T method. 125 I-labeled apo A-I had the same electrophoretic mobility as unlabeled apo A-I and more than 80% of the 125 I was precipitated by rabbit anti apo A-I antibodies. The assay is sensitive at the level of 0.5-5 ng, and has intraassay and interassay coefficients of variation of 4.5 and 6.5% respectively. The specificity of the assay was established by competitive displacement of 125 I-labeled apo A-I from its antibody by apo A-I and lipoproteins containing apo A-I, but not by rat albumin and other apoproteins. Immunoreactivity of high density lipoprotein and serum was only about 35% of that of their delipidated forms when Veronal buffer was used as a diluent. Inclusion of 5 mM sodium decyl sulfate in the incubation mixture brought out reactivity equivalent to that found after delipidation. Completeness of the reaction was verified by comparison with the amount of apo A-I in chromatographic fractions of the total apoprotein of high density lipoprotein. Content (weight %, mean values +- S.D.) of immunoassayable apo A-I was: 62.3 +- 5.9 in high density lipoprotein; 1.7 +- 0.3 in low density lipoprotein; 0.09 +- 0.03 in very low density lipoprotein and 25.0 +- 5.0 in lymph chylomicrons. Concentration in whole serum was 51.4 +- 8.9 mg/dl and 33.6 +- 4.1 mg/dl for female and male rats, respectively (p 1.21 g/ml and <1% in lipoproteins of d<1.063 g/ml

Beyond AI: Interdisciplinary Aspects of Artificial Intelligence

CERN Document Server

Romportl, Jan; Zackova, Eva; Beyond Artificial Intelligence : Contemplations, Expectations, Applications

2013-01-01

Products of modern artificial intelligence (AI) have mostly been formed by the views, opinions and goals of the “insiders”, i.e. people usually with engineering background who are driven by the force that can be metaphorically described as the pursuit of the craft of Hephaestus. However, since the present-day technology allows for tighter and tighter mergence of the “natural” everyday human life with machines of immense complexity, the responsible reaction of the scientific community should be based on cautious reflection of what really lies beyond AI, i.e. on the frontiers where the tumultuous ever-growing and ever-changing cloud of AI touches the rest of the world.   The chapters of this boo are based on the selected subset of the presentations that were delivered by their respective authors at the conference “Beyond AI: Interdisciplinary Aspects of Artificial Intelligence” held in Pilsen in December 2011.   From its very definition, the reflection of the phenomena that lie beyond AI must be i...

USACE AIS Transmit Technical Support Summary Report

Science.gov (United States)

2014-09-01

the TAG block for the correct transmitters, and then send to the USACE AIS network. B. Outbound openings in the USCG firewall for the USCG Message...USACE AIS Transmit Technical Support Summary Report Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited...September 2014 Report No. CD-D-09-15 USACE AIS Transmit Technical Support Summary Report ii UNCLAS//Public | CG-926 RDC | I. Gonin et al. Public

Preventive effects of Flos Perariae (Gehua water extract and its active ingredient puerarin in rodent alcoholism models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Yuqiang

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Radix Puerariae is used in Chinese medicine to treat alcohol addiction and intoxication. The present study investigates the effects of Flos puerariae lobatae water extract (FPE and its active ingredient puerarin on alcoholism using rodent models. Methods Alcoholic animals were given FPE or puerarin by oral intubation prior or after alcohol treatment. The loss of righting reflex (LORR assay was used to evaluate sedative/hypnotic effects. Changes of gama-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAAR subunits induced by alcohol treatment in hippocampus were measured with western blot. In alcoholic mice, body weight gain was monitored throughout the experiments. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH levels in liver were measured. Results FPE and puerarin pretreatment significantly prolonged the time of LORR induced by diazepam in acute alcoholic rat. Puerarin increased expression of gama-aminobutyric acid type A receptor alpha1 subunit and decreased expression of alpha4 subunit. In chronic alcoholic mice, puerarin pretreatment significantly increased body weight and liver ADH activity in a dose-dependent manner. Puerarin pretreatment, but not post-treatment, can reverse the changes of gama-aminobutyric acid type A receptor subunit expression and increase ADH activity in alcoholism models. Conclusion The present study demonstrates that FPE and its active ingredient puerarin have preventive effects on alcoholism related disorders.

Effect of TNFα on activities of different promoters of human apolipoprotein A-I gene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orlov, Sergey V.; Mogilenko, Denis A.; Shavva, Vladimir S.; Dizhe, Ella B.; Ignatovich, Irina A.; Perevozchikov, Andrej P.

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → TNFα stimulates the distal alternative promoter of human apoA-I gene. → TNFα acts by weakening of promoter competition within apoA-I gene (promoter switching). → MEK1/2 and nuclear receptors PPARα and LXRs take part in apoA-I promoter switching. -- Abstract: Human apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) is a major structural and functional protein component of high-density lipoproteins. The expression of the apolipoprotein A-I gene (apoA-I) in hepatocytes is repressed by pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and TNFα. Recently, two novel additional (alternative) promoters for human apoA-I gene have been identified. Nothing is known about the role of alternative promoters in TNFα-mediated downregulation of apoA-I gene. In this article we report for the first time about the different effects of TNFα on two alternative promoters of human apoA-I gene. Stimulation of HepG2 cells by TNFα leads to activation of the distal alternative apoA-I promoter and downregulation of the proximal alternative and the canonical apoA-I promoters. This effect is mediated by weakening of the promoter competition within human apoA-I 5'-regulatory region (apoA-I promoter switching) in the cells treated by TNFα. The MEK1/2-ERK1/2 cascade and nuclear receptors PPARα and LXRs are important for TNFα-mediated apoA-I promoter switching.

Molecular characterization of AI viruses from poultry and wild bird surveillance in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Lars Erik; Krog, Jesper Schak; Madsen, Jesper J.

Infection with avian influenza virus (AIV) in poultry may cause devastating disease although the same virus may not cause disease in wild birds. Since AI viruses can be exchanged between poultry and wild birds, surveillance in wild birds provides important knowledge for control of disease...... in poultry. AIV’s from the Danish wild bird active surveillance were characterized, focusing on viruses from 2012, and from outbreaks of AI in poultry in Denmark. The matrix (M) gene from more than 50 viruses of different subtypes and the hemagglutinin (HA) gene from more than 30 subtype H5 low pathogenic...... viruses were sequenced and compared by alignment and phylogenetic analyses. The aim was to evaluate: the origin of viruses from outbreaks of AI in Danish poultry, the design of active surveillance in Denmark, and the suitability of the molecular diagnostic RT-PCR tests employed. All M-genes from Danish...

Evaluation of active ingredients and larvicidal activity of clove and cinnamon essential oils against Anopheles gambiae (sensu lato).

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Adelina; Mazigo, Humphrey D; Manjurano, Alphaxard; Morona, Domenica; Kweka, Eliningaya J

2017-09-06

Mosquitoes are well-known vectors of many diseases including malaria and lymphatic filariasis. Uses of synthetic insecticides are associated with high toxicity, resistance, environmental pollution and limited alternative, effective synthetic insecticides. This study was undertaken to evaluate the larvicidal efficacy of clove and cinnamon essential oils against laboratory Anopheles gambiae (sensu stricto) and wild An. arabiensis larvae. The standard WHO guideline for larvicides evaluation was used, and the GC-MS machine was used for active compounds percentage composition analysis and structures identification. Probit regression analysis was used for LC 50 and LC 95 calculations while a t-test was used to test for significant differences between laboratory-reared and wild larvae populations in each concentration of plant extract. Mortality effect of clove and cinnamon essential oils against wild and laboratory-reared larvae had variations indicated by their LC 50 and LC 95 values. The mortality at different concentrations of cinnamon and clove post-exposure for wild and laboratory-reared larvae were dosage-dependent and were higher for cinnamon than for clove essential oils. The mortality effect following exposure to a blend of the two essential oils was higher for blends containing a greater proportion of cinnamon oil. In the chemical analysis of the active ingredients of cinnamon essential oil, the main chemical content was Eugenol, and the rarest was β-Linalool while for clove essential oil, the main chemical content was Eugenol and the rarest was Bicyclo. The essential oils showed a larvicidal effect which was concentration-dependent for both laboratory and wild collected larvae. The active ingredient compositions triggered different responses in mortality. Further research in small-scale should be conducted with concentrated extracted compounds.

Innovative natural functional ingredients from microalgae.

Science.gov (United States)

Plaza, Merichel; Herrero, Miguel; Cifuentes, Alejandro; Ibáñez, Elena

2009-08-26

Nowadays, a wide variety of compounds such as polyphenols, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), or phytosterols obtained, for example, from wine, fish byproducts, or plants are employed to prepare new functional foods. However, unexplored natural sources of bioactive ingredients are gaining much attention since they can lead to the discovery of new compounds or bioactivities. Microalgae have been proposed as an interesting, almost unlimited, natural source in the search for novel natural functional ingredients, and several works have shown the possibility to find bioactive compounds in these organisms. Some advantages can be associated with the study of microalgae such as their huge diversity, the possibility of being used as natural reactors at controlled conditions, and their ability to produce active secondary metabolites to defend themselves from adverse or extreme conditions. In this contribution, an exhaustive revision is presented involving the research for innovative functional food ingredients from microalgae. The most interesting results in this promising field are discussed including new species composition and bioactivity and new processing and extraction methods. Moreover, the future research trends are critically commented.

9-cis-retinoic acid increases apolipoprotein AI secretion and mRNA expression in HepG2 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Haghpassand, M; Moberly, J B

1995-10-01

HepG2 cells were studied as a model for regulation of hepatic apolipoprotein AI (apo AI) secretion and gene expression by 9-cis-retinoic acid. HepG2 cells cultured on plastic dishes were exposed to 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA) for 48 h with a complete media change at 24 h. Apo AI mass in cultured media was determined by ELISA, by quantitative immunoblotting and by steady-state 35S-methionine labeling. Messenger RNA levels were determined by RNase protection using probes for apo AI and the housekeeping gene, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH). 9-cis-RA increased secretion of apo AI by 52% at doses of 10 and 1 microM (6.3 +/- 0.6 vs. 4.2 +/- 0.3; P G3PDH mRNA was slightly decreased (14%, P < 0.05). Thus, 9-cis-RA stimulates apo AI expression in HepG2 cells, suggesting a role for retinoids in activating endogenous apo AI gene expression.

Potential Antitumor Effects of Pomegranates and Its Ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmani, Arshad H; Alsahli, Mohammed A; Almatroodi, Saleh A

2017-01-01

The treatment based on plant or plant derivatives is a promising strategy in the killing of cancers cells. Moreover, wide-ranging finding has established that medicinal plant and its ingredient modulate several cells signaling pathways or inhibiting the carcinogenesis process. In this vista, pomegranates fruits, seeds and peels illustrate cancer preventive role seems to be due to rich source of antioxidant and other valuable ingredients. Furthermore, anti-tumour activities of pomegranates have been evidences through the modulation of cell signaling pathways including transcription factor, apoptosis and angiogenesis. In this review article, anti-tumor activity of pomegranates and its components or its different type of extracts are described to understand the mechanism of action of pomegranates in cancer therapy.

T'ai Chi

Science.gov (United States)

... are different styles of t'ai chi, including: Chen style Hao (or Wu Shi) style Hu Lei ... medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995- The Nemours Foundation. All rights reserved. Images provided ...

Predictive property models for use in design of controlled release of pesticides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Suné, Nuria Muro; Gani, Rafiqul; Bell, G.

2005-01-01

A model capable of predicting the release of an Active Ingredient (AI) from a specific device would be very useful in the field of pesticide controlled release technology for design purposes. For the release of an AI from a microcapsule a mathematical model is briefly presented here, as an introd...

Adaptive game AI with dynamic scripting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spronck, P.; Ponsen, M.J.V.; Sprinkhuizen-Kuyper, I.G.; Postma, E.O.

2006-01-01

Online learning in commercial computer games allows computer-controlled opponents to adapt to the way the game is being played. As such it provides a mechanism to deal with weaknesses in the game AI, and to respond to changes in human player tactics.We argue that online learning of game AI should

AIS as key component in modern vessel traffic management and information systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lamers, W. [DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (DASA), Ulm (Germany)

1999-07-01

The objective of this paper is to provide information in respect to universal shipborne identification system (UAIS) as main sensor in various vessel traffic applications. The presented paper will give general information concerning AIS functionality and the standardisation process. Based on experience from recent projects and various IALA working group activities, a typical future VTMIS architectures is also presented being based on AIS as key sensor. The required key performance of AIS associated with the HW components will be described. The results from European technology study Indris are presented and discussed. Finally, a summary and conclusion from the presented material will complete the technical paper. The elaboration of this presentation has been carried out as a joint task between Mr. Andre van Berg, MDS Suedafrika und Mr. Walter Lamers, DASA Ulm. (orig.)

Rapid and simple colorimetric method for the quantification of AI-2 produced from Salmonella Typhimurium.

Science.gov (United States)

Wattanavanitchakorn, Siriluck; Prakitchaiwattana, Cheunjit; Thamyongkit, Patchanita

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of Fe(III) ion reduction for the simple and rapid quantification of autoinducer-2 (AI-2) produced from bacteria using Salmonella Typhimurium as a model. Since the molecular structure of AI-2 is somewhat similar to ascorbic acid it was expected that AI-2 would also act as a reducing agent and reduce Fe(III) ions in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline to form the colored [(o-phen)3 Fe(II)]SO4 ferroin complex that could be quantified colorimetrically. In support of this, colony rinses and cell free supernatants from cultures of all tested AI-2 producing strains, but not the AI-2 negative Sinorhizobium meliloti, formed a colored complex with a λmax of 510nm. The OD510 values of these culture supernatants or colony rinses were in broad agreement with the % activity observed in the same samples using the standard Vibrio harveyi bioluminescence assay for AI-2 detection, and with previously reported results. This methodology could potentially be developed as an alternative method for the simple and rapid quantification of AI-2 levels produced in bacterial cultures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risk Reducing Effect of AIS Implementation on Collision Risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lützen, Marie; Friis-Hansen, Peter

2003-01-01

AIS (Automatic Identification System) is a transponder system developed for sea traffic purposes. The system sends and receives important ship information and other safety-related information between other ships and shore-based AIS stations. The implementation of AIS has now been initiated and......, as a result, the community will undoubtedly observe an increase in navigational safety. However, to the authors? knowledge, no study has so far rigorously quantified the risk reducing effect of using AIS as an integrated part of the navigational system. The objective of this study is to fill this gap....... The risk reducing effect of AIS is quantified by building a Bayesian network facilitating an evaluation of the effect of AIS on the navigational officer?s reaction ability in a potential, critical collision situation. The time-dependent change in the risk reducing effect on ship collisions is analysed...

JGOMAS: New Approach to AI Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Barella, A.; Valero, S.; Carrascosa, C.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a new environment for teaching practical work in AI subjects. The main purpose of this environment is to make AI techniques more appealing to students and to facilitate the use of the toolkits which are currently widely used in research and development. This new environment has a toolkit for developing and executing agents,…

21 CFR 310.528 - Drug products containing active ingredients offered over-the-counter (OTC) for use as an...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Drug products containing active ingredients offered over-the-counter (OTC) for use as an aphrodisiac. 310.528 Section 310.528 Food and Drugs FOOD AND... drug product. Anise, cantharides, don qual, estrogens, fennel, ginseng, golden seal, gotu kola, Korean...

Traditional Chinese Medicine Bionic Tiger Bone Powder for the Treatment of AI-Associated Musculoskeletal Symptoms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yifan Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs are used for adjuvant therapy of breast cancer; however AIMSS (AI-Associated Musculoskeletal Symptoms can negatively affect quality of life and compliance. Most patients in China moved to TCM (traditional Chinese medicine for help. TB (tiger bone is used to treat bone disease, whose main ingredients are calcium and collagen. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the TB prevented AIMSS in postmenopausal women with ER/PR+ breast cancer. Methods. We conducted a randomized, blind, controlled study of comparing TB versus placebo for 12 weeks in postmenopausal women with breast cancer who have taken AI for less than a month. Patients completed the M-BPI, VAS, and FACT-B at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. M-BPI and VAS were used as the primary outcomes. FACT-B was used as the secondary outcome. Serum E2 and FSH were tested every 6 weeks. Results. Of 70 evaluable cases, 8 of 35 patients (22.9% developed new or worsening point symptoms in TB group, compared to 21 of 35 (60% in placebo group (P<0.001. We also found differences between 2 groups in average pain (2 to 5.6, worst pain (3.9 to 8, pain interference severity (1.9 to 5.3, stiffness (2.4 to 6.9, and joint symptom interference (1.8 to 5.7, all P<0.001; similar findings were seen in VAS value (3 to 6.6 at the end of intervention. HRQoL measured by FACT-B (P<0.05 was improved. No change of serum estradiol and FSH between two groups. Conclusions. TB appeared to be effective and safe in the prevention of AIMSS. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-IPR-15007081.

Artificial Intelligence Safety and Cybersecurity: a Timeline of AI Failures

OpenAIRE

Yampolskiy, Roman V.; Spellchecker, M. S.

2016-01-01

In this work, we present and analyze reported failures of artificially intelligent systems and extrapolate our analysis to future AIs. We suggest that both the frequency and the seriousness of future AI failures will steadily increase. AI Safety can be improved based on ideas developed by cybersecurity experts. For narrow AIs safety failures are at the same, moderate, level of criticality as in cybersecurity, however for general AI, failures have a fundamentally different impact. A single fai...

Biochemical assessment of oxidative stress by the use of açai (Euterpe oleracea Martius gel in physically active individuals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Soares VIANA

Full Text Available Abstract The relation between oxidative stress and inflammation induced by diseases and exercise has increased the interest in the benefits of antioxidant supplements in the improvement of health and physical and mental performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of açai gel in reducing oxidative stress in individuals engaged in physical activities as well as their acceptance. Sensory evaluation was performed to determine its acceptability and the biochemical parameters related to immune profile and biomarkers of muscle, liver and oxidative stress, with and without the use of gel were evaluated. The appearance, sweetness and overall impression of the açai gel were considered good. It was observed a significant increase in CK enzyme, without the gel as well as the oxidative stress biomarkers, it was observed that the MDA (with and without gel a significant increase (p < 0.05. Through biochemical evaluation, it is concluded that the gel provided protection for some of parameters studied, since it modulated the immunological parameter reducing the lymphocyte activity and muscular stress. However, more studies must be carried out with a larger number of individuals to confirm the gel functionality.

Biochemical assessment of oxidative stress by the use of açai (Euterpe oleracea Martius gel in physically active individuals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Soares VIANA

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The relation between oxidative stress and inflammation induced by diseases and exercise has increased the interest in the benefits of antioxidant supplements in the improvement of health and physical and mental performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of açai gel in reducing oxidative stress in individuals engaged in physical activities as well as their acceptance. Sensory evaluation was performed to determine its acceptability and the biochemical parameters related to immune profile and biomarkers of muscle, liver and oxidative stress, with and without the use of gel were evaluated. The appearance, sweetness and overall impression of the açai gel were considered good. It was observed a significant increase in CK enzyme, without the gel as well as the oxidative stress biomarkers, it was observed that the MDA (with and without gel a significant increase (p < 0.05. Through biochemical evaluation, it is concluded that the gel provided protection for some of parameters studied, since it modulated the immunological parameter reducing the lymphocyte activity and muscular stress. However, more studies must be carried out with a larger number of individuals to confirm the gel functionality.

Açai Palm Fruit (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Pulp Improves Survival of Flies on a High Fat Diet

OpenAIRE

Sun, Xiaoping; Seeberger, Jeanne; Alberico, Thomas; Wang, Chunxu; Wheeler, Charles T.; Schauss, Alexander G.; Zou, Sige

2010-01-01

Reducing oxidative damage is thought to be an effective aging intervention. Açai, a fruit indigenous to the Amazon, is rich in phytochemicals that possesses high anti-oxidant activities, and has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-cardiovascular disease properties. However, little is known about its potential anti-aging properties especially at the organismal level. Here we evaluated the effect of açai pulp on modulating lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster. We found that açai supplementat...

Squeeze Casting Method Of AI-Si Alloy For Piston Material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagiyo, H.; Dani, Muhammad; Sulistioso, G.S.; Pardede, Elman; Handayani, Ari; Teguh, Yulius S.P.P.

2001-01-01

The AI-Si alloy is an alloy used as piston material. This alloys could be as AI-Si hypereutectic alloy (Si content more than 12.5 % wt.), as AI-Si eutectic alloy (Si cuntent 12.5 % wt, and as AI-Si hypoeutectic alloy (Si content less than 12.5 % wt.). The synthesize of AI-Si alloy piston generally using the technique of gravity casting in a dies. This method is causing high porousity. By using the squeeze technique, amount ofporousity in AI-Si alloy is possibly reduced and the density of this alloy should be higher. The other factors such as alloying elements of AI-Si alloy (Mg. Cu, Zn) would increase the mechanical properties especially the hardness. The focuses of this research are the microstructure and the maximum hardness during the heat treatment of AI-Si alloy which was added by alloying elments. The result of hardness at test shows the maximum hardness at 94.7 kg/mm 2 obtained at aging temperature of 210 o C for hours with homogenous dendritic microstructure

Towards a science of integrated AI and Robotics

OpenAIRE

Rajan, Kanna; Saffiotti, Alessandro

2017-01-01

The early promise of the impact of machine intelligence did not involve the partitioning of the nascent field of Artificial Intelligence. The founders of AI envisioned the notion of embedded intelligence as being conjoined between perception, reasoning and actuation. Yet over the years the fields of AI and Robotics drifted apart. Practitioners of AI focused on problems and algorithms abstracted from the real world. Roboticists, generally with a background in mechanical and electrical engineer...

[Adherence to treatment, by active ingredient, in patients over 65 years on multiple medication].

Science.gov (United States)

Núñez Montenegro, Antonio J; Montiel Luque, Alonso; Martín Aurioles, Esther; Torres Verdú, Barbara; Lara Moreno, Celinda; González Correa, José Antonio

2014-05-01

To assess the level of adherence, by active ingredient, to treatment and associated factors in polymedicated patients over 65 years-old. Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study over polymedicated patients over 65 years of the Costa del Sol Health District and the North Malaga Health Area. The study was performed between January 2011 and September 2012 on 375 subjects obtained by simple random sampling from lists provided by each health centre. Data was collected by means of an interview with structured questions. Informed consent was given and signed by all patients before interview. Main results variable adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green's test). Prescription by active ingredient, socio-demographic variables, health care centre variables, and treatment associated variables. A descriptive analysis of variables was performed. Statistical inference was determined using univariate analysis (t test of Student or Mann-Whitney U, and Chi-squared), and controlling for confounding factors by multivariate analysis (linear and logistic regression). The result for therapeutic compliance was 51.7%. No statistically significant differences were observed as regards sex and age. A relationship was found in those who resided in rural areas (P=.001), lived with family (P<.05), and were not at risk of suffering from anxiety (P=.046). We found similar patient adherence to treatment despite the prescribing generic drugs. Failure to therapeutic compliance was greater in those patients who lived by themselves, in a city close to the coast, or in those patients who were at risk of suffering from anxiety. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Cytotoxicity and structure activity relationship studies of maplexins A-I, gallotannins from red maple (Acer rubrum).

Science.gov (United States)

González-Sarrías, Antonio; Yuan, Tao; Seeram, Navindra P

2012-05-01

Maplexins A-I are a series of structurally related gallotannins recently isolated from the red maple (Acer rubrum) species. They differ in number and location of galloyl derivatives attached to 1,5-anhydro-glucitol. Here, maplexins A-I were evaluated for anticancer effects against human tumorigenic (colon, HCT-116; breast, MCF-7) and non-tumorigenic (colon, CCD-18Co) cell lines. The maplexins which contained two (maplexins C-D) or three (maplexins E-I) galloyl derivatives each, inhibited cancer cell growth while those with only one galloyl group (maplexins A-B) did not. Moreover, maplexins C-D showed greater antiproliferative effects than maplexins E-I (IC(50)=59.8-67.9 and 95.5-108.5 μM vs. 73.7-165.2 and 115.5-182.5 μM against HCT-116 and MCF-7 cells, respectively). Notably, the cancer cells were up to 2.5-fold more sensitive to the maplexins than the normal cells. In further mechanistic studies, maplexins C-D (at 75 μM concentrations) induced apoptosis and arrested cell cycle (in the S-phase) of the cancer cells. These results suggest that the number of galloyl groups attached to the 1,5-anhydro-glucitol moiety in these gallotannins are important for antiproliferative activity. Also, this is the first in vitro anticancer study of maplexins. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ada in AI or AI in Ada. On developing a rationale for integration

Science.gov (United States)

Collard, Philippe E.; Goforth, Andre

1988-01-01

The use of Ada as an Artificial Intelligence (AI) language is gaining interest in the NASA Community, i.e., by parties who have a need to deploy Knowledge Based-Systems (KBS) compatible with the use of Ada as the software standard for the Space Station. A fair number of KBS and pseudo-KBS implementations in Ada exist today. Currently, no widely used guidelines exist to compare and evaluate these with one another. The lack of guidelines illustrates a fundamental problem inherent in trying to compare and evaluate implementations of any sort in languages that are procedural or imperative in style, such as Ada, with those in languages that are functional in style, such as Lisp. Discussed are the strengths and weakness of using Ada as an AI language and a preliminary analysis provided of factors needed for the development of criteria for the integration of these two families of languages and the environments in which they are implemented. The intent for developing such criteria is to have a logical rationale that may be used to guide the development of Ada tools and methodology to support KBS requirements, and to identify those AI technology components that may most readily and effectively be deployed in Ada.

The Relevance of AI Research to CAI.

Science.gov (United States)

Kearsley, Greg P.

This article provides a tutorial introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) research for those involved in Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). The general theme is that much of the current work in AI, particularly in the areas of natural language understanding systems, rule induction, programming languages, and socratic systems, has important…

Learning game AI programming with Lua

CERN Document Server

Young, David

2014-01-01

If you are a game developer or a general programmer who wishes to focus on programming systems and techniques to build your game AI without creating low-level interfaces in a game engine, then this book is for you. Knowledge of C++ will come in handy to debug the entirety of the AI sandbox and expand on the features present within the book, but it is not required.

Application of AI methods to aircraft guidance and control

Science.gov (United States)

Hueschen, Richard M.; Mcmanus, John W.

1988-01-01

A research program for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) techniques with tools and methods used for aircraft flight control system design, development, and implementation is discussed. The application of the AI methods for the development and implementation of the logic software which operates with the control mode panel (CMP) of an aircraft is presented. The CMP is the pilot control panel for the automatic flight control system of a commercial-type research aircraft of Langley Research Center's Advanced Transport Operating Systems (ATOPS) program. A mouse-driven color-display emulation of the CMP, which was developed with AI methods and used to test the AI software logic implementation, is discussed. The operation of the CMP was enhanced with the addition of a display which was quickly developed with AI methods. The display advises the pilot of conditions not satisfied when a mode does not arm or engage. The implementation of the CMP software logic has shown that the time required to develop, implement, and modify software systems can be significantly reduced with the use of the AI methods.

INGREDIENT BRANDING - A GROWTH OPPORTUNITY?

OpenAIRE

Anca BUTNARIU

2017-01-01

Co-branding is an increasingly used strategy, consisting of marketing products representing two brands or more. Ingredient branding fits in the scope of co-branding, consisting of the inclusion of key attributes of one brand into another brand as ingredients. Ingredient branding is one of the many brand strategies used in marketing to provide differentiation criteria for the customers. In recent years, its importance and incidence have dramatically increased Extant research provides disparate...

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of Thai traditional nootropic remedy and its herbal ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Tappayuthpijarn, Pimolvan; Itharat, Arunporn; Makchuchit, Sunita

2011-12-01

The incidence of Alzheimer disease (AD) is increasing every year in accordance with the increasing of elderly population and could pose significant health problems in the future. The use of medicinal plants as an alternative prevention or even for a possible treatment of the AD is, therefore, becoming an interesting research issue. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors are well-known drugs commonly used in the treatment of AD. The aim of the present study was to screen for AChE inhibitory activity of the Thai traditional nootropic recipe and its herbal ingredients. The results showed that ethanolic extracts of four out of twenty-five herbs i.e. Stephania pierrei Diels. Kaempfera parviflora Wall. ex Baker, Stephania venosa (Blume) Spreng, Piper nigrum L at 0.1 mg/mL showed % AChE inhibition of 89, 64, 59, 50; the IC50 were 6, 21, 29, 30 microg/mL respectively. The other herbs as well as combination of the whole recipe had no synergistic inhibitory effect on AChE activity. However some plants revealed antioxidant activity. More research should have be performed on this local wisdom remedy to verify the uses in scientific term.

Ingredient and labeling issues associated with allergenic foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, S L; Hefle, S L

2001-01-01

Foods contain a wide range of food ingredients that serve numerous technical functions. Per capita consumer exposure to most of these food ingredients is rather low with a few notable exceptions such as sugar and starch. Some food ingredients including edible oils, hydrolyzed proteins, lecithin, starch, lactose, flavors and gelatin may, at least in some products, be derived from sources commonly involved in IgE-mediated food allergies. These ingredients should be avoided by consumers with allergies to the source material if the ingredient contains detectable protein residues. Other food ingredients, including starch, malt, alcohol and vinegar, may be derived in some cases from wheat, rye or barley, the grains that are implicated in the causation of celiac disease. If these ingredients contain gluten residues, then they should be avoided by celiac sufferers. A few food ingredients are capable of eliciting allergic sensitization, although these ingredients would be classified as rarely allergenic. These ingredients include carmine, cochineal extract, annatto, tragacanth gum and papain. Food manufacturers should declare the presence of allergenic food ingredients in the ingredient listings on product labels so that allergic consumers can know to avoid these potentially hazardous products.

Curing Ingredients, Characteristics, Total Phenolic, and Antioxidant Activity of Commercial Indonesian Dried Meat Product (Dendeng

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Suryati

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Dendeng is Indonesian dried meat product that used spices rich in antioxidant component as ingredient. In addition, commercial dendeng usually use saltpeter (nitrate/nitrite salt as curing ingredient to inhibit rancidity and to produce stable red color. The aims of this study were to investigate composition of spices and saltpeter added, characteristic, total phenolic, and antioxidant activity of commercial dendeng. This research was conducted through interview with some dendeng producers to get information about saltpeter adding and spices composition used in their products. Then the interview results were verified by laboratory analysis. The results showed that spices and saltpeter adding from some producers varied. The saltpeter added in curing process produced inconsistent red color on commercial dendeng in this investigation. Total phenolic of dendeng from producers ranged from 42.47 to 102.0 mg GAE/100 g DM for raw dendeng, and 36.51 to 95.49 mg GAE/100 g DM for fried dendeng. Antioxidant capacity against DPPH ranged from 79.35 to 379.40 mg VCE/100 g DM for raw dendeng, and 94.30 to 559.40 mg VCE/100 g DM for fried dendeng. Antioxidant capacity of raw dendeng was influenced by phenolic content about 87.2%, but in fried dendeng was only 59.0%. In conclusion, dendeng has a significant antioxidant activity, even after frying, and saltpeter addition was not effective to maintain stable red color in dendeng products.

Apolipoprotein A-I configuration and cell cholesterol efflux activity of discoidal lipoproteins depend on the reconstitution process.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuellar, Luz Ángela; Prieto, Eduardo Daniel; Cabaleiro, Laura Virginia; Garda, Horacio Alberto

2014-01-01

Discoidal high-density lipoproteins (D-HDL) are critical intermediates in reverse cholesterol transport. Most of the present knowledge of D-HDL is based on studies with reconstituted lipoprotein complexes of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) obtained by cholate dialysis (CD). D-HDL can also be generated by the direct microsolubilization (DM) of phospholipid vesicles at the gel/fluid phase transition temperature, a process mechanistically similar to the "in vivo" apoAI lipidation via ABCA1. We compared the apoA-I configuration in D-HDL reconstituted with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine by both procedures using fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements with apoA-I tryptophan mutants and fluorescently labeled cysteine mutants. Results indicate that apoA-I configuration in D-HDL depends on the reconstitution process and are consistent with a "double belt" molecular arrangement with different helix registry. As reported by others, a configuration with juxtaposition of helices 5 of each apoAI monomer (5/5 registry) predominates in D-HDL obtained by CD. However, a configuration with helix 5 of one monomer juxtaposed with helix 2 of the other (5/2 registry) would predominate in D-HDL generated by DM. Moreover, we also show that the kinetics of cholesterol efflux from macrophage cultures depends on the reconstitution process, suggesting that apoAI configuration is important for this HDL function. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Discussion on AI Technology in Information Library Design

OpenAIRE

日比野, 省三; Shozo, HIBINO; 中京大学社会学部

1987-01-01

This paper deals with the discussion on the importance of AI (Artificial Intelligence) Technology in planning and designing a library information system in the near future. First of all, the history of Library and Information Science is reviewed and it is identified that the key technology in the future library will be AI as a mega-trend. After reviewing the concepts of AI technology, a model of a Knowledge-Base system is discussed as a case study, using micro-PROLOG.

[Recent advances of synthetic biology for production of functional ingredients in Chinese materia medica].

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Xin-Yao; Xue, Jian-Ping; Wang, Cai-Xia

2016-11-01

The functional ingredients in Chinese materia medica are the main active substance for traditional Chinese medicine and most of them are secondary metabolites derivatives. Until now,the main method to obtain those functional ingredients is through direct extraction from the Chinese materia medica. However, the income is very low because of the high extraction costs and the decreased medicinal plants. Synthetic biology technology, as a new and microbial approach, can be able to carry out large-scale production of functional ingredients and greatly ease the shortage of traditional Chinese medicine ingredients. This review mainly focused on the recent advances in synthetic biology for the functional ingredients production. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Expanding the Possibilities of AIS Data with Heuristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bjørnar Brende Smestad

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Automatic Identification System (AIS is primarily used as a tracking system for ships, but with the launch of satellites to collect these data, new and previously untested possibilities are emerging. This paper presents the development of heuristics for establishing the specific ship type using information retrieved from AIS data alone. These heuristics expand the possibilities of AIS data, as the specific ship type is vital for several transportation research cases, such as emission analyses of ship traffic and studies on slow steaming. The presented method for developing heuristics can be used for a wider range of vessels. These heuristics may form the basis of large-scale studies on ship traffic using AIS data when it is not feasible or desirable to use commercial ship data registers.

The A Priori Design and Selection of Ionic Liquids as Solvents for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kunov-Kruse, Andreas Jonas; Weber, Cameron C.; Rogers, Robin D.

2017-01-01

In this paper we derive a straightforward computational approach to predict the optimal ionic liquid (IL) solvent for a given compound, based on COSMO-RS calculations. These calculations were performed on 18 different active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) using a matrix of 210 hypothetical ILs...... on the N-alkylguanidinium cation were prepared and characterized. The solubility of the APIs in each of these classes was found to be qualitatively consistent with the predictions of the COSMO-RS model. The suitability of these novel guanidinium salts as crystallization solvents was demonstrated by the use...

Calibrating AIS images using the surface as a reference

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, M. O.; Roberts, D. A.; Shipman, H. M.; Adams, J. B.; Willis, S. C.; Gillespie, A. R.

1987-01-01

A method of evaluating the initial assumptions and uncertainties of the physical connection between Airborne Imaging Spectrometer (AIS) image data and laboratory/field spectrometer data was tested. The Tuscon AIS-2 image connects to lab reference spectra by an alignment to the image spectral endmembers through a system gain and offset for each band. Images were calibrated to reflectance so as to transform the image into a measure that is independent of the solar radiant flux. This transformation also makes the image spectra directly comparable to data from lab and field spectrometers. A method was tested for calibrating AIS images using the surface as a reference. The surface heterogeneity is defined by lab/field spectral measurements. It was found that the Tuscon AIS-2 image is consistent with each of the initial hypotheses: (1) that the AIS-2 instrument calibration is nearly linear; (2) the spectral variance is caused by sub-pixel mixtures of spectrally distinct materials and shade, and (3) that sub-pixel mixtures can be treated as linear mixtures of pure endmembers. It was also found that the image can be characterized by relatively few endmembers using the AIS-2 spectra.

FOOD AS VECTOR FOR NUTRACEUTICAL INGREDIENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bandana Chatterjee

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Now-a-days people consumption habits are changing they are inclined to buy healthy food that fulfills the need of essential nutrients in the body. With increasing educational level, people are becoming ready to accept different types of food & beverages that have added nutritional ingredient. Hence with this change, nutraceutical ingredient is gaining importance. Nutraceutical are those that combine technological and health properties. Nutraceutical Ingredients are substances with clinically confirmed health benefits and have broad applications in foods, beverages, dietary supplements and nutritional preparations. There are huge numbers of ingredients which are still unexplored. They have still not gained popularity in food industry. In this review paper a brief introduction of nutraceutical ingredient, its market and detailed knowledge of- Ginseng, Pine Bark Extract, Seabuckthorn, Buckwheat is mentioned.

Adaptive game AI with dynamic scripting

OpenAIRE

Spronck, P.; Ponsen, M.J.V.; Sprinkhuizen-Kuyper, I.G.; Postma, E.O.

2006-01-01

Online learning in commercial computer games allows computer-controlled opponents to adapt to the way the game is being played. As such it provides a mechanism to deal with weaknesses in the game AI, and to respond to changes in human player tactics.We argue that online learning of game AI should meet four computational and four functional requirements. The computational requirements are speed, effectiveness, robustness and ef- ficiency. The functional requirements are clarity, variety, consi...

Final report of the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel amended safety assessment of Calendula officinalis-derived cosmetic ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, F Alan; Bergfeld, Wilma F; Belsito, Donald V; Hill, Ronald A; Klaassen, Curtis D; Liebler, Daniel C; Marks, James G; Shank, Ronald C; Slaga, Thomas J; Snyder, Paul W

2010-01-01

Calendula officinalis extract, C officinalis flower, C officinalis flower extract, C officinalis flower oil, and C officinalis seed oil are cosmetic ingredients derived from C officinalis. These ingredients may contain minerals, carbohydrates, lipids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, sterols and steroids, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, triterpenes, tocopherols, quinones, amino acids, and resins. These ingredients were not significantly toxic in single-dose oral studies using animals. The absence of reproductive/developmental toxicity was inferred from repeat-dose studies of coriander oil, with a similar composition. Overall, these ingredients were not genotoxic. They also were not irritating, sensitizing, or photosensitizing in animal or clinical tests but may be mild ocular irritants. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel concluded that these ingredients are safe for use in cosmetics in the practices of use and concentration given in this amended safety assessment.

the Lexique kikongo–français by

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Gilles-Maurice de Schryver

français by the Jesuit missionary Charles Polis, is analysed in great detail. Section 1 expounds on the goal and ... dictionary manuscript for Kikongo: the Lexique kikongo–français by Charles Polis. s.j. (1885–†1943). .... Inkisi River, and all but one (Leverville, the present Lusanga) are close to that river, which thus strongly ...

Oxidation of Mixed Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in Biologically Treated Wastewater by ClO2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moradas, Gerly; Fick, Jerker; Ledin, Anna

2011-01-01

Biologically treated wastewater containing a mixture of 53 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)was treated with 0-20 mg/l chlorine dioxide (ClO2) solution. Wastewater effluents were taken from two wastewater treatment plants in Sweden, one with (low COD) and one without (high COD) extended...... removed at 5 mg/l ClO2 dose. Removal of the same APIs from the high COD effluent was observed when the ClO2 dose was increased to 1.25 mg/l and an increase in API removal only after treatment with 8 mg/l ClO2. This illustrates that treatment of wastewater effluents with chlorine dioxide has potential...

Evaluating the migration of ingredients from active packaging and development of dedicated methods: A study of two iron-based oxygen absorbers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

López-Cervantes, L.; Sánchez-Machado, D.I.; Pastorelli, S.; Rijk, R.; Paseiro-Losada, P.

2003-01-01

The behaviour of two commercial oxygen-scavenging products with respect to migration of active ingredients into foodstuffs was investigated. Migrants were identified, and by using appropriate analytical methods, migration was determined in a variety of liquid, solid or gelled food simulants and

Influence of environmental factors on the contents of active ingredients and radical scavenging property of potentilla fruticosa in the main production areas of China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, W.; Yin, D. X.; Wang, D. M.; Li, D. W.

2015-01-01

Extracts from Potentilla fruticosa have been applied in traditional medicine and exhibited antioxidant property, but little has been known about the diversity of phytochemicals and properties on this species from different growing environment. This study investigated the influence of environmental factors on the active ingredient contents and radical scavenging property of P. fruticosa from different production areas of China in order to discover a location could produce high-quality resources for pharmaceutical products. The contents of tannin, total flavonoids, and rutin were determined and varied within the range of 7.64 ± 0.43 ∼ 10.68 ± 0.67 percentage, 2.29 ± 0.34 ∼ 5.37 ± 0.36 percentage, and 0.19 ± 0.053 ∼ 0.79 ± 0.125 percentage, respectively. Radical scavenging property was quantified, with the IC /sub 50/ of 7.24 ± 0.423 to 17.23 ± 0.551 μ g mL-1. Principal component analysis, multiple linear stepwise regression analysis, and path analysis were conducted to further analysis the relationship between the variations of active ingredients and radical scavenging capacity and growth environment. The results showed dominant environmental factors for these variations were rapidly available nitrogen, rapidly available phosphorus, pH, July average temperature, and annual sunshine duration. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was observed between pH, annual sunshine duration and active ingredients and radical scavenging property (p<0.05). Considering the high active ingredient contents and strong radical scavenging property, leaf extracts from P. fruticosa could become useful supplements for pharmaceutical products as a new antioxidant agent, and Huzhu Northern Mountain in Qinghai Province and E-mei Mountain in Sichuan Province were selected as favorable production locations. (author)

AI AND SAR APPROACHES FOR PREDICTING CHEMICAL CARCINOGENICITY: SURVEY AND STATUS REPORT

Science.gov (United States)

A wide variety of artificial intelligence (AI) and structure-activity relationship (SAR approaches have been applied to tackling the general problem of predicting rodent chemical carcinogenicity. Given the diversity of chemical structures and mechanisms relative to this endpoin...

10 CFR 1017.28 - Processing on Automated Information Systems (AIS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Processing on Automated Information Systems (AIS). 1017.28... UNCLASSIFIED CONTROLLED NUCLEAR INFORMATION Physical Protection Requirements § 1017.28 Processing on Automated Information Systems (AIS). UCNI may be processed or produced on any AIS that complies with the guidance in OMB...

Review article: health benefits of some physiologically active ingredients and their suitability as yoghurt fortifiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Fayed, A E

2015-05-01

The article is concerned with health benefits of two main physiologically active ingredients namely, Isoflavones and γ-Aminobutyric acid, with emphasis on their fitness for fortification of yoghurt to be consumed as a functional food. Isoflavones (ISO) are part of the diphenol compounds, called "phytoestrogens," which are structurally and functionally similar to estradiol, the human estrogen, but much less potent. Because of this similarity, ISO were suggested to have preventive effects for many kinds of hormone-dependent diseases. In nature, ISO usually occur as glycosides and, once deconjugated by the intestinal microflora, the ISO can be absorbed into the blood. At present, it seems convincing their possible protective actions against various cancers, osteoporosis and menopausal symptoms and high levels of blood cholesterol as well as the epidemiological evidence. Γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), it is an amino acid that has long been reported to lower blood pressure by intravenous administration in experimental animals and in human subjects. GABA is present in many vegetables and fruits but not in dairy products. GABA was reported to lower blood pressure in people with mild hypertension. It was suggested that low-dose oral GABA has a hypotensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive. Yoghurt beyond its ability to be probiotic food via its culturing with the gut strains, it could further carry more healthy benefits when it was fortified with physiological active ingredients, especially GABA versus ISO preferring, whether, bacteriologically or biochemically, a fortification level of 50 mg ISO/kg or 200 mg GABA/kg.

Intrinsic Motivation and Engagement as "Active Ingredients" in Garden-Based Education: Examining Models and Measures Derived from Self-Determination Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, Ellen A.; Chi, Una

2012-01-01

Building on self-determination theory, this study presents a model of intrinsic motivation and engagement as "active ingredients" in garden-based education. The model was used to create reliable and valid measures of key constructs, and to guide the empirical exploration of motivational processes in garden-based learning. Teacher- and…

Seated T'ai Chi in Older Taiwanese People Using Wheelchairs: A Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating Mood States and Self-Efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Chen-Yuan; Moyle, Wendy; Cooke, Marie; Jones, Cindy

2016-12-01

There is growing interest in t'ai chi, but little research has addressed whether t'ai chi is effective in older people using wheelchairs for mobilization. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of seated t'ai chi exercise and usual standard activities on mood states and self-efficacy in older people living in a long-term care facility and using wheelchairs for mobilization. Randomized controlled trial (trial registration no. ACTRN12613000029796). One long-term-care facility in Taiwan. Sixty participants were randomly assigned by a computer-generated random sequence to a t'ai chi group (n = 30) or a usual exercise and entertainment activities group (n = 30). Seated t'ai chi exercise for 40 minutes three times a week for 26 weeks was provided. Mood states (Profile of Mood States Short Form [POMS-SF]) and self-efficacy (Self-Efficacy for Exercise [SEE]). At week 26, participants in the t'ai chi group reported significantly lower mood states on the fatigue-inertia dimension of the POMS-SF (mean score ± standard deviation, 3.56 ± 3.71) than did the control group (mean score, 7.16 ± 6.36) (F [1, 58] = 7.15; p self-efficacy for older people using wheelchairs.

Data of evolutionary structure change: 1AIFB-2AI0K [Confc[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ignment> 0 n> 1AIF n>B 1AI... CA 272 n> 2AI0 n>K ...n>2AI0Kn> VAHPASSTKVD EEE EEEE...1AIFB-2AI0K 1AIF 2AI0 B K EVKLQESGGGLVQPGGSMKLSCVASGFTFNNYWMSWVRQ...SCAASGFTFRNYGMSWVRQTPEKRLEWVAAIS--GNSLYTSYPDSVKGRFTISRDNAKNNLYLQMSSLRSEDTALYFCARH

Purification and Characterization of BmooAi: A New Toxin from Bothrops moojeni Snake Venom That Inhibits Platelet Aggregation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mayara Ribeiro de Queiroz

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we describe the purification/characterization of BmooAi, a new toxin from Bothrops moojeni that inhibits platelet aggregation. The purification of BmooAi was carried out through three chromatographic steps (ion-exchange on a DEAE-Sephacel column, molecular exclusion on a Sephadex G-75 column, and reverse-phase HPLC chromatography on a C2/C18 column. BmooAi was homogeneous by SDS-PAGE and shown to be a single-chain protein of 15,000 Da. BmooAi was analysed by MALDI-TOF Spectrometry and revealed two major components with molecular masses 7824.4 and 7409.2 as well as a trace of protein with a molecular mass of 15,237.4 Da. Sequencing of BmooAi by Edman degradation showed two amino acid sequences: IRDFDPLTNAPENTA and ETEEGAEEGTQ, which revealed no homology to any known toxin from snake venom. BmooAi showed a rather specific inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation induced by collagen, adenosine diphosphate, or epinephrine in human platelet-rich plasma in a dose-dependent manner, whereas it had little or no effect on platelet aggregation induced by ristocetin. The effect on platelet aggregation induced by BmooAi remained active even when heated to 100°C. BmooAi could be of medical interest as a new tool for the development of novel therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of thrombotic disorders.

Integrating the Wall Street Journal into AIS Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Kohlmeyer, James M., III

2008-01-01

While it is important for accounting information systems (AIS) students to understand computer technology, internal controls and business processes, such knowledge is of little use without reference to appropriate contexts. Integrating Wall Street Journal (WSJ) readings and discussions into AIS classes can enrich learning by stimulating…

Recent progresses on AI-2 bacterial quorum sensing inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Peng; Li, Minyong

2012-01-01

Quorum sensing (QS) is a communication procedure that predominates gene expression in response to cell density and fluctuations in the neighboring environment as a result of discerning molecules termed autoinducers (AIs). It has been embroiled that QS can govern bacterial behaviors such as the secretion of virulence factors, biofilm formation, bioluminescence production, conjugation, sporulation and swarming motility. Autoinducer 2 (AI-2), a QS signaling molecule brought up to be involved in interspecies communication, exists in both gram-negative and -positive bacteria. Therefore, novel approaches to interrupt AI-2 quorum sensing are being recognized as next generation antimicrobials. In the present review article, we summarized recent progresses on AI-2 bacterial quorum sensing inhibitors and discussed their potential as the antibacterial agents.

On the homotopy equivalence of simple AI-algebras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aristov, O Yu

1999-01-01

Let A and B be simple unital AI-algebras (an AI-algebra is an inductive limit of C*-algebras of the form BigOplus i k C([0,1],M N i ). It is proved that two arbitrary unital homomorphisms from A into B such that the corresponding maps K 0 A→K 0 B coincide are homotopic. Necessary and sufficient conditions on the Elliott invariant for A and B to be homotopy equivalent are indicated. Moreover, two algebras in the above class having the same K-theory but not homotopy equivalent are constructed. A theorem on the homotopy of approximately unitarily equivalent homomorphisms between AI-algebras is used in the proof, which is deduced in its turn from a generalization to the case of AI-algebras of a theorem of Manuilov stating that a unitary matrix almost commuting with a self-adjoint matrix h can be joined to 1 by a continuous path consisting of unitary matrices almost commuting with h

AIS reception from a CubeSat in LEO

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jesper Abildgaard; Mortensen, Hans Peter; Nielsen, Jens Frederik Dalsgaard

2013-01-01

The primary payloads on board the AAUSAT3 satellite are two different AIS receivers, one is a traditional hardware-based receiver, the other one is a software-defined radio receiver. The hardware-based receiver has been developed around an ADF-7020 transceiver, with an appropriate LNA in front...... into a low-Earth orbit with a semi-major axis of 7156 km, i.e. 800 km altitude, near circular, dusk-dawn Sun-synchronous orbit. From this orbit the AIS antenna system, which consists of a dipole antenna, has a foot print diameter of approximately 6000 km. During the first pass over the primary ground station...... at Aalborg University, basic telemetry and the first few AIS messages were downloaded. During the first 14 days of the mission, the two receivers managed to detect more than 100,000 different AIS messages from ships all around the world, and more than 35,000 of these messages have been successfully...

APT drug R&D: the right active ingredient in the right presentation for the right therapeutic use.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavalla, David

2009-11-01

Drug repurposing, in which an established active pharmaceutical ingredient is applied in a new way - for example, for a new indication, and often combined with an alternative method of presentation, such as a novel delivery route - is an evolving strategy for pharmaceutical R&D. This article discusses examples of the success of this strategy, and presents an analysis of sales of US pharmaceutical products that suggests that this low-risk approach to new product development retains substantial commercial value.

Quantification of active ingredients in suppositories by FT-Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Szostak, Roman; Mazurek, Sylwester

2013-02-01

An efficient method for the quantitative determination of acetaminophen (AAP) and diclofenac sodium (DS) in commercial suppositories based on partial least squares (PLS) treatment of FT-Raman spectra is described. The relative standard errors of prediction (RSEP) were calculated for calibration and validation data sets to evaluate the quality of the constructed models. In the case of DS determination, RSEP error values of 1.9 % and 2.3 % for the calibration and validation data sets, respectively, were found. For AAP these errors amounted to 1.6-2.3 % and 1.8-2.8 %, respectively, for the different calibration models. Four commercial preparations containing 5, 12.5, 16.7 and 33.3 % (w/w) AAP and one containing 5 % (w/w) DS were successfully quantified using the developed models. Concentrations derived from the developed models correlated strongly with the declared values and yielded recoveries of 99.4-100.2 % and 99.6 % for AAP and DS, respectively. The proposed procedure can be used as a fast, economic and reliable method for quantification of the active pharmaceutical ingredients in suppositories. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

77 FR 68150 - Meeting of the SANE/SART AI/AN Initiative Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-15

.../SART AI/AN Initiative Committee AGENCY: Office for Victims of Crime, Justice. ACTION: Notice of meeting... Response Team (SART) American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) Initiative (``SANE/SART AI/AN Initiative... violence within AI/AN communities. Dates and Locations: The meeting will be held on the reservation of the...

Lactose in dairy ingredients: Effect on processing and storage stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Huppertz, Thom; Gazi, Inge

2016-08-01

Lactose is the main carbohydrate in the milk of most species. It is present in virtually all dry dairy ingredients, with levels ranging from lactose powders. The presence of lactose has a strong effect on ingredient processing and stability. Lactose can negatively influence powder properties and lead to undesirable effects, such as the stickiness of powder resulting in fouling during drying, or caking and related phenomena during storage. In addition, being a reducing carbohydrate, lactose can also participate in the Maillard reaction with free amino groups of proteins, peptides, and free AA. In this review, the influence of the presence (or absence) of lactose on physiochemical properties of dairy ingredients is reviewed, with particular emphasis on behavior during processing and storage. Particularly important features in this respect are whether lactose is in the (glassy) amorphous phase or in the crystalline phase, which is strongly affected by precrystallization conditions (e.g., in lactose, permeate, and whey powders) and by drying conditions. Furthermore, the moisture content and water activity of the ingredients are important parameters to consider, as they determine both mobility and reactivity, influencing Maillard reactions and concomitant browning, the crystallization of amorphous lactose during storage of dairy ingredients, glass transitions temperatures, and associated stickiness and caking phenomena. For the stickiness and caking, a crucial aspect to take into account is powder particle surface composition in relation to the bulk powder. Lactose is typically underrepresented at the powder surface, as a result of which deviations between observed lactose-induced caking and stickiness temperatures, and determined glass transition temperatures arise. By considering lactose as an integral part of ingredient composition along with all other compositional and environmental properties, lactose behavior in dairy ingredients can be understood, controlled, and

[Research advance in metabolism of effective ingredients from traditional Chinese medicines by probiotics].

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Cheng-En; Li, Hai-Long; He, Xiao-Ping; Zheng, Fen-Fen; Zhu, Hua-Liu; Liu, Liang-Feng; Du, Wei

2018-01-01

The pharmacological activity of active ingredients from Chinese medicine depends greatly on the microecological environment of probiotics in the human body. After effective ingredients from traditional Chinese medicines are metabolized or biotransformed by probiotics, their metabolites can increase pharmacological activity, and can be absorbed more easily to improve the bioavailability. Therefore, the combination of Chinese medicines with probiotics is the innovation point in R&D of functional food and Chinese medicines, and also a new thinking for the modernization of Chinese medicine.This review summarizes and analyses the research progress on metabolism effects of gut microbiota on Chinese medicines components, the regulating effect of effective ingredients from Chinese medicine on intestinal probiotics, the application status of probiotics in traditional Chinese medicines, and the main problems and prospects in the research and development of Chinese medicines products with probiotic, aiming to provide theoretical guidance and practical value for the fermentation engineering of Chinese herbal medicine. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Creating an AI modeling application for designers and developers

Science.gov (United States)

Houlette, Ryan; Fu, Daniel; Jensen, Randy

2003-09-01

Simulation developers often realize an entity's AI by writing a program that exhibits the intended behavior. These behaviors are often the product of design documents written by designers. These individuals, while possessing a vast knowledge of the subject matter, might not have any programming knowledge whatsoever. To address this disconnect between design and subsequent development, we have created an AI application whereby a designer or developer sketches an entity's AI using a graphical "drag and drop" interface to quickly articulate behavior using a UML-like representation of state charts. Aside from the design-level benefits, the application also features a runtime engine that takes the application's data as input along with a simulation or game interface, and makes the AI operational. We discuss our experience in creating such an application for both designer and developer.

4th June: AIS and NICE/MAIL unique authentication

CERN Multimedia

AIS and NICE teams

2007-01-01

Over the past few years, the IT department has been in the process of streamlining CERN users' access to all central computing services. The long term goal is to converge on a unique computer account, which will increase computer security and simplify account maintenance. The next step of this process will occur on 4th June 2007, as of when authenticating on the AIS applications (EDH, HRT, CET, APT, ERT, CRA, Foundation, ...) and on NICE (Windows) and MAIL will be done using the same username and password. As a reminder, this account can also be used on EDMS, INDICO, CDS and SIMBA. So starting on 4th June 2007, authentication on the AIS applications must be done using your AIS username and your MAIL/NICE password. Thanks for your understanding, The AIS and NICE teams

Data of evolutionary structure change: 1AIFH-2AI0K [Confc[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available > 0 n> 1AIF n>H ...n>1AIFHn> VAHPA-SSTKV n> 2AI0 n>K 2AI...1AIFH-2AI0K 1AIF 2AI0 H K EVKLQESGGGLVQPGGSMKLSCVASGFTFNNYWMSWVRQ...SCAASGFTFRNYGMSWVRQTPEKRLEWVAAIS--GNSLYTSYPDSVKGRFTISRDNAKNNLYLQMSSLRSEDTALYFCARH

Ingredients and change processes in occupational therapy for children: a grounded theory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Armitage, Samantha; Swallow, Veronica; Kolehmainen, Niina

2017-05-01

There is limited evidence about the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions for participation outcomes in children with coordination difficulties. Developing theory about the interventions, i.e. their ingredients and change processes, is the first step to advance the evidence base. To develop theory about the key ingredients of occupational therapy interventions for children with coordination difficulties and the processes through which change in participation might happen. Grounded theory methodology, as described by Kathy Charmaz, was used to develop the theory. Children and parents participated in semi-structured interviews to share their experiences of occupational therapy and processes of change. Data collection and analysis were completed concurrently using constant comparison methods. Five key ingredients of interventions were described: performing activities and tasks; achieving; carer support; helping and supporting the child; and labelling. Ingredients related to participation by changing children's mastery experience, increasing capability beliefs and sense of control. Parents' knowledge, skills, positive emotions, sense of empowerment and capability beliefs also related to children's participation. The results identify intervention ingredients and change pathways within occupational therapy to increase participation. It is unclear how explicitly and often therapists consider and make use of these ingredients and pathway.

Highlights on artificial insemination (AI technology in the pig

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarek Khalifa

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Over the past decade, there has been a tremendous increase in the development of field AI services in the majority of countries concerned with pig production. The objective of this paper is to review: (a the current status of swine AI in the world, (b significance and limitation of AI with liquid and frozen semen, (c the biological traits of porcine semen in relation to in-vitro sperm storage, (d the criteria used for selection of a boar stud as a semen supplier, (e how to process boar semen for liquid and frozen storage in the commercial settings and (f how to improve fertility and prolificacy of boar semen. More than 99% of the inseminations conducted worldwide are made with liquid-stored semen. AI with frozen semen is used only for upgrading the genetic base in a particular country or herd. Determining the initial quality of semen ejaculates along with the selection of the optimum storage extender has a profound effect on the quality and fertility of AI doses. Different procedures have been used for improving the fertility of preserved spermatozoa including colloidal centrifugation of the semen, intrauterine insemination and modulation of the uterine defense mechanism after AI. Development of an efficient protocol for synchronizing the time of ovulation in sows and gilts coupled with improving uterine horn insemination technique will make a breakthrough in the commercial use of frozen boar semen.

Discovering Knowledge from AIS Database for Application in VTS

Science.gov (United States)

Tsou, Ming-Cheng

The widespread use of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) has had a significant impact on maritime technology. AIS enables the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) not only to offer commonly known functions such as identification, tracking and monitoring of vessels, but also to provide rich real-time information that is useful for marine traffic investigation, statistical analysis and theoretical research. However, due to the rapid accumulation of AIS observation data, the VTS platform is often unable quickly and effectively to absorb and analyze it. Traditional observation and analysis methods are becoming less suitable for the modern AIS generation of VTS. In view of this, we applied the same data mining technique used for business intelligence discovery (in Customer Relation Management (CRM) business marketing) to the analysis of AIS observation data. This recasts the marine traffic problem as a business-marketing problem and integrates technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), database management systems, data warehousing and data mining to facilitate the discovery of hidden and valuable information in a huge amount of observation data. Consequently, this provides the marine traffic managers with a useful strategic planning resource.

21 CFR 701.3 - Designation of ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... declaration of ingredients is thereby required to be used in conjunction with products of both the old and new formulations, the labeling shall declare the ingredients of both the old and new formulations separately in a... paragraph is inapplicable to any ingredient mentioned in advertising, or in labeling other than in the...

Quality measures and assurance for AI (Artificial Intelligence) software

Science.gov (United States)

Rushby, John

1988-01-01

This report is concerned with the application of software quality and evaluation measures to AI software and, more broadly, with the question of quality assurance for AI software. Considered are not only the metrics that attempt to measure some aspect of software quality, but also the methodologies and techniques (such as systematic testing) that attempt to improve some dimension of quality, without necessarily quantifying the extent of the improvement. The report is divided into three parts Part 1 reviews existing software quality measures, i.e., those that have been developed for, and applied to, conventional software. Part 2 considers the characteristics of AI software, the applicability and potential utility of measures and techniques identified in the first part, and reviews those few methods developed specifically for AI software. Part 3 presents an assessment and recommendations for the further exploration of this important area.

4th June: AIS and NICE/MAIL unique authentication

CERN Multimedia

The AIS and NICE teams

2007-01-01

Over the past few years, the IT department has been in the process of streamlining CERN users' access to all central computing services. The long term goal is to converge on a unique computer account, which will increase computer security and simplify account maintenance. The next step of this process will occur on the 4th June 2007, as of when authenticating on the AIS applications (EDH, HRT, CET, APT, ERT, CRA, Foundation, ...) and on NICE (Windows) and MAIL will be done using the same username and password. As a reminder, this account can also be used on EDMS, INDICO, CDS and SIMBA. Thus starting on the 4th June 2007, authentication on the AIS applications must be done using your AIS username and your MAIL/NICE password. Thanks for your understanding, The AIS and NICE teams

An Immune Agent for Web-Based AI Course

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Tao; Cai, Zixing

2006-01-01

To overcome weakness and faults of a web-based e-learning course such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), an immune agent was proposed, simulating a natural immune mechanism against a virus. The immune agent was built on the multi-dimension education agent model and immune algorithm. The web-based AI course was comprised of many files, such as HTML…

Ai Weiwei - 21. sajandi märter? / Tanel Veenre

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Veenre, Tanel, 1977-

2011-01-01

Hiina kunstniku, inimõiguslase ja teisitimõtleja Ai Weiwei elust, õpingutest, loomingust ja tegevusest. Hiinas kunstniku tagakiusamisest, arreteerimisest, maksupettuses süüdistamisest jm. Kunstniku toetajatest. Inglise kunstileht Art Review valis Ai Weiwei 2011. a. kõige mõjuvõimsamaks kunstitegelaseks

Research Directions for AI in Computer Games

OpenAIRE

Fairclough, Chris; Fagan, Michael; Cunningham, Padraig; Mac Namee, Brian

2001-01-01

The computer games industry is now bigger than the film industry. Until recently, technology in games was driven by a desire to achieve real-time, photo-realistic graphics. To a large extent, this has now been achieved. As game developers look for new and innovative technologies to drive games development, AI is coming to the fore. This paper will examine how sophisticated AI techniques, such as those being used in mainstream academic research, can be applied to computer games ...

Strategic Team AI Path Plans: Probabilistic Pathfinding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tng C. H. John

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a novel method to generate strategic team AI pathfinding plans for computer games and simulations using probabilistic pathfinding. This method is inspired by genetic algorithms (Russell and Norvig, 2002, in that, a fitness function is used to test the quality of the path plans. The method generates high-quality path plans by eliminating the low-quality ones. The path plans are generated by probabilistic pathfinding, and the elimination is done by a fitness test of the path plans. This path plan generation method has the ability to generate variation or different high-quality paths, which is desired for games to increase replay values. This work is an extension of our earlier work on team AI: probabilistic pathfinding (John et al., 2006. We explore ways to combine probabilistic pathfinding and genetic algorithm to create a new method to generate strategic team AI pathfinding plans.

Towards AI-powered personalization in MOOC learning

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Han; Miao, Chunyan; Leung, Cyril; White, Timothy John

2017-12-01

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) represent a form of large-scale learning that is changing the landscape of higher education. In this paper, we offer a perspective on how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) may enhance learning and research on MOOCs. We focus on emerging AI techniques including how knowledge representation tools can enable students to adjust the sequence of learning to fit their own needs; how optimization techniques can efficiently match community teaching assistants to MOOC mediation tasks to offer personal attention to learners; and how virtual learning companions with human traits such as curiosity and emotions can enhance learning experience on a large scale. These new capabilities will also bring opportunities for educational researchers to analyse students' learning skills and uncover points along learning paths where students with different backgrounds may require different help. Ethical considerations related to the application of AI in MOOC education research are also discussed.

AI model for computer games based on case based reasoning and AI planning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Menkovski, V.; Metafas, D.

2008-01-01

Making efficient AI models for games with imperfect information can be a particular challenge. Considering the large number of possible moves and the incorporated uncertainties building game trees for these games becomes very difficult due to the exponential growth of the number of nodes at each

Bioequivalence of eslicarbazepine acetate from two different sources of its active product ingredient in healthy subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Falcão, Amílcar; Lima, Ricardo; Sousa, Rui; Nunes, Teresa; Soares-da-Silva, Patrício

2013-06-01

To compare the bioavailability (BA) and pharmacokinetic (PK) properties and to demonstrate the bioequivalence (BE) between two active product ingredient (API) sources of eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) in healthy volunteers. Forty healthy male and female subjects aged 18-40 years were randomized to treatment with 400 or 800 mg ESL marketed (MF) formulation [current active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) source] and 400 or 800 mg ESL to-be-marketed (TBM) formulation (new API source) under a gender-balanced, two-period, two-sequence crossover open-label study design. Subjects were assigned to receive either 400 or 800 mg ESL dose strengths, and each was randomly administered on two occasions--either a single oral tablet of MF or a single oral tablet of TBM--separated by a washout period of at least 7 days. Formulations were to be considered bioequivalent if, for both 400 or 800 mg ESL dosage strengths, the test (TBM)/reference (MF) geometric mean ratios (GMR) and 90% confidence intervals (90% CI) of the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and peak plasma concentration (Cmax) were within the predetermined range of 80-125%. Test/reference GMR (90% CI) for the Cmax and AUC was respectively 100% (94-109%) and 96% (94-98%) following 400 mg ESL and 100% (95-105%) and 100% (97-103%) following 800 mg ESL. Oral tablet formulations of either 400 or 800 mg ESL from the new API source were found to be bioequivalent to the corresponding marketed Zebinix® formulation according to the regulatory definition of bioequivalence.

Off The Beaten Lane: AI Challenges In MOBAs Beyond Player Control

OpenAIRE

Cook, Michael; Summerville, Adam; Colton, Simon

2017-01-01

MOBAs represent a huge segment of online gaming and are growing as both an eSport and a casual genre. The natural starting point for AI researchers interested in MOBAs is to develop an AI to play the game better than a human - but MOBAs have many more challenges besides adversarial AI. In this paper we introduce the reader to the wider context of MOBA culture, propose a range of challenges faced by the community today, and posit concrete AI projects that can be undertaken to begin solving them.

Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids: Potential Health and Beauty Ingredients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewelina Chrapusta

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Human skin is constantly exposed to damaging ultraviolet radiation (UVR, which induces a number of acute and chronic disorders. To reduce the risk of UV-induced skin injury, people apply an additional external protection in the form of cosmetic products containing sunscreens. Nowadays, because of the use of some chemical filters raises a lot of controversies, research focuses on exploring novel, fully safe and highly efficient natural UV-absorbing compounds that could be used as active ingredients in sun care products. A promising alternative is the application of multifunctional mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs, which can effectively compete with commercially available filters. Here, we outline a complete characterization of these compounds and discuss their enormous biotechnological potential with special emphasis on their use as sunscreens, activators of cells proliferation, anti-cancer agents, anti-photoaging molecules, stimulators of skin renewal, and functional ingredients of UV-protective biomaterials.

Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids: Potential Health and Beauty Ingredients

Science.gov (United States)

Chrapusta, Ewelina; Kaminski, Ariel; Duchnik, Kornelia; Bober, Beata; Adamski, Michal; Bialczyk, Jan

2017-01-01

Human skin is constantly exposed to damaging ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which induces a number of acute and chronic disorders. To reduce the risk of UV-induced skin injury, people apply an additional external protection in the form of cosmetic products containing sunscreens. Nowadays, because of the use of some chemical filters raises a lot of controversies, research focuses on exploring novel, fully safe and highly efficient natural UV-absorbing compounds that could be used as active ingredients in sun care products. A promising alternative is the application of multifunctional mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), which can effectively compete with commercially available filters. Here, we outline a complete characterization of these compounds and discuss their enormous biotechnological potential with special emphasis on their use as sunscreens, activators of cells proliferation, anti-cancer agents, anti-photoaging molecules, stimulators of skin renewal, and functional ingredients of UV-protective biomaterials. PMID:29065484

AI and health

OpenAIRE

Martin Anderson

2018-01-01

ntelligence refers to the ability of an individual to learn or understand something, or to deal with a new situation. When a machine or software exhibits such characteristics, it is referred to as artificial intelligence (AI). Artificial Intelligence is therefore defined as the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.

Automatic Identification System (AIS) Transmit Testing in Louisville Phase 2

Science.gov (United States)

2014-08-01

Firewall Louisville QM 65.206.28.x NAIS Site Controller PC RS232 Serial cable TV32 Computer Cmd Center Serial splitter SAAB R40 AIS Base Station...172.17.14.6 Rack mount computer AIS Radio Interface Ethernet Switch 192.168.0.x Firewall Cable Modem 192.168.0.1 VTS Accred. Boundary serial connection...Automatic Identification System ( AIS ) Transmit Testing in Louisville Phase 2 Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release

Analysis of Ingredient Lists to Quantitatively Characterize ...

Science.gov (United States)

The EPA’s ExpoCast program is developing high throughput (HT) approaches to generate the needed exposure estimates to compare against HT bioactivity data generated from the US inter-agency Tox21 and the US EPA ToxCast programs. Assessing such exposures for the thousands of chemicals in consumer products requires data on product composition. This is a challenge since quantitative product composition data are rarely available. We developed methods to predict the weight fractions of chemicals in consumer products from weight fraction-ordered chemical ingredient lists, and curated a library of such lists from online manufacturer and retailer sites. The probabilistic model predicts weight fraction as a function of the total number of reported ingredients, the rank of the ingredient in the list, the minimum weight fraction for which ingredients were reported, and the total weight fraction of unreported ingredients. Weight fractions predicted by the model compared very well to available quantitative weight fraction data obtained from Material Safety Data Sheets for products with 3-8 ingredients. Lists were located from the online sources for 5148 products containing 8422 unique ingredient names. A total of 1100 of these names could be located in EPA’s HT chemical database (DSSTox), and linked to 864 unique Chemical Abstract Service Registration Numbers (392 of which were in the Tox21 chemical library). Weight fractions were estimated for these 864 CASRN. Using a

75 FR 43072 - Trichoderma Hamatum Isolate 382; Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-23

... future hypersensitivity incidents must be reported per 40 CFR 158.2140 (U.S. EPA 2010c). 5. Acute oral... of the End Use Product (EP) Floraguard (EPA Reg. No. 74205-G) Containing the Active Ingredient (AI...

Procedure for Marine Traffic Simulation with AIS Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rina Miyake

2015-03-01

Full Text Available It is essential to evaluate safety of marine traffic for the improvement of efficiency and safety of marine traffic. Spread of AIS makes observation of actual marine traffic more easily and faster than before. Besides, description of collision avoidance behaviours of ships are indispensable to simulate a realistic marine traffic. It is important to develop and implement an algorithm of collision avoidance corresponding to a target traffic or target area into the marine traffic simulation because actual actions for collision avoidance depend on circumstances where ships are sailing. The authors developed an automated marine traffic simulation system with AIS data. And in this paper, we proposed a series of systematic procedures for marine traffic simulation including analysing for collision avoidance behaviours using AIS data.

Design, Synthesis, and Herbicidal Activity of Pyrimidine-Biphenyl Hybrids as Novel Acetohydroxyacid Synthase Inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ke-Jian; Qu, Ren-Yu; Liu, Yu-Chao; Yang, Jing-Fang; Devendar, Ponnam; Chen, Qiong; Niu, Cong-Wei; Xi, Zhen; Yang, Guang-Fu

2018-04-18

The issue of weed resistance to acetohydroxyacid synthase (EC 2.2.1.6, AHAS) inhibitors has become one of the largest obstacles for the application of this class of herbicides. In a continuing effort to discover novel AHAS inhibitors to overcome weed resistance, a series of pyrimidine-biphenyl hybrids (4aa-bb and 5aa-ah) were designed and synthesized via a scaffold hopping strategy. Among these derivatives, compounds 4aa ( K i = 0.09 μM) and 4bb ( K i = 0.02 μM) displayed higher inhibitory activities against Arabidopsis thaliana AHAS than those of the controls bispyribac ( K i = 0.54 μM) and flumetsulam ( K i = 0.38 μM). Remarkably, compounds 4aa, 4bb, 5ah, and 5ag exhibited excellent postemergence herbicidal activity and a broad spectrum of weed control at application rates of 37.5-150 g of active ingredient (ai)/ha. Furthermore, 4aa and 4bb showed higher herbicidal activity against AHAS inhibitor-resistant Descurainia sophia, Ammannia arenaria, and the corresponding sensitive weeds than that of bispyribac at 0.94-0.235 g ai/ha. Therefore, the pyrimidine-biphenyl motif and lead compounds 4aa and 4bb have great potential for the discovery of novel AHAS inhibitors to combat AHAS-inhibiting herbicide-resistant weeds.

AI Based Personal Learning Environments: Directions for Long Term Research. AI Memo 384.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldstein, Ira P.; Miller, Mark L.

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to the design of personal learning environments is an enterprise of both theoretical and practical interest. In the short term, the process of developing and testing intelligent tutoring programs serves as a new experimental vehicle for exploring alternative cognitive and pedagogical…

Human-Assisted AI: an Intelligence Augmentation Approach

OpenAIRE

Alicea, Bradly

2018-01-01

As a flavor of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Human-Assisted AI can serve to both augment both human performance and artificial systems. This talk will feature a discussion of Human-assisted AI as an instance of Intelligence Augmentation (IA). We will discuss instances of weak and strong IA, in addition to contemporary examples of and paths forward for such systems. In the variety of models presented, data plays a critical role in the structure of interactions between human and artificial ...

[Immune mechanisms of the active ingredients of Chinese medicinal herbs for chronic prostatitis].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao; Zhou, Yu-chun; Xue, Jian-guo

2016-01-01

Chronic prostatitis is a common male disease, and its pathogenesis is not yet clear. Most scholars believe that oxidative stress and immune imbalance are the keys to the occurrence and progression of chronic prostatitis. Currently immunotherapy of chronic prostatitis remains in the exploratory stage. This article relates the active ingredients of 5 Chinese medicinal herbs (total glucosides of paeony, tripterigium wilfordii polglycosidium, curcumin, geniposide, and quercetin) for the treatment of chronic prostatitis and their possible action mechanisms as follows: 1) inhibiting the immune response and activation and proliferation of T-cells, and adjusting the proportion of Th1/Th2 cells; 2) upregulating the expression of Treg and enhancing the patient's tolerability; 3) suppressing the activation of the NF-kB factor, reducing the release of iNOS, and further decreasing the release of NO, IL-2 and other inflammatory cytokines, which contribute to the suppression of the immune response; 4) inhibiting the production of such chemokines as MCP-1 and MIP-1α in order to reduce their induction of inflammatory response. Studies on the immune mechanisms of Chinese medicinal herbs in the treatment of chronic prostatitis are clinically valuable for the development of new drugs for this disease.

Data of evolutionary structure change: 1AIFL-2AI0L [Confc[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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Integration of AI-2 Based Cell-Cell Signaling with Metabolic Cues in Escherichia coli.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arindam Mitra

Full Text Available The quorum sensing molecule Autoinducer-2 (AI-2 is generated as a byproduct of activated methyl cycle by the action of LuxS in Escherichia coli. AI-2 is synthesized, released and later internalized in a cell-density dependent manner. Here, by mutational analysis of the genes, uvrY and csrA, we describe a regulatory circuit of accumulation and uptake of AI-2. We constructed a single-copy chromosomal luxS-lacZ fusion in a luxS + merodiploid strain and evaluated its relative expression in uvrY and csrA mutants. At the entry of stationary phase, the expression of the fusion and AI-2 accumulation was positively regulated by uvrY and negatively regulated by csrA respectively. A deletion of csrA altered message stability of the luxS transcript and CsrA protein exhibited weak binding to 5' luxS regulatory region. DNA protein interaction and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis confirmed direct interaction of UvrY with the luxS promoter. Additionally, reduced expression of the fusion in hfq deletion mutant suggested involvement of small RNA interactions in luxS regulation. In contrast, the expression of lsrA operon involved in AI-2 uptake, is negatively regulated by uvrY and positively by csrA in a cell-density dependent manner. The dual role of csrA in AI-2 synthesis and uptake suggested a regulatory crosstalk of cell signaling with carbon regulation in Escherichia coli. We found that the cAMP-CRP mediated catabolite repression of luxS expression was uvrY dependent. This study suggests that luxS expression is complex and regulated at the level of transcription and translation. The multifactorial regulation supports the notion that cell-cell communication requires interaction and integration of multiple metabolic signals.

Humans and Machines in the Evolution of AI in Korea

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Byoung-Tak

2016-01-01

Artificial intelligence in Korea is currently prospering. The media is regularly reporting AI-enabled products such as smart advisors, personal robots, autonomous cars, and human-level intelligence machines. The IT industry is investing in deep learning and AI to maintain the global competitive edge in their services and products. The Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning (MSIP) has launched new funding programs in AI and cognitive science to implement the government’s newly adopted e...

Data of evolutionary structure change: 1AIFA-2AI0L [Confc[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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harnessing_ai_20180319.pptx

OpenAIRE

Johnson, Matthew

2018-01-01

There have been great strides made in Artificial Intelligence in recent years, but it is often not clear how to apply these recent advances to new problems. In this talk I propose one method of thinking about problems in the sciences and how to find the right AI techniques to aid in research.

Technological differences between açai and juçara pulps and their sorbets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Paula Silva Siqueira

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Açai and juçara are palm trees that produce similar fruits. However, only the sale of açai is growing on the market for pulps and processed products for human consumption. The aim of this study was to compare açai and juçara pulps from the chemical, bioactive, rheological and technological points of view. Sorbets were elaborated with the pulps and evaluations were carried out regarding the antioxidant activity, polyphenols, anthocyanins, pH, acidity, soluble solids, ratio and colour. The pulps were evaluated rheologically and the sorbets for melting time. Juçara showed better results regarding the bioactive parameters (antioxidants ≈ 151 uM ferrous sulphate/ g and anthocyanins ≈ 77 mg.100g-1 and presented a more intense colour (Chroma 17. The pulps were physicochemically similar. The sorbet preserved much of the nutrients and presented a very intense colour, mainly in the juçara sorbet.

AI-2 of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Inhibits Candida albicans Biofilm Formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Endang W. Bachtiar

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a Gram-negative bacterium, and Candida albicans, a polymorphic fungus, are both commensals of the oral cavity but both are opportunistic pathogens that can cause oral diseases. A. actinomycetemcomitans produces a quorum-sensing molecule called autoinducer-2 (AI-2, synthesized by LuxS, that plays an important role in expression of virulence factors, in intra- but also in interspecies communication. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of AI-2 based signaling in the interactions between C. albicans and A. actinomycetemcomitans. A. actinomycetemcomitans adhered to C. albicans and inhibited biofilm formation by means of a molecule that was secreted during growth. C. albicans biofilm formation increased significantly when co-cultured with A. actinomycetemcomitans luxS, lacking AI-2 production. Addition of wild-type-derived spent medium or synthetic AI-2 to spent medium of the luxS strain, restored inhibition of C. albicans biofilm formation to wild-type levels. Addition of synthetic AI-2 significantly inhibited hypha formation of C. albicans possibly explaining the inhibition of biofilm formation. AI-2 of A. actinomycetemcomitans is synthesized by LuxS, accumulates during growth and inhibits C. albicans hypha- and biofilm formation. Identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between bacteria and fungi may provide important insight into the balance within complex oral microbial communities.

Data of evolutionary structure change: 1AIFA-2AI0O [Confc[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available s_2> 0 n> 1AIF A...n> 1AIFAn> VSSSI----SSSNL n> 2AI0 n>O 2AI...1AIFA-2AI0O 1AIF 2AI0 A O DIQLTQSPAFMAASPGEKVTITCSVSSSI----SSSNLH...e>SER CA 251 SER CA 276 SER CA 258 ASN CA 337 LEU CA 410

AI Researchers, Video Games Are Your Friends!

OpenAIRE

Togelius, Julian

2016-01-01

If you are an artificial intelligence researcher, you should look to video games as ideal testbeds for the work you do. If you are a video game developer, you should look to AI for the technology that makes completely new types of games possible. This chapter lays out the case for both of these propositions. It asks the question "what can video games do for AI", and discusses how in particular general video game playing is the ideal testbed for artificial general intelligence research. It the...

Brosimacutins A-I, nine new flavonoids from Brosimum acutifolium.

Science.gov (United States)

Takashima, Junko; Ohsaki, Ayumi

2002-12-01

Nine new flavonoids, brosimacutins A-I (1-9), and four known flavonoids were isolated from the bark of Brosimum acutifolium, a Brazilian folk medicine ("Mururé"). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 2D NMR. Brosimacutins A-I possess differentially functionalized isoprene units at C-8.

An overview of artificial intelligence and robotics. Volume 1: Artificial intelligence. Part A: The core ingredients

Science.gov (United States)

Gevarter, W. B.

1983-01-01

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology that has recently attracted considerable attention. Many applications are now under development. The goal of Artificial Intelligence is focused on developing computational approaches to intelligent behavior. This goal is so broad - covering virtually all aspects of human cognitive activity - that substantial confusion has arisen as to the actual nature of AI, its current status and its future capability. This volume, the first in a series of NBS/NASA reports on the subject, attempts to address these concerns. Thus, this report endeavors to clarify what AI is, the foundations on which it rests, the techniques utilized, applications, the participants and, finally, AI's state-of-the-art and future trends. It is anticipated that this report will prove useful to government and private engineering and research managers, potential users, and others who will be affected by this field as it unfolds.

QML-AiNet: An immune network approach to learning qualitative differential equation models.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Wei; Coghill, George M

2015-02-01

In this paper, we explore the application of Opt-AiNet, an immune network approach for search and optimisation problems, to learning qualitative models in the form of qualitative differential equations. The Opt-AiNet algorithm is adapted to qualitative model learning problems, resulting in the proposed system QML-AiNet. The potential of QML-AiNet to address the scalability and multimodal search space issues of qualitative model learning has been investigated. More importantly, to further improve the efficiency of QML-AiNet, we also modify the mutation operator according to the features of discrete qualitative model space. Experimental results show that the performance of QML-AiNet is comparable to QML-CLONALG, a QML system using the clonal selection algorithm (CLONALG). More importantly, QML-AiNet with the modified mutation operator can significantly improve the scalability of QML and is much more efficient than QML-CLONALG.

[Enzyme kinetic analysis of Oncomelania hupensis exposed to active ingredient of Buddleja lindleyana (AIBL)].

Science.gov (United States)

Bang-Xing, Han; Jun, Chen

2016-07-01

To analyze the enzyme kinetics of active ingredient of Buddleja lindleyana (AIBL) against Oncomelania hupensis , the intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum . O . hupensis snails were placed in 1 000 ml of 3.55 mg/L AIBL solution for 24, 48 h and 72 h, respectively, and the enzyme kinetics of alanine aminotransferase (GPT) was determined by Reitman-Frankel assay, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) by the chemical inhibition lactic acid substrate method, alkaline phosphatase (AKP) by the disodium phenyl phosphate colorimetric method, acetylcholine esterase (AChE) and malate dehydrogenas (MDH) by ELISA, and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) by the phenazine methyl sulfate reaction method (PMS) in the soft tissues of O. hupensis before and after AIBL treatment. Following exposure to 3.55 mg/L AIBL solution for 24 h, the GPT, LDH, and AKP activities significantly improved in the soft tissues of O. hupensis , while the SDH and MDH activities were significantly lowered in the head-foot and liver. However, AIBL treatment did not cause significant effect on AChE activity in O. hupensis . AIBL causes significant damages to O. hupensis liver and can efficiently act on anaerobic and aerobic respiration loci, which will hinder energy metabolism, and cause inadequate energy supply in cells used for normal secretion, eventually leading to O. hupensis death.

76 FR 44045 - Establishment of the SANE/SART AI/AN Initiative Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-22

... SANE/SART AI/AN Initiative Committee AGENCY: Office for Victims of Crime, Justice. ACTION: Notice of... Nurse Examiner (SANE) Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) Initiative (``SANE/SART AI/AN Initiative Committee'' or ``Committee'') is being established in accordance...

Validation of the Avoidance and Inflexibility Scale (AIS) among treatment-seeking smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Farris, Samantha G; Zvolensky, Michael J; DiBello, Angelo M; Schmidt, Norman B

2015-06-01

The Avoidance and Inflexibility Scale (AIS; Gifford et al., 2004) was derived as a smoking-specific measure of experiential avoidance. However, there has been little investigation of the psychometric proprieties of the AIS and no published work on the topic. The current study aimed to test the reliability and validity of the AIS among a sample of adult treatment-seeking daily smokers (n = 465; 48.2% female, 17.8 [SD = 9.60] cigarettes per day). The AIS was administered at 3 time points (baseline, quit-day, and 1 month postquit) as part of a larger smoking cessation trial. An exploratory factor analysis indicated a 2-factor solution, described by inflexibility and avoidance because of smoking related "thoughts/feelings" (9 items) and "somatic sensations" (4 items). Results revealed that the AIS-total and factor scores demonstrated high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The AIS total and factor scores also displayed high convergent, discriminant, and incremental predictive validity with theoretically relevant smoking and affective variables. The present data suggest that the AIS measure appears to be a valid and reliable smoking-specific index of experiential avoidance. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Validation of the Avoidance and Inflexibility Scale (AIS) among Treatment-Seeking Smoker

Science.gov (United States)

Farris, Samantha G.; Zvolensky, Michael J.; DiBello, Angelo M.; Schmidt, Norman B.

2015-01-01

The Avoidance and Inflexibility Scale (AIS; Gifford et al., 2004) was derived as smoking-specific measure of experiential avoidance. However, there has been little investigation of the psychometric proprieties of the AIS and no published work on the topic. The current study aimed to test the reliability and validity of the AIS among a sample of adult treatment-seeking daily smokers (n = 465; 48.1% female, 17.8 [SD = 9.60] cigarettes per day). The AIS was administered at three time points (Baseline, Quit day, 1 month post-quit) as part of a larger smoking cessation trial. An exploratory factor analysis indicated a two-factor solution, described by inflexibility and avoidance due to smoking related “thoughts/feelings” (9 items) and “somatic sensations” (4 items). Results revealed that the AIS-total and factor scores demonstrated high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The AIS total and factor scores also displayed high convergent, discriminant, and incremental predictive validity with theoretically-relevant smoking and affective variables. The present data suggest that the AIS measure appears to be a valid and reliable smoking-specific index of experiential avoidance. PMID:25642937

Validation of the Avoidance and Inflexibility Scale (AIS) among Treatment-Seeking Smoker

OpenAIRE

Farris, Samantha G.; Zvolensky, Michael J.; DiBello, Angelo M.; Schmidt, Norman B.

2015-01-01

The Avoidance and Inflexibility Scale (AIS; Gifford et al., 2004) was derived as smoking-specific measure of experiential avoidance. However, there has been little investigation of the psychometric proprieties of the AIS and no published work on the topic. The current study aimed to test the reliability and validity of the AIS among a sample of adult treatment-seeking daily smokers (n = 465; 48.1% female, 17.8 [SD = 9.60] cigarettes per day). The AIS was administered at three time points (Bas...

Code AI Personal Web Pages

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Joseph A.; Smith, Charles A. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The document consists of a publicly available web site (george.arc.nasa.gov) for Joseph A. Garcia's personal web pages in the AI division. Only general information will be posted and no technical material. All the information is unclassified.

Hypericum perforatum: a 'modern' herbal antidepressant: pharmacokinetics of active ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Wurglics, Mario; Schubert-Zsilavecz, Manfred

2006-01-01

Hypericum perforatum (St John's Wort [SJW]) counts among the most favourite herbal drugs, and is the only herbal alternative to classic synthetic antidepressants in the therapy of mild to moderate depression. Several clinical studies have been conducted to verify the effectiveness of ethanolic or methanolic extracts of SJW. Alcoholic SJW extracts are a mixture of substances with widely varying physical and chemical properties and activities. Hyperforin, a phloroglucinol derivative, is the main source of pharmacological effects caused by the consumption of alcoholic extracts of SJW in the therapy of depression. However, several studies indicate that flavone derivatives, e.g. rutin, and also the naphthodianthrones hypericin and pseudohypericin, take part in the antidepressant efficacy. In contrast to the amount of documentation concerning clinical efficacy, oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetic data about the active components are rather scarce. The hyperforin plasma concentration in humans was investigated in a small number of studies. The results of these studies indicate a relevant plasma concentration, comparable with that used in in vitro tests. Furthermore, hyperforin is the only ingredient of H. perforatum that could be determined in the brain of rodents after oral administration of alcoholic extracts. The plasma concentrations of the hypericins were, compared with hyperforin, only one-tenth and, until now, the hypericins could not be found in the brain after oral administration of alcoholic H. perforatum extracts or pure hypericin. Until now, the pharmacokinetic profile of the flavonoids in humans after oral administration of an alcoholic H. perforatum extract has been investigated in only one study. More data are available for rutin and the aglycone quercetin after administration of pure substances or other flavonoid sources.

Applying AI tools to operational space environmental analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Krajnak, Mike; Jesse, Lisa; Mucks, John

1995-01-01

The U.S. Air Force and National Oceanic Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) space environmental operations centers are facing increasingly complex challenges meeting the needs of their growing user community. These centers provide current space environmental information and short term forecasts of geomagnetic activity. Recent advances in modeling and data access have provided sophisticated tools for making accurate and timely forecasts, but have introduced new problems associated with handling and analyzing large quantities of complex data. AI (Artificial Intelligence) techniques have been considered as potential solutions to some of these problems. Fielding AI systems has proven more difficult than expected, in part because of operational constraints. Using systems which have been demonstrated successfully in the operational environment will provide a basis for a useful data fusion and analysis capability. Our approach uses a general purpose AI system already in operational use within the military intelligence community, called the Temporal Analysis System (TAS). TAS is an operational suite of tools supporting data processing, data visualization, historical analysis, situation assessment and predictive analysis. TAS includes expert system tools to analyze incoming events for indications of particular situations and predicts future activity. The expert system operates on a knowledge base of temporal patterns encoded using a knowledge representation called Temporal Transition Models (TTM's) and an event database maintained by the other TAS tools. The system also includes a robust knowledge acquisition and maintenance tool for creating TTM's using a graphical specification language. The ability to manipulate TTM's in a graphical format gives non-computer specialists an intuitive way of accessing and editing the knowledge base. To support space environmental analyses, we used TAS's ability to define domain specific event analysis abstractions. The prototype system defines

AI, automation and the Flight Telerobotic Servicer

Science.gov (United States)

Goforth, Andre; Dominy, Robert

1988-01-01

A NASA study for the preliminary definition of a teleoperated robotic device has been recently completed. The Fligt Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) will be used to assist astronauts in many of the on-board tasks of assembly, maintenance, servicing, and inspection of the Space Station. The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in furthering the FTS automation capabilities and, hence, extending its capacity for growth and evolution is discussed. Relevant system engineering issues are identified, and an approach for insertion of AI technology is presented in terms of the NASA/NBS Standard Reference Model control architecture NASREM.

78 FR 17232 - Meeting of the SANE/SART AI/AN Initiative Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-20

.../SART AI/AN Initiative Committee AGENCY: Office for Victims of Crime, Justice. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The National Coordination Committee on the American Indian/ Alaska Native (AI/AN) Sexual Assault... violence within AI/AN communities. DATES AND LOCATIONS: The meeting will be held via webinar on Wednesday...

Attractive toxic sugar baits: Control of mosquitoes with the low risk active ingredient dinotefuran and potential impacts on non-target organisms in Morocco

Science.gov (United States)

We evaluated the efficacy of ATSB in the laboratory and the field with the low risk active ingredient dinotefuran against mosquito populations. Assays indicated that dinotefuran in solution with the sugar baits was ingested and resulted in high mortality of female Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes a...

AI-guided parameter optimization in inverse treatment planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Hui; Yin Fangfang; Guan Huaiqun; Kim, Jae Ho

2003-01-01

An artificial intelligence (AI)-guided inverse planning system was developed to optimize the combination of parameters in the objective function for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). In this system, the empirical knowledge of inverse planning was formulated with fuzzy if-then rules, which then guide the parameter modification based on the on-line calculated dose. Three kinds of parameters (weighting factor, dose specification, and dose prescription) were automatically modified using the fuzzy inference system (FIS). The performance of the AI-guided inverse planning system (AIGIPS) was examined using the simulated and clinical examples. Preliminary results indicate that the expected dose distribution was automatically achieved using the AI-guided inverse planning system, with the complicated compromising between different parameters accomplished by the fuzzy inference technique. The AIGIPS provides a highly promising method to replace the current trial-and-error approach

Antiviral Effects of Saffron and its Major Ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Soleymani, Sepehr; Zabihollahi, Rezvan; Shahbazi, Sepideh; Bolhassani, Azam

2018-01-01

The lack of an effective vaccine against viral infections, toxicity of the synthetic anti-viral drugs and the generation of resistant viral strains led to discover novel inhibitors. Recently, saffron and its compounds were used to treat different pathological conditions. In this study, we tested the anti-HSV-1 and anti-HIV-1 activities of Iranian saffron extract and its major ingredients including crocin and picrocrocin as well as cytotoxicity in vitro. The data showed that the aqueous saffron extract was not active against HIV-1 and HSV-1 virions at certain doses (i.e., a mild activity), but crocin and picrocrocin indicated significant anti-HSV-1 and also anti-HIV-1 activities. Crocin inhibited the HSV replication at before and after entry of virions into Vero cells. Indeed, crocin carotenoid suppressed HSV penetration in the target cells as well as disturbed virus replication after entry into the cells. Picrocrocin was also effective for inhibiting virus entry and also its replication. This monoterpen aldehyde showed higher anti-HSV effects after virus penetrating in the cells. Generally, these sugar-containing compounds extracted from saffron showed to be effective antiherpetic drug candidates. The recent study is the first report suggesting antiviral activities for saffron extract and its major ingredients. Crocin and picrocrocin could be a promising anti-HSV and anti-HIV agent for herbal therapy against viral infections. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

A framework for AI-based nuclear design support system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furuta, Kazuo; Kondo, Shunsuke

1991-01-01

Nowadays many computer programs are being developed and used for the analytic tasks in nuclear reactor design, but experienced designers are still responsible for most of the synthetic tasks which are not amenable to algorithmic computer processes. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a promising technology to deal with these intractable tasks in design. In development of AI-based design support systems, it is desirable to choose a comprehensive framework based on the scientific theory of design. In this work a framework for AI-based design support systems for nuclear reactor design will be proposed based on an exploration model of design. The fundamental architectures of this framework will be described especially on knowledge representation, context management and design planning. (author)

Polysaccharide-Containing Macromolecules in a Kampo (Traditional Japanese Herbal Medicine, Hochuekkito: Dual Active Ingredients for Modulation of Immune Functions on Intestinal Peyer's Patches and Epithelial cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroaki Kiyohara

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A traditional Japanese herbal (Kampo medicine, Hochuekkito (Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang in Chinese, TJ-41 is a well-known Kampo formula, and has been found to enhance antigen-specific antibody response in not only local mucosal immune system in upper respiratory tract, but also systemic immune system through upper respiratory mucosal immune system. Although this immunopharmacological effect has been proposed to express by modulation of intestinal immune system including Peyer's patches and intestinal epithelial cells, active ingredients are not known. TJ-41 directly affected the production of bone marrow cell-proliferative growth factors from murine Peyer's patch immunocompetent cells in vitro. Among low molecular, intermediate size and macromolecular weight fractions prepared from TJ-41, only fraction containing macromolecular weight ingredients showed Peyer's patch-mediated bone marrow cell-proliferation enhancing activity. Anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration gave 17 subfractions comprising polysaccharides and lignins from the macromolecular weight fraction of TJ-41, and some of the subfractions showed significant enhancing activities having different degrees. Some of the subfractions also expressed stimulating activity on G-CSF-production from colonic epithelial cells, and statistically significant positive correlation was observed among enhancing activities of the subfractions against Peyer's patch immunocompetent cells and epithelial cells. Among the fractions from TJ-41 oral administration of macromolecular weight ingredient fraction to mice succeeded to enhance antigen-specific antibody response in systemic immune system through upper respiratory mucosal immune system, but all the separated fractions failed to enhance the in vivo antibody response in upper respiratory tract.

Five pesticides decreased oxidation of atmospheric methane in a forest soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Priemé, Anders; Ekelund, Flemming

2001-01-01

We found that five tested pesticides (the insecticide Dimethoat 40 EC, the herbicide Tolkan, and the fungicides Tilt 250 EC, Tilt Top, and Corbel) decreased the oxidation of atmospheric methane in slurries from a Danish forest soil. Dimethoat 40 EC was the most toxic with an EC50 value (i.......e. the concentration which caused a 50% inhibition of the methane oxidation) of 10 mg active ingredient (AI) l-1, followed by Tilt 250 EC (EC50=56 mg AI l-1). EC50 of Tilt Top was 350 AI mg l-1, the value of Tolkan was 410 mg AI l-1, while Corbel had a value of 1600 mg AI l-1. Dimethoat 40 EC and Tolkan inhibited...

AI-2 does not function as a quorum sensing molecule in Campylobacter jejuni during exponential growth in vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Winzer Klaus

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Campylobacter jejuni contains a homologue of the luxS gene shown to be responsible for the production of the signalling molecule autoinducer-2 (AI-2 in Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio cholerae. The aim of this study was to determine whether AI-2 acted as a diffusible quorum sensing signal controlling C. jejuni gene expression when it is produced at high levels during mid exponential growth phase. Results AI-2 activity was produced by the parental strain NCTC 11168 when grown in rich Mueller-Hinton broth (MHB as expected, but interestingly was not present in defined Modified Eagles Medium (MEM-α. Consistent with previous studies, the luxS mutant showed comparable growth rates to the parental strain and exhibited decreased motility halos in both MEM-α and MHB. Microarray analysis of genes differentially expressed in wild type and luxS mutant strains showed that many effects on mRNA transcript abundance were dependent on the growth medium and linked to metabolic functions including methionine metabolism. Addition of exogenously produced AI-2 to the wild type and the luxS mutant, growing exponentially in either MHB or MEM-α did not induce any transcriptional changes as analysed by microarray. Conclusion Taken together these results led us to conclude that there is no evidence for the role of AI-2 in cell-to-cell communication in C. jejuni strain NCTC 11168 under the growth conditions used, and that the effects of the luxS mutation on the transcriptome are related to the consequential loss of function in the activated methyl cycle.

AI-2 does not function as a quorum sensing molecule in Campylobacter jejuni during exponential growth in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, Kathryn; Tavender, Tim J; Winzer, Klaus; Wells, Jerry M; Hardie, Kim R

2009-10-08

Campylobacter jejuni contains a homologue of the luxS gene shown to be responsible for the production of the signalling molecule autoinducer-2 (AI-2) in Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio cholerae. The aim of this study was to determine whether AI-2 acted as a diffusible quorum sensing signal controlling C. jejuni gene expression when it is produced at high levels during mid exponential growth phase. AI-2 activity was produced by the parental strain NCTC 11168 when grown in rich Mueller-Hinton broth (MHB) as expected, but interestingly was not present in defined Modified Eagles Medium (MEM-alpha). Consistent with previous studies, the luxS mutant showed comparable growth rates to the parental strain and exhibited decreased motility halos in both MEM-alpha and MHB. Microarray analysis of genes differentially expressed in wild type and luxS mutant strains showed that many effects on mRNA transcript abundance were dependent on the growth medium and linked to metabolic functions including methionine metabolism. Addition of exogenously produced AI-2 to the wild type and the luxS mutant, growing exponentially in either MHB or MEM-alpha did not induce any transcriptional changes as analysed by microarray. Taken together these results led us to conclude that there is no evidence for the role of AI-2 in cell-to-cell communication in C. jejuni strain NCTC 11168 under the growth conditions used, and that the effects of the luxS mutation on the transcriptome are related to the consequential loss of function in the activated methyl cycle.

AI technology and automobile. ; Toward vehicle autonomy. AI gijutsu to jidosha. ; Sharyo no jiritsuka ni mukatte

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okuno, A. (Mazda Motor Corp., Hiroshima (Japan))

1991-01-01

This report describes the vehicle autonomy by using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Owing to a remarkable progress of AI technology, it is forecasted that driving support system will be introduced into the market till 2000, and higher autonomous navigation system will be introduced since about 2010. Autonomous vehicles have capacities of recognizing the outside world and of navigating roads by themselves, and with their enfanced environment adaptability the road transportation in the future is expected to be much more safer than in the present. The autonomous vehicle can warn its driver of potential dangers and correct operational errors of the driver. In order to realize such autonomous vehicles, extensive researches on perception systems, decision making systems and driving support systems are needed. 9 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.

METODE ACTIVE ISOLATED STRETCHING (AIS DAN METODE HOLD RELAX STRETCHING (HRS SAMA EFEKTIF DALAM MENINGKATKAN FLEKSIBILITAS OTOT HAMSTRING PADA MAHASISWA AKADEMI FISIOTERAPI WIDYA HUSADA SEMARANG YANG MENGALAMI HAMSTRING MUSCLE TIGHTNESS (HMTs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akhmad alfajri

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Students with Hamstring Muscle Tightness (HMTs will be at risk of Anterior Crusiatum Ligament (ACL, Low Back Pain (LBP and also Plantar Faciitis. One of the efforts to reduce tightness and improve hamstring muscle flexibility is stretching. Active Isolated Stretching (AIS and Hold Relax Stretching (HRS are the methods of influential stretching to improve muscle flexibility. The goal of the research is to prove that AIS method is equally effective with the HRS method to improve hamstring muscle flexibility to the HMTs patients. The research method was true experimental with pre and post test group design. The research was conducted for 3 weeks and the samples are 23 students in range of 18-25 years old students of physical therapy in Physical Therapy Academy of Widya Husada Semarang which divided into 2 groups; AIS group (n= 12 and HRS group (n= 11. The research used Sit and Reach Test (SRT as the measurement instrument. The result of the research was the average result of AIS group used SRT before treatment was 1.75 cm, SB= 4.309 and after treatment was 10. 58 cm, SB = 8. 005 within p= 0.000 (p 0.05. Those explain that the improvement of hamstring muscle flexibility to the two groups does not show any significant difference. Conclusion from this study was active isolated stretching method and hold relax stretching method are equally effective to improving muscle flexibility of hamstring muscle tightness students of physical therapy in Physical Therapy Academy of Widya Husada Semarang.

[Study on effect of pH on rectum permeability of active ingredients in Reduning suppositories in vitro].

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Ming; Wei, Ying-chun; Meng, Jin; Xu, Dian-hong; Wu, Yun; Xiao, Wei

2015-04-01

To investigate the effect of different pH on rectum permeability of chlorogenic acid and geniposide. Four kinds of Reduning suppositories of different pH were separated and put into the rectum to study the suppositories in vitro and the content of chlorogenic acid and geniposide samples was determined by HPLC to calculate the permeation in 24 hours. With increase of pH within 2.5-7.4, the steady state flux of chlorogenic acid was increased, but the steady state flux of geniposidesamples was steady. Adjusted the pH can increase the rectum permeability of active ingredients in Reduning auppositories.

Chromium concentrations in ruminant feed ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Spears, J W; Lloyd, K E; Krafka, K

2017-05-01

Chromium (Cr), in the form of Cr propionate, has been permitted for supplementation to cattle diets in the United States at levels up to 0.50 mg of Cr/kg of DM since 2009. Little is known regarding Cr concentrations naturally present in practical feed ingredients. The present study was conducted to determine Cr concentrations in feed ingredients commonly fed to ruminants. Feed ingredients were collected from dairy farms, feed mills, grain bins, and university research farms. Mean Cr concentrations in whole cereal grains ranged from 0.025 mg/kg of DM for oats to 0.041 mg/kg of DM for wheat. Grinding whole samples of corn, soybeans, and wheat through a stainless steel Wiley mill screen greatly increased analyzed Cr concentrations. Harvested forages had greater Cr concentrations than concentrates, and alfalfa hay or haylage had greater Cr concentrations than grass hay or corn silage. Chromium in alfalfa hay or haylage (n = 13) averaged 0.522 mg/kg of DM, with a range of 0.199 to 0.889 mg/kg of DM. Corn silage (n = 21) averaged 0.220 mg of Cr/kg of DM with a range of 0.105 to 0.441 mg of Cr/kg of DM. By-product feeds ranged from 0.040 mg of Cr/kg of DM for cottonseed hulls to 1.222 mg of Cr/kg of DM for beet pulp. Of the feed ingredients analyzed, feed grade phosphate sources had the greatest Cr concentration (135.0 mg/kg). Most ruminant feedstuffs and feed ingredients had less than 0.50 mg of Cr/kg of DM. Much of the analyzed total Cr in feed ingredients appears to be due to Cr contamination from soil or metal contact during harvesting, processing, or both. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Framework for AI-based nuclear reactor design support system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furuta, Kazuo; Kondo, Shunsuke

1992-01-01

Nowadays many computer programs are being developed and used for the analytic tasks in nuclear reactor design, but experienced designers are still responsible for most of the synthetic tasks which are not amenable to algorithmic computer processes. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a promising technology to deal with these intractable tasks in design. In development of AI-based design support systems, it is desirable to choose a comprehensive framework based on the scientific theory of design. In this work a framework for AI-based design support systems for nuclear reactor design will be proposed based on an explorative abduction model of design. The fundamental architectures of this framework will be described especially on knowledge representation, context management and design planning. (author)

National AIS at 1 Minute Intervals

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — OCM plans to contract for AIS data per the following description. The United States Automatic Identification System Database contains vessel traffic data for...

Monitoring severe accidents using AI techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

No, Young Gyu; Ahn, Kwang Il [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ju Hyun; Na, Man Gyun [Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Lim, Dong Hyuk [Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control, Daejon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

After the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, there has been increasing concern regarding severe accidents in nuclear facilities. Severe accident scenarios are difficult for operators to monitor and identify. Therefore, accurate prediction of a severe accident is important in order to manage it appropriately in the unfavorable conditions. In this study, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, such as support vector classification (SVC), probabilistic neural network (PNN), group method of data handling (GMDH), and fuzzy neural network (FNN), were used to monitor the major transient scenarios of a severe accident caused by three different initiating events, the hot-leg loss of coolant accident (LOCA), the cold-leg LOCA, and the steam generator tube rupture in pressurized water reactors (PWRs). The SVC and PNN models were used for the event classification. The GMDH and FNN models were employed to accurately predict the important timing representing severe accident scenarios. In addition, in order to verify the proposed algorithm, data from a number of numerical simulations were required in order to train the AI techniques due to the shortage of real LOCA data. The data was acquired by performing simulations using the MAAP4 code. The prediction accuracy of the three types of initiating events was sufficiently high to predict severe accident scenarios. Therefore, the AI techniques can be applied successfully in the identification and monitoring of severe accident scenarios in real PWRs.

Monitoring severe accidents using AI techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

No, Young Gyu; Ahn, Kwang Il; Kim, Ju Hyun; Na, Man Gyun; Lim, Dong Hyuk

2012-01-01

After the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, there has been increasing concern regarding severe accidents in nuclear facilities. Severe accident scenarios are difficult for operators to monitor and identify. Therefore, accurate prediction of a severe accident is important in order to manage it appropriately in the unfavorable conditions. In this study, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, such as support vector classification (SVC), probabilistic neural network (PNN), group method of data handling (GMDH), and fuzzy neural network (FNN), were used to monitor the major transient scenarios of a severe accident caused by three different initiating events, the hot-leg loss of coolant accident (LOCA), the cold-leg LOCA, and the steam generator tube rupture in pressurized water reactors (PWRs). The SVC and PNN models were used for the event classification. The GMDH and FNN models were employed to accurately predict the important timing representing severe accident scenarios. In addition, in order to verify the proposed algorithm, data from a number of numerical simulations were required in order to train the AI techniques due to the shortage of real LOCA data. The data was acquired by performing simulations using the MAAP4 code. The prediction accuracy of the three types of initiating events was sufficiently high to predict severe accident scenarios. Therefore, the AI techniques can be applied successfully in the identification and monitoring of severe accident scenarios in real PWRs.

NASA space station automation: AI-based technology review

Science.gov (United States)

Firschein, O.; Georgeff, M. P.; Park, W.; Neumann, P.; Kautz, W. H.; Levitt, K. N.; Rom, R. J.; Poggio, A. A.

1985-01-01

Research and Development projects in automation for the Space Station are discussed. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based automation technologies are planned to enhance crew safety through reduced need for EVA, increase crew productivity through the reduction of routine operations, increase space station autonomy, and augment space station capability through the use of teleoperation and robotics. AI technology will also be developed for the servicing of satellites at the Space Station, system monitoring and diagnosis, space manufacturing, and the assembly of large space structures.

Allergenic Ingredients in Personal Hygiene Wet Wipes.

Science.gov (United States)

Aschenbeck, Kelly A; Warshaw, Erin M

Wet wipes are a significant allergen source for anogenital allergic contact dermatitis. The aim of the study was to calculate the frequency of potentially allergenic ingredients in personal hygiene wet wipes. Ingredient lists from brand name and generic personal hygiene wet wipes from 4 large retailers were compiled. In the 54 personal hygiene wet wipes evaluated, a total of 132 ingredients were identified (average of 11.9 ingredients per wipe). The most common ingredients were Aloe barbadensis (77.8%), citric acid (77.8%), fragrance (72.2%), sorbic acid derivatives (63.0%), tocopherol derivatives (63.0%), glycerin (59.3%), phenoxyethanol (55.6%), disodium cocoamphodiacetate (53.7%), disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) (42.6%), propylene glycol (42.6%), iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (40.7%), chamomile extracts (38.9%), sodium benzoate (35.2%), bronopol (22.2%), sodium citrate (22.2%), lanolin derivatives (20.4%), parabens (20.4%), polyethylene glycol derivatives (18.5%), disodium phosphate (16.7%), dimethylol dimethyl hydantoin (DMDM) (14.8%), and cocamidopropyl propylene glycol (PG)-dimonium chloride phosphate (11.1%). Of note, methylisothiazolinone (5.6%) was uncommon; methylchloroisothiazolinone was not identified in the personal hygiene wet wipes examined. There are many potential allergens in personal hygiene wet wipes, especially fragrance and preservatives.

Enabling technologies and methods for the retro-fitting of AI software into NPPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pymm, P.

1994-01-01

Scottish Nuclear have a number of plant monitoring and training applications at their operational nuclear power plant which could benefit from the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) software. An outline of early work on two current AI developments in the areas of advanced operator aids and intelligent training is given. A generic workstation based engineering simulator (WES) which provides a prototyping environment for AI product application development and evaluation and development of human-computer interface (HCI) designs for plant installation is described. It is concluded that the WES architecture facilitates both migration of the prototype AI application to the plant and collaboration in the AI field between Scottish Nuclear and other organizations. (author). 1 ref., 6 figs

A Review of Future and Ethical Perspectives of Robotics and AI

OpenAIRE

Jim Torresen

2018-01-01

In recent years, there has been increased attention on the possible impact of future robotics and AI systems. Prominent thinkers have publicly warned about the risk of a dystopian future when the complexity of these systems progresses further. These warnings stand in contrast to the current state-of-the-art of the robotics and AI technology. This article reviews work considering both the future potential of robotics and AI systems, and ethical considerations that need to be taken in order to ...

Using experimental game theory to transit human values to ethical AI

OpenAIRE

Wang, Yijia; Wan, Yan; Wang, Zhijian

2017-01-01

Knowing the reflection of game theory and ethics, we develop a mathematical representation to bridge the gap between the concepts in moral philosophy (e.g., Kantian and Utilitarian) and AI ethics industry technology standard (e.g., IEEE P7000 standard series for Ethical AI). As an application, we demonstrate how human value can be obtained from the experimental game theory (e.g., trust game experiment) so as to build an ethical AI. Moreover, an approach to test the ethics (rightness or wrongn...

Predicting release and transport of pesticides from a granular formulation during unsaturated diffusion in porous media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paradelo Pérez, Marcos; Soto-Gómez, Diego; Pérez-Rodrígez, Paula

2014-01-01

The release and transport of active ingredients (AIs) from controlled-release formulations (CRFs) have potential to reduce groundwater pesticide pollution. These formulations have a major effect on the release rate and subsequent transport to groundwater. Therefore the influence of CRFs should be...

Accretion in Radiative Equipartition (AiRE) Disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yazdi, Yasaman K.; Afshordi, Niayesh, E-mail: yyazdi@pitp.ca, E-mail: nafshordi@pitp.ca [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 31 Caroline Street N, Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5 (Canada)

2017-07-01

Standard accretion disk theory predicts that the total pressure in disks at typical (sub-)Eddington accretion rates becomes radiation pressure dominated. However, radiation pressure dominated disks are thermally unstable. Since these disks are observed in approximate steady state over the instability timescale, our accretion models in the radiation-pressure-dominated regime (i.e., inner disk) need to be modified. Here, we present a modification to the Shakura and Sunyaev model, where the radiation pressure is in equipartition with the gas pressure in the inner region. We call these flows accretion in radiative equipartition (AiRE) disks. We introduce the basic features of AiRE disks and show how they modify disk properties such as the Toomre parameter and the central temperature. We then show that the accretion rate of AiRE disks is limited from above and below, by Toomre and nodal sonic point instabilities, respectively. The former leads to a strict upper limit on the mass of supermassive black holes as a function of cosmic time (and spin), while the latter could explain the transition between hard and soft states of X-ray binaries.

Development and Validation of the Alcohol Identity Implicit Associations Test (AI-IAT)

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Heather M.; LaPlante, Debi A.; Bannon, Brittany L.; Ambady, Nalini; Shaffer, Howard J.

2011-01-01

Alcohol identity is the extent to which an individual perceives drinking alcohol to be a defining characteristic of his or her self-identity. Although alcohol identity might play an important role in risky college drinking practices, there is currently no easily administered, implicit measure of this concept. Therefore we developed a computerized implicit measure of alcohol identity (the Alcohol Identity Implicit Associations Test; AI-IAT) and assessed its reliability and predictive validity in relation to risky college drinking practices. One hundred forty-one college students completed the AI-IAT. Again 3- and 6-months later, we administered the AI-IAT and indices of engagement in risky college drinking practices. A subset of participants also completed the previously-validated implicit measure of alcohol identity. Scores on the AI-IAT were stable over time, internally consistent, and positively correlated with the previously-validated measure of alcohol identity. Baseline AI-IAT scores predicted future engagement in risky college drinking practices, even after controlling for standard alcohol consumption measures. We conclude that the AI-IAT reliably measures alcohol identity, a concept that appears to play an important role in risky college drinking practices. PMID:21621924

Combining AI Methods for Learning Bots in a Real-Time Strategy Game

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robin Baumgarten

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We describe an approach for simulating human game-play in strategy games using a variety of AI techniques, including simulated annealing, decision tree learning, and case-based reasoning. We have implemented an AI-bot that uses these techniques to form a novel approach for planning fleet movements and attacks in DEFCON, a nuclear war simulation strategy game released in 2006 by Introversion Software Ltd. The AI-bot retrieves plans from a case-base of recorded games, then uses these to generate a new plan using a method based on decision tree learning. In addition, we have implemented more sophisticated control over low-level actions that enable the AI-bot to synchronize bombing runs, and used a simulated annealing approach for assigning bombing targets to planes and opponent cities to missiles. We describe how our AI-bot operates, and the experimentation we have performed in order to determine an optimal configuration for it. With this configuration, our AI-bot beats Introversion's finite state machine automated player in 76.7% of 150 matches played. We briefly introduce the notion of ability versus enjoyability and discuss initial results of a survey we conducted with human players.

Effects of Additives on the Corrosion Resistance of Iron Aluminides(Fe-38at.%AI-5at.%Cr)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, H. C.; Kim, C. W.; Joo, S. M.; Choi, D. C.; Kim, K. H.

2001-01-01

The effects of additives on the corrosion resistance of iron aluminides(Fe-38at.%AI-5at.%Cr) were investigated using potentiostat. The specimens were cast by vacuum arc melting. The subsequent homogenization was carried out in Ar gas atmosphere at 1000 .deg. C for 7 days. The corroded surfaces of the tested specimens were observed using an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope(SEM) after electrochemical tests were carried out in various solutions. While the Hf addition to Fe-38at.%AI-5at.%Cr resulted in equiaxial microstructure, the Zr addition resulted in dendritic microstructure. However, no change in microstructure was observed when Mo was added. The addition of Mo to Fe-38at.%AI-5at.%Cr intermetallic compound was found to increase the pitting potential, which improved the resistance against the pitting corrosion attack. The addition of Hf and Zr resulted in a higher activation current density and a lower pitting potential. These results may indicate that the dendrite structure played a major role in decreasing the pitting corrosion resistance of Fe-38at.%AI-5at%Cr intermetallic compound. The Mo addition to Fe-38at.%AI-5at.%Cr decreased the number and size of pits. In the case of Zr addition, the pits nucleated and grew remarkably at dendritic branches

AIS Ship Traffic: Hawaii: 2011-2012

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Ship position data from a satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) were obtained jointly by PacIOOS (J. Potemra), SOEST/ORE of the University of Hawaii...

Control of ALS resistant volunteer oil seed rape and other dicotyledonous weeds with GF-145, a new cereal herbicide product containing isoxaben and florasulam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Becker, Jörg

2014-02-01

Full Text Available GF-145 contains the active ingredients isoxaben (610 g ai/kg and florasulam (40 g ai/kg and is formulated as a Wettable Granule (WG. The active ingredients are found in commercial products such as Primus™2 (florasulam, Starane XL™ (fluroxypyr + florasulam, Ariane C™ (fluroxypyr + florasulam + clopyralid or Flexidor™ (isoxaben. While florasulam has been widely used in cereal crops in recent years, isoxaben offers a new mode of action (MOA for use in German cereal herbicides even when considering that Flexidor™ has had regulatory approval in 1988 to 1991. The MOA of isoxaben is inhibition of cellulose synthesis (HRAC class L, while florasulam inhibits Acetolactate Synthase (ALS and is a representative of the HRAC class B. It is known that florasulam works through uptake by green leaves. Isoxaben is a herbicide with soil activity and with a very low activity when foliar applied, except on some species in the cruciferae family. GF-145 is intended to be applied in the autumn in cereals (wheat, barley, rye, triticale for the control of ALS resistant volunteer oil seed rape and annual dicotyledonous weeds including Matricaria spp., Stellaria media, Papaver rhoeas, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Myosotis arvensis, Lamium spp., Galium aparine, Veronica spp. and others when applied at early post-emergence from BBCH 10 to 13 of the crop. The use rate in winter cereals is 95 g product/ha (58 g ai/ha isoxaben plus 3.75 g ai/ha florasulam. Field trials conducted in previous years confirmed excellent selectivity in all cereal crops and efficacy trials initiated in autumn 2012 show that GF-145 provides excellent and superior control to ALS resistant oil seed rape that was better than straight florasulam and other ALS active ingredients. GF-145 adds a new MOA to the cereal herbicide portfolio and controls volunteer oil seed rape, cruciferous weeds and broad-leaved weeds and is more robust than florasulam based products that do not contain isoxaben.

Artemisiae Argyi Folium and its geo-authentic crude drug qi ai

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diangang Liu

2017-01-01

Conclusion: The superior quality of qi ai compared with general AAF may be due to relatively higher contents of bioactive components. This study provides basic information for further study and utilization of AAF and qi ai.

Autonomously generating operations sequences for a Mars Rover using AI-based planning

Science.gov (United States)

Sherwood, Rob; Mishkin, Andrew; Estlin, Tara; Chien, Steve; Backes, Paul; Cooper, Brian; Maxwell, Scott; Rabideau, Gregg

2001-01-01

This paper discusses a proof-of-concept prototype for ground-based automatic generation of validated rover command sequences from highlevel science and engineering activities. This prototype is based on ASPEN, the Automated Scheduling and Planning Environment. This Artificial Intelligence (AI) based planning and scheduling system will automatically generate a command sequence that will execute within resource constraints and satisfy flight rules.

Apolipoprotein A-I metabolism in cynomolgus monkey. Identification and characterization of beta-migrating pools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melchior, G.W.; Castle, C.K.

1989-01-01

Fresh plasma from control (C) and hypercholesterolemic (HC) cynomolgus monkeys was analyzed by agarose electrophoresis-immunoblotting with antibody to cynomolgus monkey apolipoprotein (apo) A-I. Two bands were evident on the autoradiogram: an alpha-migrating band (high density lipoprotein) and a beta-migrating band that comigrated exactly with cynomolgus monkey low density lipoprotein (LDL). The presence of beta-migrating apo A-I in the plasma of these monkeys was confirmed by Geon-Pevikon preparative electrophoresis, crossed immunoelectrophoresis, and isotope dilution studies in which radiolabeled apo A-I was found to equilibrate also with alpha- and beta-migrating pools of apo A-I in the plasma. Subfractionation of C and HC plasma by agarose column chromatography (Bio-Gel A-0.5M and A-15M) followed by agarose electrophoresis-immunoblotting indicated that the beta-migrating apo A-I in C was relatively homogeneous and eluted with proteins of Mr approximately 50 kD [apo A-I(50 kD)], whereas two beta-migrating fractions were identified in HC, one that eluted with the 50-kD proteins, and the other that eluted in the LDL Mr range [apo A-I(LDL)]. The apo A-I(LDL) was precipitated by antibody to cynomolgus monkey apo B. The apo A-I(50 kD) accounted for 5 +/- 1% (mean +/- SD) of the plasma apo A-I in C plasma, and 15 +/- 7% in HC plasma. No apo A-I(LDL) was detected in C plasma, but that fraction accounted for 9 +/- 7% of the apo A-I in HC plasma. These data establish the presence of multiple pools of apo A-I in the cynomolgus monkey, which must be taken into consideration in any comprehensive model of apo A-I metabolism in this species

General general game AI

OpenAIRE

Togelius, Julian; Yannakakis, Georgios N.; 2016 IEEE Conference on Computational Intelligence and Games (CIG)

2016-01-01

Arguably the grand goal of artificial intelligence research is to produce machines with general intelligence: the capacity to solve multiple problems, not just one. Artificial intelligence (AI) has investigated the general intelligence capacity of machines within the domain of games more than any other domain given the ideal properties of games for that purpose: controlled yet interesting and computationally hard problems. This line of research, however, has so far focuse...

Mapping Stress-Induced Changes in Autoinducer AI-2 Production in Chemostat-Cultivated Escherichia coli K-12

Science.gov (United States)

DeLisa, Matthew P.; Valdes, James J.; Bentley, William E.

2001-01-01

Numerous gram-negative bacteria employ a cell-to-cell signaling mechanism, termed quorum sensing, for controlling gene expression in response to population density. Recently, this phenomenon has been discovered in Escherichia coli, and while pathogenic E. coli utilize quorum sensing to regulate pathogenesis (i.e., expression of virulence genes), the role of quorum sensing in nonpathogenic E. coli is less clear, and in particular, there is no information regarding the role of quorum sensing during the overexpression of recombinant proteins. The production of autoinducer AI-2, a signaling molecule employed by E. coli for intercellular communication, was studied in E. coli W3110 chemostat cultures using a Vibrio harveyi AI-2 reporter assay (M. G. Surrette and B. L. Bassler, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95:7046–7050, 1998). Chemostat cultures enabled a study of AI-2 regulation through steady-state and transient responses to a variety of environmental stimuli. Results demonstrated that AI-2 levels increased with the steady-state culture growth rate. In addition, AI-2 increased following pulsed addition of glucose, Fe(III), NaCl, and dithiothreitol and decreased following aerobiosis, amino acid starvation, and isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside-induced expression of human interleukin-2 (hIL-2). In general, the AI-2 responses to several perturbations were indicative of a shift in metabolic activity or state of the cells induced by the individual stress. Because of our interest in the expression of heterologous proteins in E. coli, the transcription of four quorum-regulated genes and 20 stress genes was mapped during the transient response to induced expression of hIL-2. Significant regulatory overlap was revealed among several stress and starvation genes and known quorum-sensing genes. PMID:11292813

Emotion Oriented Programming: Computational Abstractions for AI Problem Solving

OpenAIRE

Darty , Kevin; Sabouret , Nicolas

2012-01-01

International audience; In this paper, we present a programming paradigm for AI problem solving based on computational concepts drawn from Affective Computing. It is believed that emotions participate in human adaptability and reactivity, in behaviour selection and in complex and dynamic environments. We propose to define a mechanism inspired from this observation for general AI problem solving. To this purpose, we synthesize emotions as programming abstractions that represent the perception ...

Hovenia dulcis Thunb extract and its ingredient methyl vanillate activate Wnt/β-catenin pathway and increase bone mass in growing or ovariectomized mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pu-Hyeon Cha

Full Text Available The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is a potential target for development of anabolic agents to treat osteoporosis because of its role in osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. However, there is no clinically available anti-osteoporosis drug that targets this Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In this study, we screened a library of aqueous extracts of 350 plants and identified Hovenia dulcis Thunb (HDT extract as a Wnt/β-catenin pathway activator. HDT extract induced osteogenic differentiation of calvarial osteoblasts without cytotoxicity. In addition, HDT extract increased femoral bone mass without inducing significant weight changes in normal mice. In addition, thickness and area of femoral cortical bone were also significantly increased by the HDT extract. Methyl vanillate (MV, one of the ingredients in HDT, also activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and induced osteoblast differentiation in vitro. MV rescued trabecular or cortical femoral bone loss in the ovariectomized mice without inducing any significant weight changes or abnormality in liver tissue when administrated orally. Thus, natural HDT extract and its ingredient MV are potential anabolic agents for treating osteoporosis.

Electrostatic separation for functional food ingredient production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, J.

2016-01-01

Summary

Dry fractionation is a promising alternative to wet extraction processes for production of food ingredients, since it uses hardly any water, consumes less energy and retains the native functionality of the ingredients. It combines milling and dry separation to

Do older t'ai chi practitioners have better attention and memory function?

Science.gov (United States)

Man, David W K; Tsang, William W N; Hui-Chan, Christina W Y

2010-12-01

Cognitive declines are common in older people and can be a major health issue in an aging world. One type of body-mind exercises, t'ai chi, can be a possible means to help maintaining older adults' cognitive abilities, in addition to beneficial effects of physical exercises. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether t'ai chi practitioners had better attention and memory functions than older people with or without regular exercises. A cross-sectional study examining the relationship between t'ai chi practice and age-, gender- and education-similar older peoples' attention and memory functions. Forty-two (42) community-dwelling elderly subjects, aged 60 or older, recruited from t'ai chi clubs in Hong Kong formed the t'ai chi group. Another 49 elderly having regular exercise habits were recruited from community centers for inclusion in the exercise group. A nonexercise group (normal healthy control) consisting of 44 subjects were also recruited by random selection and through contacting local elderly centers. They were also screened by the Modified Barthel Index, Chinese Mini-mental Status Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale, and evaluated by attention tests (Color Trail Form A-1 and 2) and memory tests (including Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test and The Hong Kong List Learning Test). The main finding was that the three groups differed in attention and memory functions, and the t'ai chi group had demonstrated better performance than the other two groups in most subtests. As a causal relationship cannot be assumed in the present cross-sectional study, future research is required to examine how t'ai chi can improve cognitive function using a randomized control trial as well as determining whether t'ai chi practice can lead to better health status among elderly people.

Application of AI technology to nuclear plant operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sackett, J.I.

1988-01-01

In this paper, applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology to nuclear-power plant operation are reviewed. AI Technology is advancing rapidly and in the next five years is expected to enjoy widespread application to operation, maintenance, management and safety. Near term emphasis on a sensor validation, scheduling, alarm handling, and expert systems for procedural assistance. Ultimate applications are envisioned to culminate in autonomous control such as would be necessary for a power system in space, where automatic control actions are taken based upon reasoned conclusions regarding plant conditions, capability and control objectives

Neotropics and natural ingredients for pharmaceuticals: why isn't South American biodiversity on the crest of the wave?

Science.gov (United States)

Desmarchelier, Cristian

2010-06-01

Despite the advent of biotechnology and modern methods of combinatorial chemistry and rational drug design, nature still plays a surprisingly important role as a source of new pharmaceutical compounds. These are marketed either as herbal drugs or as single active ingredients. South American tropical ecosystems (or the Neotropics) encompass one-third of the botanical biodiversity of the planet. For centuries, indigenous peoples have been using plants for healing purposes, and scientists are making considerable efforts in order to validate these uses from a pharmacological/phytochemical point of view. However, and despite the unique plant diversity in the region, very few natural pharmaceutical ingredients from this part of the world have reached the markets in industrialized countries. The present review addresses the importance of single active ingredients and herbal drugs from South American flora as natural ingredients for pharmaceuticals; it highlights the most relevant cases in terms of species of interest; and discusses the key entry barriers for these products in industrialized countries. It explores the reasons why, in spite of the region's competitive advantages, South American biodiversity has been a poor source of natural ingredients for the pharmaceutical industry. (c) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Teaching AI Search Algorithms in a Web-Based Educational System

Science.gov (United States)

Grivokostopoulou, Foteini; Hatzilygeroudis, Ioannis

2013-01-01

In this paper, we present a way of teaching AI search algorithms in a web-based adaptive educational system. Teaching is based on interactive examples and exercises. Interactive examples, which use visualized animations to present AI search algorithms in a step-by-step way with explanations, are used to make learning more attractive. Practice…

Managing bioengineering complexity with AI techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Beal, Jacob; Adler, Aaron; Yaman, Fusun

2016-10-01

Our capabilities for systematic design and engineering of biological systems are rapidly increasing. Effectively engineering such systems, however, requires the synthesis of a rapidly expanding and changing complex body of knowledge, protocols, and methodologies. Many of the problems in managing this complexity, however, appear susceptible to being addressed by artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, i.e., methods enabling computers to represent, acquire, and employ knowledge. Such methods can be employed to automate physical and informational "routine" work and thus better allow humans to focus their attention on the deeper scientific and engineering issues. This paper examines the potential impact of AI on the engineering of biological organisms through the lens of a typical organism engineering workflow. We identify a number of key opportunities for significant impact, as well as challenges that must be overcome. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrolysate from a mixture of legume flours with antifungal activity as an ingredient for prolonging the shelf-life of wheat bread.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzello, Carlo Giuseppe; Verni, Michela; Bordignon, Stefano; Gramaglia, Valerio; Gobbetti, Marco

2017-06-01

Aiming at identifying antifungal compounds from plant matrices to be used as ingredients in the bakery industry, a water/salt-soluble extract (WSE) was produced from a legume enzyme hydrolysate, consisting of a mixture of pea, lentil, and faba bean flours, and assayed towards Penicillium roqueforti DPPMAF1. Agar diffusion assays allowed the selection of the optimal processing conditions for hydrolysis. As shown by hyphal radial growth rate, the inhibition was observed towards several fungi, including Aspergillus parasiticus CBS971.97, Penicillium carneum CBS 112297, Penicillium paneum CBS 101032, Penicillium polonicum 112490. A multi-step purification was carried out to identify the active compounds. The antifungal activity was attributed to native proteins (nsLTP, ubiquitin, lectin alpha-1 chain, wound-induced basic protein, defensin-1, defensin-2) and a mixture of peptides, which were released during hydrolysis. Nine peptides were purified and identified as sequences encrypted in legume vicilins, lectins and chitinases. WSE was used as ingredient for making bread under pilot plant conditions. Chemical, structural and sensory characterization of bread showed the lack of significant changes compared to control. The bread made with the legume hydrolysate had a longer shelf-life than that of the control. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of a method by gas chromatography for the determination of fatty acids that comprise the active ingredient D-004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez Leyes, Eduardo A; Marrero Delange, David; Gonzalez Canavaciolo, Victor L; Sierra Perez, Roxana; Adames Fajardo, Yuliamny

2009-01-01

D-004 is a new active ingredient obtained from the Cuban royal palm (Roystonea regia) fruits. This substance is mainly composed by a mixture of saturated and unsaturated free fatty acids, from 8 to 18 carbon atoms, and has shown to be effective in experimental model of prostate hyperplasia. A capillary gas chromatographic method for the determination of the fatty acids in D-004 was developed and validated. The acids were analyzed as methyl ester derivatives, which were obtained by reaction with 10 % acetyl chloride in methanol and separated in a BPX-5 wide-bore column using tridecanoic acid as internal standard. The specificity study showed no interferences regarding the determination of this mixture, once the samples were submitted to stress conditions. Determination of the total fatty acid content was linear (r > 0.999; CVs of the response factors and of the slopes lower than 5 and 2 %, respectively) and without bias in the studied concentration range, from 50 to 150 % of the nominal mass. In the accuracy study, over the range 80 to 120 % of the nominal fatty acid concentration, high recoveries (100.4 to 100.8 %) were reached. Good results were obtained in the repeatability and intermediate precision studies (CV < 2%), proving that the method is precise. These results support that this method is properly validated, being appropriate for the quality control and stability studies of this active ingredient

Effects of Ai Chi on balance, quality of life, functional mobility, and motor impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurt, Emine Eda; Büyükturan, Buket; Büyükturan, Öznur; Erdem, Hatice Rana; Tuncay, Figen

2018-04-01

In this study, we aimed to investigate effects of Ai Chi on balance, functional mobility, health-related quality of life, and motor impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease. This study was conducted as an open-label randomized controlled trial (ISRCTN26292510) with repeated measures. Forty patients with Parkinson's disease stages 2 to 3 according to the Hoehn and Yahr Scale were randomly allocated to either an Ai Chi exercise group or a land-based exercise control group for 5 weeks. Balance was measured using the Biodex-3,1 and the Berg Balance Scale. Functional mobility was evaluated using the Timed Up and Go Test. Additionally, health-related quality of life and motor activity were assessed with the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-III. Although patients in both groups showed significant improvement in all outcome variables, improvement of dynamic balance was significantly greater in the Ai Chi group (p Balance Scale (p balance, mobility, motor ability, and quality of life. In addition, Ai Chi exercise was more effective as an intervention than land-based exercise in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease. Implications for rehabilitation Ai Chi exercises (aquatic exercises) may help improve balance, functional mobility, health-related quality of life, and motor ability in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease more efficiently than similar land-based exercises. Ai Chi exercises should be considered as a rehabilitation option for treatment of patients with mild or moderate Parkinson's disease.

Annealing Induced Softening in Deformed AI-4043 Alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saad, G.; Fawzy, A.; Soliman, H.N.; Mohammed, Gh.; Fayek, S.A.

2011-01-01

The present paper is devoted to study the effect of annealing temperature for different annealing periods of time on the structure and consequently on the tensile properties of Al-4043 alloy. The obtained results showed that the microstructure of AI-4043 alloy is characterized by the presence of spherically shaped Si-particles, which were found to be uniformly distributed within the AI-matrix. Stress-strain characterizations of AI-4043 samples annealed at different temperatures (T a = 573, 673 and 773 K) for different periods of time (t a = 0.5, 1,2.5,5 and 10 h), showed that the tensile parameters; yield stress ε y 0.2 and fracture stress ε f were decreased with increasing Ta and/or ta while the total strain ε T was increased. This was interpreted in terms of growth of Si-particles with increasing T a and/or t a . Attention has been also paid to the role of the minor elements Fe, Cu and Ti on the structure and tensile response behavior of the alloy under investigation

Beyond AI: Multi-Intelligence (MI Combining Natural and Artificial Intelligences in Hybrid Beings and Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Fox

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Framing strongly influences actions among technology proponents and end-users. Underlying much debate about artificial intelligence (AI are several fundamental shortcomings in its framing. First, discussion of AI is atheoretical, and therefore has limited potential for addressing the complexity of causation. Second, intelligence is considered from an anthropocentric perspective that sees human intelligence, and intelligence developed by humans, as superior to all other intelligences. Thus, the extensive post-anthropocentric research into intelligence is not given sufficient consideration. Third, AI is discussed often in reductionist mechanistic terms. Rather than in organicist emergentist terms as a contributor to multi-intelligence (MI hybrid beings and/or systems. Thus, current framing of AI can be a self-validating reduction within which AI development is focused upon AI becoming the single-variable mechanism causing future effects. In this paper, AI is reframed as a contributor to MI.

Continuous Hydrolysis and Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation of an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Intermediate Using a Miniscale Hydrophobic Membrane Separator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cervera Padrell, Albert Emili; Morthensen, Sofie Thage; Lewandowski, Daniel Jacob

2012-01-01

Continuous hydrolysis of an active pharmaceutical ingredient intermediate, and subsequent liquid–liquid (L-L) separation of the resulting organic and aqueous phases, have been achieved using a simple PTFE tube reactor connected to a miniscale hydrophobic membrane separator. An alkoxide product......, obtained in continuous mode by a Grignard reaction in THF, reacted with acidic water to produce partially miscible organic and aqueous phases containing Mg salts. Despite the partial THF–water miscibility, the two phases could be separated at total flow rates up to 40 mL/min at different flow ratios, using...

Network Understanding of Herb Medicine via Rapid Identification of Ingredient-Target Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hai-Ping; Pan, Jian-Bo; Zhang, Chi; Ji, Nan; Wang, Hao; Ji, Zhi-Liang

2014-01-01

Today, herb medicines have become the major source for discovery of novel agents in countermining diseases. However, many of them are largely under-explored in pharmacology due to the limitation of current experimental approaches. Therefore, we proposed a computational framework in this study for network understanding of herb pharmacology via rapid identification of putative ingredient-target interactions in human structural proteome level. A marketing anti-cancer herb medicine in China, Yadanzi (Brucea javanica), was chosen for mechanistic study. Total 7,119 ingredient-target interactions were identified for thirteen Yadanzi active ingredients. Among them, about 29.5% were estimated to have better binding affinity than their corresponding marketing drug-target interactions. Further Bioinformatics analyses suggest that simultaneous manipulation of multiple proteins in the MAPK signaling pathway and the phosphorylation process of anti-apoptosis may largely answer for Yadanzi against non-small cell lung cancers. In summary, our strategy provides an efficient however economic solution for systematic understanding of herbs' power.

Applying AI techniques to improve alarm display effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gross, J.M.; Birrer, S.A.; Crosberg, D.R.

1987-01-01

The Alarm Filtering System (AFS) addresses the problem of information overload in a control room during abnormal operations. Since operators can miss vital information during these periods, systems which emphasize important messages are beneficial. AFS uses the artificial intelligence (AI) technique of object-oriented programming to filter and dynamically prioritize alarm messages. When an alarm's status changes, AFS determines the relative importance of that change according to the current process state. AFS bases that relative importance on relationships the newly changed alarm has with other activated alarms. Evaluations of a alarm importance take place without regard to the activation sequence of alarm signals. The United States Department of Energy has applied for a patent on the approach used in this software. The approach was originally developed by EG and G Idaho for a nuclear reactor control room

Novel cross-linked alcohol-insoluble solid (CL-AIS) affinity gel from pea pod for pectinesterase purification.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ming-Chang; Lin, Guan-Hui; Wang, Yuh-Tai; Jiang, Chii-Ming; Chang, Hung-Min

2005-10-05

Alcohol-insoluble solids (AIS) from pea pod were cross-linked (CL-AIS) and used as an affinity gel matrix to isolate pectin esterases (PEs) from tendril shoots of chayote (TSC) and jelly fig achenes (JFA), and the results were compared with those isolated by ion-exchange chromatography with a commercial resin. CL-AIS gel matrix in a column displayed poor absorption and purification fold of PE; however, highly methoxylated CL-AIS (HM-CL-AIS), by exposing CL-AIS to methanolic sulfuric acid to increase the degree of esterification (DE) to 92%, facilitated the enzyme purification. The purified TSC PE and JFA PE by the HM-CL-AIS column were proofed as a single band on an SDS-PAGE gel, showing that the HM-CL-AIS column was a good matrix for purification of PE, either with alkaline isoelectric point (pI) (TSC PE) or with acidic pI (JFA PE).

AI systems approach in particle accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kataria, S.K.; Bhagwat, P.V.; Kori, S.A.

1992-01-01

The large particle accelerators machines like pelletron accelerator at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (T.I.F.R) have several levels of controls with operators responsible for overall global control decisions and closed loop feedback controllers for relatively small subsystems of the machines. As the accelerator machines are becoming more complicated and the requirements more stringent, there is a need to provide the operators with an artificial intelligence (AI) system to aid in the tuning the machine and in failure diagnosis. There are few major areas in the pelletron operation, which can be done more efficiently using AI systems approach so that useful beam is available for much more time: 1) Accelerator Conditioning, 2) Accelerator Tuning, and 3) Maintaining the Tune beams. The feasibility study for using expert system for above areas and also for safety evaluation of the various subsystems is carried out. (author). 10 refs., 4 figs

Hollow fibre supported liquid membrane extraction of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A simple sample pre-treatment method utilizing hollow fibre supported liquid membrane (HFSLM) was carried out on pharmaceuticals samples comprising of cough syrups (CS1 and CS2) and an anti-inflammatory product (AI). The active ingredients targeted in the extraction process were diphenylhydramine (DPH), ...

Factors influencing the quality of Myrmecia pilosula (Jack Jumper) ant venom for use in in vitro and in vivo diagnoses of allergen sensitization and in allergen immunotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wanandy, T; Dwyer, H E; McLean, L; Davies, N W; Nichols, D; Gueven, N; Brown, S G A; Wiese, M D

2017-11-01

Allergen immunotherapy uses pharmaceutical preparations derived from naturally occurring source materials, which contain water-soluble allergenic components responsible for allergic reactions. The success of in vivo and in vitro diagnoses in allergen sensitization and allergen immunotherapy largely depends on the quality, composition and uniformity of allergenic materials used to produce the active ingredients, and the formulation employed to prepare finished products. We aimed to examine the factors influencing batch-to-batch consistency of Jack Jumper (Myrmecia pilosula) ant venom (JJAV) in the form of active pharmaceutical ingredient (AI) and informed whether factors such as temperature, artificial light and container materials influence the quality of JJAV AIs. We also aimed to establish handling and storage requirements of JJAV AIs to ensure preservation of allergenic activities during usage in the diagnosis of allergen sensitization and in allergen immunotherapy. The quality and consistency of JJAV AIs were analysed using a combination of bicinchoninic acid assay for total protein quantification, HPLC-UV for JJAV allergen peptides quantification, ELISA inhibition for total allergenic potency, SDS-PAGE, AU-PAGE and immunoblot for qualitative assessment of JJAV components, and Limulus Amebocyte Lysate assay for the quantification of endotoxin concentration. API-ZYM and Zymogram assays were used to probe the presence of enzymatic activities in JJAV. Pharmaceutical-grade JJAV for allergen immunotherapy has good batch-to-batch consistency. Temporary storage at 4°C and light exposure do not affect the quality of JJAV. Exposure to temperature above 40°C degrades high MW allergens in JJAV. Vials containing JJAV must be stored frozen and in upright position during long-term storage. We have identified factors, which can influence the quality and consistency of JJAV AIs, and provided a framework for appropriate handling, transporting and storage of JJAV to be used

Computing Facilities for AI: A Survey of Present and Near-Future Options

OpenAIRE

Fahlman, Scott

1981-01-01

At the recent AAAI conference at Stanford, it became apparent that many new AI research centers are being established around the country in industrial and governmental settings and in universities that have not paid much attention to AI in the past. At the same time, many of the established AI centers are in the process of converting from older facilities, primarily based on Decsystem-10 and Decsystem-20 machines, to a variety of newer options. At present, unfortunately, there is no simple an...

Combining AI Methods for Learning Bots in a Real-Time Strategy Game

OpenAIRE

Robin Baumgarten; Simon Colton; Mark Morris

2009-01-01

We describe an approach for simulating human game-play in strategy games using a variety of AI techniques, including simulated annealing, decision tree learning, and case-based reasoning. We have implemented an AI-bot that uses these techniques to form a novel approach for planning fleet movements and attacks in DEFCON, a nuclear war simulation strategy game released in 2006 by Introversion Software Ltd. The AI-bot retrieves plans from a case-base of recorded games, then uses these to generat...

Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database

Science.gov (United States)

... and US Department of Agriculture Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database Toggle navigation Menu Home About DSID Mission Current ... values can be saved to build a small database or add to an existing database for national, ...

ENRICHMENT OF POULTRY PRODUCTS WITH FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gordana Kralik

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Primary role of food is to provide nutritive stuffs in sufficient amounts to meet nutritive requirements. However, recent scientific findings confirm assumptions that particular food or its ingredients had positive physiological and psychological effects on health. Functional food is referred to food rich in ingredients, having beneficial effects on one or more functions in an organism. By consuming functional food consumers can expect some health benefits. Production of poultry products as functional food is getting more important on foreign markets while portion of such products on domestic food market is insignificant. The aim of this paper is to present possibilities for enrichment of poultry products, such as broiler and turkey meat and chicken eggs, as they can be characterized as functional food. Functional ingredients in poultry products are polyunsaturated fatty acids (LNA, EPA and DHA and antioxidants. Enrichment of poultry products with the stated ingredients that are beneficial for human health is subject of many researches, and only recently have researches been directed towards assessment of market sustainability of such products.

In Orbit Validation of the AAUSAT3 SDR based AIS receiver

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jesper Abildgaard; Mortensen, Hans Peter

2013-01-01

During the past years, there has been a high interest in monitoring the global ship traffic from space. The recently launched AAUSAT3 satellite carries an SDR based AIS receiver, which during the past months have been transmitting space based AIS data down to the Aalborg University Ground Station...

SNAP and AI Fuel Summary Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lords, R.E.

1994-08-01

The SNAP and AI Fuel Summary Report provides a detailed overview of treatment and storage of these fuels from fabrication through current storage including design parameters and reactor history. Chemical and physical characteristics are described, and potential indicators of as-stored fuel conditions are emphasized

AI, Native Supercomputing and The Revival of Moore's Law

OpenAIRE

Lu, Chien-Ping

2017-01-01

Based on Alan Turing's proposition on AI and computing machinery, which shaped Computing as we know it today, the new AI computing machinery should comprise a universal computer and a universal learning machine. The later should understand linear algebra natively to overcome the slowdown of Moore's law. In such a universal learnig machine, a computing unit does not need to keep the legacy of a universal computing core. The data can be distributed to the computing units, and the results can be...

AiGERM: A logic programming front end for GERM

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Safaa H.

1990-01-01

AiGerm (Artificially Intelligent Graphical Entity Relation Modeler) is a relational data base query and programming language front end for MCC (Mission Control Center)/STP's (Space Test Program) Germ (Graphical Entity Relational Modeling) system. It is intended as an add-on component of the Germ system to be used for navigating very large networks of information. It can also function as an expert system shell for prototyping knowledge-based systems. AiGerm provides an interface between the programming language and Germ.

Authorization and Toxicity of Veterinary Drugs and Plant Protection Products: Residues of the Active Ingredients in Food and Feed and Toxicity Problems Related to Adjuvants.

Science.gov (United States)

Klátyik, Szandra; Bohus, Péter; Darvas, Béla; Székács, András

2017-01-01

Chemical substances applied in animal husbandry or veterinary medicine and in crop protection represent substantial environmental loads, and their residues occur in food and feed products. Product approval is governed differently in these two sectors in the European Union (EU), and the occurrence of veterinary drug (VD) and pesticide residues indicated by contamination notification cases in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the EU also show characteristic differences. While the initial high numbers of VD residues reported in 2002 were successfully suppressed to less than 100 cases annually by 2006 and on, the number of notification cases for pesticide residues showed a gradual increase from a low (approximately 50 cases annually) initial level until 2005 to more than 250 cases annually after 2009, with a halt occurring only in 2016. Main notifiers of VD residues include Germany, Belgium, the UK, and Italy (63, 59, 42, and 31 notifications announced, respectively), and main consigning countries of non-compliances are Vietnam, India, China, and Brazil (88, 50, 34, and 23 notifications, respectively). Thus, countries of South and Southeast Asia are considered a vulnerable point with regard to VD residues entering the EU market. Unintended side effects of VDs and plant protection products may be caused not only by the active ingredients but also by various additives in these preparations. Adjuvants (e.g., surfactants) and other co-formulants used in therapeutic agents and feed additives, as well as in pesticide formulations have long been considered as inactive ingredients in the aspects of the required main biological effect of the pharmaceutical or pesticide, and in turn, legal regulations of the approval and marketing of these additives specified significantly less stringent risk assessment requirements, than those specified for the active ingredients. However, numerous studies have shown additive, synergistic, or antagonistic side effects between the

Authorization and Toxicity of Veterinary Drugs and Plant Protection Products: Residues of the Active Ingredients in Food and Feed and Toxicity Problems Related to Adjuvants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szandra Klátyik

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Chemical substances applied in animal husbandry or veterinary medicine and in crop protection represent substantial environmental loads, and their residues occur in food and feed products. Product approval is governed differently in these two sectors in the European Union (EU, and the occurrence of veterinary drug (VD and pesticide residues indicated by contamination notification cases in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the EU also show characteristic differences. While the initial high numbers of VD residues reported in 2002 were successfully suppressed to less than 100 cases annually by 2006 and on, the number of notification cases for pesticide residues showed a gradual increase from a low (approximately 50 cases annually initial level until 2005 to more than 250 cases annually after 2009, with a halt occurring only in 2016. Main notifiers of VD residues include Germany, Belgium, the UK, and Italy (63, 59, 42, and 31 notifications announced, respectively, and main consigning countries of non-compliances are Vietnam, India, China, and Brazil (88, 50, 34, and 23 notifications, respectively. Thus, countries of South and Southeast Asia are considered a vulnerable point with regard to VD residues entering the EU market. Unintended side effects of VDs and plant protection products may be caused not only by the active ingredients but also by various additives in these preparations. Adjuvants (e.g., surfactants and other co-formulants used in therapeutic agents and feed additives, as well as in pesticide formulations have long been considered as inactive ingredients in the aspects of the required main biological effect of the pharmaceutical or pesticide, and in turn, legal regulations of the approval and marketing of these additives specified significantly less stringent risk assessment requirements, than those specified for the active ingredients. However, numerous studies have shown additive, synergistic, or antagonistic side effects

Participation trends in holistic movement practices: a 10-year comparison of yoga/Pilates and t'ai chi/qigong use among a national sample of 195,926 Australians.

Science.gov (United States)

Vergeer, Ineke; Bennie, Jason A; Charity, Melanie J; Harvey, Jack T; van Uffelen, Jannique G Z; Biddle, Stuart J H; Eime, Rochelle M

2017-06-06

In recent decades, the evidence supporting the physical and mental health benefits of holistic movement practices such as yoga and t'ai chi have become increasingly established. Consequently, investigating the participation prevalence and patterns of these practices is a relevant pursuit in the public health field. Few studies have provided population-level assessment of participation rates, however, and even fewer have focused on patterns over time. The purpose of this study was to examine participation prevalence and trends in yoga/Pilates and t'ai chi/qigong over a ten-year period in a nationally representative sample of Australians aged 15 years and over, with particular attention to sex and age. A secondary purpose was to juxtapose these findings with participation trends in traditional fitness activities over the same period. Data comprised modes and types of physical activity, age, and sex variables collected through the Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS), a series of independent cross-sectional Australia-wide surveys conducted yearly between 2001 and 2010. For each year, weighted population estimates were calculated for those participating in yoga/Pilates, t'ai chi/qigong, and fitness activities (e.g. aerobics, calisthenics). Linear regression and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine trends in prevalence rates over time and differences among sex and age (15-34; 35-54; 55+ years) groups, respectively. Average prevalence rates between 2001 and 2010 were 3.0% (95% CI 2.9-3.1) for yoga/Pilates, 0.6% (95% CI 0.5-0.6) for t'ai chi/qigong, and 19.2% (95% CI 18.9-19.4) for fitness activities. Across the decade, overall participation rates remained relatively stable for yoga/Pilates and t'ai chi/qigong, while increasing linearly for fitness activities. For both genders and in all three age groups, participation in fitness activities increased, whereas only in the 55+ age group was there a significant increase in yoga

A Review of Future and Ethical Perspectives of Robotics and AI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jim Torresen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, there has been increased attention on the possible impact of future robotics and AI systems. Prominent thinkers have publicly warned about the risk of a dystopian future when the complexity of these systems progresses further. These warnings stand in contrast to the current state-of-the-art of the robotics and AI technology. This article reviews work considering both the future potential of robotics and AI systems, and ethical considerations that need to be taken in order to avoid a dystopian future. References to recent initiatives to outline ethical guidelines for both the design of systems and how they should operate are included.

Functional subdivisions in low-frequency primary auditory cortex (AI).

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, M N; Palmer, A R

2009-04-01

We wished to test the hypothesis that there are modules in low-frequency AI that can be identified by their responsiveness to communication calls or particular regions of space. Units were recorded in anaesthetised guinea pig AI and stimulated with conspecific vocalizations and a virtual motion stimulus (binaural beats) presented via a closed sound system. Recording tracks were mainly oriented orthogonally to the cortical surface. Some of these contained units that were all time-locked to the structure of the chutter call (14/22 tracks) and/or the purr call (12/22 tracks) and/or that had a preference for stimuli from a particular region of space (8/20 tracks with four contralateral, two ipsilateral and two midline), or where there was a strong asymmetry in the response to beats of different direction (two tracks). We conclude that about half of low-frequency AI is organized into modules that are consistent with separate "what" and "where" pathways.

An AI-based layout design system for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, Kikuo; Akagi, Shinsuke; Nakatogawa, Tetsundo; Tanaka, Kazuo; Takeuchi, Makoto.

1991-01-01

An AI-based layout design system for nuclear power plants has been developed. The design of the layout of nuclear power plants is a time-consuming task requiring expertise, in which a lot of machinery and equipment must be arranged in a plant building considering various kinds of design constraints, i.e. spatial, functional, economical etc. Computer aided layout design systems have been widely expected and the application of AI technology is expected as a promising approach for the synthesis phase of this task. In this paper, we present an approach to the layout design of nuclear power plants based on a constraint-directed search; one of the AI techniques. In addition, we show how it was implemented with an object-oriented programming technique and give an example of its application. (author)

“Awake” intraoperative functional MRI (ai-fMRI) for mapping the eloquent cortex: Is it possible in awake craniotomy?☆

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Jun-Feng; Zhang, Han; Wu, Jin-Song; Yao, Cheng-Jun; Zhuang, Dong-Xiao; Qiu, Tian-Ming; Jia, Wen-Bin; Mao, Ying; Zhou, Liang-Fu

2012-01-01

As a promising noninvasive imaging technique, functional MRI (fMRI) has been extensively adopted as a functional localization procedure for surgical planning. However, the information provided by preoperative fMRI (pre-fMRI) is hampered by the brain deformation that is secondary to surgical procedures. Therefore, intraoperative fMRI (i-fMRI) becomes a potential alternative that can compensate for brain shifts by updating the functional localization information during craniotomy. However, previous i-fMRI studies required that patients be under general anesthesia, preventing the wider application of such a technique as the patients cannot perform tasks unless they are awake. In this study, we propose a new technique that combines awake surgery and i-fMRI, named “awake” i-fMRI (ai-fMRI). We introduced ai-fMRI to the real-time localization of sensorimotor areas during awake craniotomy in seven patients. The results showed that ai-fMRI could successfully detect activations in the bilateral primary sensorimotor areas and supplementary motor areas for all patients, indicating the feasibility of this technique in eloquent area localization. The reliability of ai-fMRI was further validated using intraoperative stimulation mapping (ISM) in two of the seven patients. Comparisons between the pre-fMRI-derived localization result and the ai-fMRI derived result showed that the former was subject to a heavy brain shift and led to incorrect localization, while the latter solved that problem. Additionally, the approaches for the acquisition and processing of the ai-fMRI data were fully illustrated and described. Some practical issues on employing ai-fMRI in awake craniotomy were systemically discussed, and guidelines were provided. PMID:24179766

Dissecting phenotypic variation among AIS patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Minghua; Wang Jiucun; Zhang Zhen; Zhao Zhimin; Zhang Rongmei; Hu Xiaohua; Tan Tao; Luo Shijing; Luo Zewei

2005-01-01

We have created genital skin fibroblast cell lines directly from three patients in a Chinese family affected by androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS). All patients in the family share an identical AR Arg 840 Cys mutant but show different disease phenotypes. By using the cell lines, we find that the mutation has not influenced a normal androgen-binding capacity at 37 deg C but has reduced the affinity for androgens and may cause thermolability of the androgen-receptor complex. The impaired nuclear trafficking of the androgen receptor in the cell lines is highly correlated with the severity of donors' disease phenotype. The transactivity of the mutant is substantially weakened and the extent of the reduced transactivity reflects severity of the donors' disease symptom. Our data reveal that although etiology of AIS is monogenic and the mutant may alter the major biological functions of its wild allele, the function of the mutant AR can also be influenced by the different genetic backgrounds and thus explains the divergent disease phenotypes

Augmentation index (AI) in a dose–response relationship with smoking habits in males

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuru, Tomoko; Adachi, Hisashi; Enomoto, Mika; Fukami, Ako; Kumagai, Eita; Nakamura, Sachiko; Nohara, Yume; Kono, Shoko; Nakao, Erika; Sakaue, Akiko; Morikawa, Nagisa; Fukumoto, Yoshihiro

2016-01-01

Abstract We investigated the relationship between augmentation index (AI) and smoking habits in community-dwelling Japanese. This cross-sectional study enrolled 1926 subjects (769 males and 1157 females) aged 40 to 95 years who underwent a health check-up in a Japanese cohort of the Seven Countries Study, in Tanushimaru, a typical farming town in Kyushu Island in 2009. The subjects’ medical history, alcohol intake, smoking habit, and current medications for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes were ascertained by questionnaire. Radial arterial pressure wave analysis was used to obtain AI. We analyzed the data stratified by gender. Age-adjusted means of AI in males showed a clear dose–response relationship in 4 categories of smoking habits (P = 0.010). There was no significant relationship between AI and smoking habits in females (P = 0.127). The significant dose–response relationship (P = 0.036) in males between AI and 4 categories of smoking habits still remained even after adjustment for age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, estimated glomerular filtration rate, glucose, hypertensive medication, and alcohol intake. The present study demonstrated that AI values were significantly associated with smoking habits in a dose-dependent manner in Japanese males. PMID:28002323

Evaluation of Essential Oil and its Three Main Active Ingredients of Chinese Chenopodium Ambrosioides (Family: Chenopodiaceae Against Blattella Germanica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Xiang Zhu

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Background: The efficacy of essential oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides flowering aerial parts and its three mainactive ingredients was evaluated against Blattella germanica male adults.Methods: Composition of essential oil was determined by GC-MS. Topical application bioassay was used to evaluatecontact toxicity of essential oil and three main components. Fumigant toxicity of essential oil and its main components was measured using a sealed space method.Results: Twenty-two components were identified in the essential oil and the main components were (Z-ascaridole(29.7%, isoascaridole (13.0%, ρ-cymene (12.7% and piperitone (5.0%. The essential oil and (Z-ascaridole,isoascaridole and -cymene possessed fumigant toxicity against male German cockroaches with LC50 values of 4.13,0.55, 2.07 and 6.92 mg/L air, respectively. Topical application bioassay showed that all the three compounds weretoxic to male German cockroaches and (Z-ascaridole was the strongest with a LD50 value of 22.02 g/adult while the crude oil with a LD50 value of 67.46 g/adult.Conclusion: The essential oil from Chinese C. ambrosioides and its three main active ingredients may be explored as natural potential insecticides in the control of cockroaches.

Cracks appear in the AI gravy train

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mill, J.

1983-10-01

This article highlights some of the problems facing the Alvey committee and outlines some reasons for believing that the optimistically founded Alvey and Esprit funding programmes are no guarantee Britain will win the AI race.

Potential of Insect-Derived Ingredients for Food Applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tzompa Sosa, D.A.; Fogliano, V.

2017-01-01

Insects are a sustainable and efficient protein and lipid source, compared with conventional livestock. Moreover, insect proteins and lipids are highly nutritional. Therefore, insect proteins and lipids can find its place as food ingredients. The use of insect proteins and lipids as food ingredients

Grammaire progressive du français niveau intermédiaire

CERN Document Server

Grégoire, Maïa

2017-01-01

Quatrième édition de l'ouvrage de Grammaire de français langue étrangère (FLE), niveau intermédiaire, dans la collection Progressive du français destiné aux grands adolescents et adultes. Ce qui fait le succès de cet ouvrage de Grammaire: une organisation claire : la leçon de grammaire sur la page de gauche; les exercices d'entraînement sur la page de droite 52 chapitres présentant les points généralement abordés aux niveaux A2 et B1 du Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues un apprentissage progressif : il suit la progression naturelle des méthodes de français un usage souple : pour la classe ou en auto-apprentissage une préparation adaptée aux certifications : un entreînement efficace pour mieux réussir aux examens NOUVEAU! Appli-web de la Grammaire progressive du français incluse Pour s'entraîner et s'évaluer en ligne en sollicitant toutes les compétences écrites et orales : près de 300 exercices interactifs avec dialogues, instructions, exemples et corrigés ora...

Choosing between different AI approaches? The scientific benefits of the confrontation, and the new collaborative era between humans and machines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordi Vallverdú

2008-07-01

Full Text Available AI is a multidisciplinary activity that involves specialists from several fields, and we can say that the aim of science, and AI science, is solving problems. AI and computer sciences are been creating a new kind of making science, that we can call in silico science. Both models top-eown and bottomup are useful for e-scientific research. There is no a real controversy between them. Besides, the extended mind model of human cognition, involves human-machine interactions. Huge amount of data requires new ways to make and organize scientific practices: supercomputers, grids, distributed computing, specific software and middleware and, basically, more efficient and visual ways to interact with information. This is one of the key points to understand contemporary relationships between humans and machines: usability of scientific data.

A model of lipid-free apolipoprotein A-I revealed by iterative molecular dynamics simulation.

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Xing Zhang

Full Text Available Apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I, the major protein component of high-density lipoprotein, has been proven inversely correlated to cardiovascular risk in past decades. The lipid-free state of apo A-I is the initial stage which binds to lipids forming high-density lipoprotein. Molecular models of lipid-free apo A-I have been reported by methods like X-ray crystallography and chemical cross-linking/mass spectrometry (CCL/MS. Through structural analysis we found that those current models had limited consistency with other experimental results, such as those from hydrogen exchange with mass spectrometry. Through molecular dynamics simulations, we also found those models could not reach a stable equilibrium state. Therefore, by integrating various experimental results, we proposed a new structural model for lipid-free apo A-I, which contains a bundled four-helix N-terminal domain (1-192 that forms a variable hydrophobic groove and a mobile short hairpin C-terminal domain (193-243. This model exhibits an equilibrium state through molecular dynamics simulation and is consistent with most of the experimental results known from CCL/MS on lysine pairs, fluorescence resonance energy transfer and hydrogen exchange. This solution-state lipid-free apo A-I model may elucidate the possible conformational transitions of apo A-I binding with lipids in high-density lipoprotein formation.

Rapid classification of pharmaceutical ingredients with Raman spectroscopy using compressive detection strategy with PLS-DA multivariate filters.

Science.gov (United States)

Cebeci Maltaş, Derya; Kwok, Kaho; Wang, Ping; Taylor, Lynne S; Ben-Amotz, Dor

2013-06-01

Identifying pharmaceutical ingredients is a routine procedure required during industrial manufacturing. Here we show that a recently developed Raman compressive detection strategy can be employed to classify various widely used pharmaceutical materials using a hybrid supervised/unsupervised strategy in which only two ingredients are used for training and yet six other ingredients can also be distinguished. More specifically, our liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) based compressive detection instrument is trained using only the active ingredient, tadalafil, and the excipient, lactose, but is tested using these and various other excipients; microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate, titanium (IV) oxide, talc, sodium lauryl sulfate and hydroxypropyl cellulose. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) is used to generate the compressive detection filters necessary for fast chemical classification. Although the filters used in this study are trained on only lactose and tadalafil, we show that all the pharmaceutical ingredients mentioned above can be differentiated and classified using PLS-DA compressive detection filters with an accumulation time of 10ms per filter. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Model evaluation for the prediction of solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs to guide solid–liquid separator design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuveneshan Moodley

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The assumptions and models for solubility modelling or prediction in systems using non-polar solvents, or water and complex triterpene and other active pharmaceutical ingredients as solutes aren't well studied. Furthermore, the assumptions concerning heat capacity effects (negligibility, experimental values or approximations are explored, using non-polar solvents (benzene, or water as reference solvents, for systems with solute melting points in the range of 306–528 K and molecular weights in the range of 90–442 g/mol. New empirical estimation methods for the ΔfusCpi of APIs are presented which correlate the solute molecular masses and van der Waals surface areas with ΔfusCpi. Separate empirical parameters were required for oxygenated and non-oxygenated solutes. Subsequently, the predictive capabilities of the various approaches to solubility modelling for complex pharmaceuticals, for which data is limited, are analysed. The solute selection is based on a principal component analysis, considering molecular weights, fusion temperatures, and solubilities in a non-polar solvent, alcohol, and water, where data was available. New NRTL-SAC parameters were determined for selected steroids, by regression. The original UNIFAC, modified UNIFAC (Dortmund, COSMO-RS (OL, and COSMO-SAC activity coefficient predictions are then conducted, based on the availability of group constants and sigma profiles. These are undertaken to assess the predictive capabilities of these models when each assumption concerning heat capacity is employed. The predictive qualities of the models are assessed, based on the mean square deviation and provide guidelines for model selection, and assumptions concerning phase equilibrium, when designing solid–liquid separators for the pharmaceutical industry on process simulation software. The most suitable assumption regarding ΔfusCpi was found to be system specific, with modified UNIFAC (Dortmund performing well in benzene as

Structured adsorbents for isolation of functional food ingredients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rodriguez Illera, M.

2014-01-01

Separation and purification of functional ingredients from raw or waste streams are often done via processes that include a chromatographic step using a packed bed of resin particles that have affinity for the ingredients to be separated. A column packed with these particles presents numerous

DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Li; Pinon, Arthur C; Emsley, Lyndon; Rossini, Aaron J

2017-11-28

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy has become a valuable tool for the characterization of both pure and formulated active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). However, NMR generally suffers from poor sensitivity that often restricts NMR experiments to nuclei with favorable properties, concentrated samples, and acquisition of one-dimensional (1D) NMR spectra. Here, we review how dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) can be applied to routinely enhance the sensitivity of solid-state NMR experiments by one to two orders of magnitude for both pure and formulated APIs. Sample preparation protocols for relayed DNP experiments and experiments on directly doped APIs are detailed. Numerical spin diffusion models illustrate the dependence of relayed DNP enhancements on the relaxation properties and particle size of the solids and can be used for particle size determination when the other factors are known. We then describe the advanced solid-state NMR experiments that have been enabled by DNP and how they provide unique insight into the molecular and macroscopic structure of APIs. For example, with large sensitivity gains provided by DNP, natural isotopic abundance, 13 C- 13 C double-quantum single-quantum homonuclear correlation NMR spectra of pure APIs can be routinely acquired. DNP also enables solid-state NMR experiments with unreceptive quadrupolar nuclei such as 2 H, 14 N, and 35 Cl that are commonly found in APIs. Applications of DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy for the molecular level characterization of low API load formulations such as commercial tablets and amorphous solid dispersions are described. Future perspectives for DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR experiments on APIs are briefly discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Understanding the risks associated with the use of new psychoactive substances (NPS): high variability of active ingredients concentration, mislabelled preparations, multiple psychoactive substances in single products.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamengo, Luca; Frison, Giampietro; Bettin, Chiara; Sciarrone, Rocco

2014-08-17

New psychoactive substances (NPS), are now a large group of substances of abuse not yet completely controlled by international drug conventions, which may pose a public health threat. Anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, seizures, hyperthermia and cardiotoxicity are some of the common adverse effects associated with these compounds. In this paper, three case reports taken from the archive of processed cases of the authors' laboratory are presented and discussed to stress the risks of possible adverse consequences for NPS users: in particular, (i) the risk deriving from the difficulty of predicting the actual consumed dose, due to variability of active ingredients concentration in consumed products, (ii) the risk deriving from the difficulty of predicting the actual active ingredients present in consumed products, as opposed to those claimed by the manufacturer, and (iii) the risk deriving from the difficulty of predicting the actual pharmacological and toxicological effects related to the simultaneous consumption of different psychoactive ingredients contained in single products, whose interactions are mostly unknown. Each of them individually provide a source of concern for possible serious health related consequences. However, they should be considered in conjunction with each others, with the worldwide availability of NPS through the web and also with the incessantly growing business derived from the manipulation and synthesis of new substances. The resulting scenario is that of a cultural challenge which demands a global approach from different fields of knowledge. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emerging trends in geospatial artificial intelligence (geoAI): potential applications for environmental epidemiology.

Science.gov (United States)

VoPham, Trang; Hart, Jaime E; Laden, Francine; Chiang, Yao-Yi

2018-04-17

Geospatial artificial intelligence (geoAI) is an emerging scientific discipline that combines innovations in spatial science, artificial intelligence methods in machine learning (e.g., deep learning), data mining, and high-performance computing to extract knowledge from spatial big data. In environmental epidemiology, exposure modeling is a commonly used approach to conduct exposure assessment to determine the distribution of exposures in study populations. geoAI technologies provide important advantages for exposure modeling in environmental epidemiology, including the ability to incorporate large amounts of big spatial and temporal data in a variety of formats; computational efficiency; flexibility in algorithms and workflows to accommodate relevant characteristics of spatial (environmental) processes including spatial nonstationarity; and scalability to model other environmental exposures across different geographic areas. The objectives of this commentary are to provide an overview of key concepts surrounding the evolving and interdisciplinary field of geoAI including spatial data science, machine learning, deep learning, and data mining; recent geoAI applications in research; and potential future directions for geoAI in environmental epidemiology.

Pharmacokinetics of hederacoside C, an active ingredient in AG NPP709, in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ju Myung; Yoon, Ji Na; Jung, Ji Won; Choi, Hye Duck; Shin, Young June; Han, Chang Kyun; Lee, Hye Suk; Kang, Hee Eun

2013-11-01

1. Hederacoside C (HDC) is one of the active ingredients in Hedera helix leaf extract (Ivy Ex.) and AG NPP709, a new botanical drug to treat acute respiratory infection and chronic inflammatory bronchitis. However, information regarding its pharmacokinetic properties remains limited. 2. Here, we report the pharmacokinetics of HDC in rats after intravenous administration of HDC (3, 12.5, and 25 mg/kg) and after oral administration of HDC, Ivy Ex., and AG NPP709 (equivalent to 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg HDC). 3. Linear pharmacokinetics of HDC were identified upon its intravenous administration at doses of 3-25 mg/kg. Intravenous administration of HDC results in relatively slow clearance (1.46-2.08 mL/min/kg) and a small volume of distribution at steady state (138-222 mL/kg), while oral administration results in a low absolute oral bioavailability (F) of 0.118-0.250%. The extremely low F of HDC may be due to poor absorption of HDC from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and/or its decomposition therein. 4. The oral pharmacokinetics of HDC did not differ significantly among pure HDC, Ivy Ex., and AG NPP709.

A regulator's viewpoint on the use of AI in the nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wainwright, N.

1995-01-01

The regulatory position within the UK places the responsibility for safety on a nuclear site with the licensee. The licensee must produce a safety case that demonstrates that the plant is safe. Assessment of this safety case is performed by the regulator in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) using HSE's published Safety Assessment Principles. This paper presents the personal views of a regulator on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the nuclear industry. The AI-based system considered are restricted to expert systems, neural networks and fuzzy logic. Some of the safety issues are discussed. The particular concerns associated with software-based systems are compounded by some of the inherent problems of AI-based systems. Such is the nature of these concerns that an acceptable safety case will be difficult to mount for safety systems and post-accident monitoring systems. However, given the present maturity of the technology, acceptable safety cases might be formulated in the areas of operator advisory systems designed to reduce accident frequencies, and robotics where dose reduction is important. There are also arguments that suggests that suitable safety cases could be formulated for AI-based plant control systems. Nevertheless, AI-based systems should be treated with caution - further research is required into suitable designs and safety demonstration techniques. (author)

Oral immunization with recombinant Lactobacillus casei expressing OmpAI confers protection against Aeromonas veronii challenge in common carp, Cyprinus carpio.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dong-Xing; Kang, Yuan-Huan; Chen, Long; Siddiqui, Shahrood Ahmed; Wang, Chun-Feng; Qian, Ai-Dong; Shan, Xiao-Feng

2018-01-01

Aeromonas veronii is a gram-negative pathogen capable of infecting both fish and mammals, including humans, and natural infection in fish results in irreparable damage to the aquaculture industry. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have a number of properties that make them attractive candidates as delivery vehicles for presentation to the mucosa sites of compounds with pharmaceutical interest, in particular vaccines. In this study, we generated two recombinant Lactobacillus casei (surface-displayed or secretory) expressing the OmpAI of A.veronii and evaluated the effect on immune responses in fish model. A 1022 bp gene fragment of the 42 kDa OmpAI antigen of A.veronii was cloned into pPG-1 (surface-displayed) and pPG-2 (secretory) and electrotransformed into Lactobacillus casei CC16. The recombinant plasmid in L.casei could be stably inherited over 50 generations, and production of OmpAI protein had slight limited effects on cells growth. Treatment of common carp with the recombinant vaccine candidate stimulated high serum or skin mucus specific antibody titers and induced a higher lysozyme, ACP, SOD activity, while fish fed with Lc-pPG or PBS had no detectable immobilizing immune responses. Expression of IL-10, IL-β, IFN-γ, TNF-α genes in the group immunized with recombinant L.casei were significantly (P casei strains were directly delivered and survive throughout the intestinal tract, the recombinant OmpAI was also detected in intestine mucosal. The results showed that common carp received Lc-pPG1-OmpAI (66.7%) and Lc-pPG2-OmpAI (50.0%) had higher survival rates compared with the controls after challenge with A.veronii, indicating that Lc-pPG1-OmpAI and Lc-pPG2-OmpAI had beneficial effects on immune response and enhanced disease resistance of common carp against A.veronii infection. Our study here demonstrates, for the first time, the ability of recombinant L.casei as oral vaccine against A.veronii infection in carps. The combination of OmpAI delivery and LAB

Organisational intelligence and distributed AI

OpenAIRE

Kirn, Stefan

1995-01-01

The analysis of this chapter starts from organisational theory, and from this it draws conclusions for the design, and possible organisational applications, of Distributed AI systems. We first review how the concept of organisations has emerged from non-organised black-box entities to so-called computerised organisations. Within this context, organisational researchers have started to redesign their models of intelligent organisations with respect to the availability of advanced computing tec...

Development and application of AI technology to plant operation and support

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sackett, J.I.; Mott, J.E.

1989-01-01

This paper discusses a framework for the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in existing nuclear facilities and reviews the status of development. We consider those areas best addressed by AI technology, e.g., equipment diagnostics, sensor validation, and expert systems for procedural response or planning. A brief discussion of work in computer displays is also given. (orig./GL)

AIS Algorithm for Smart Antenna Application in WLAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evizal Abdul Kadir

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Increasing numbers of wireless local area networks (WLAN replacing wired networks have an impact on wireless network systems, causing issues such as interference. The smart antenna system is a method to overcome interference issues in WLANs. This paper proposes an artificial immune system (AIS for a switch beam smart antenna system. A directional antenna is introduced to aim the beam at the desired user. The antenna consists of 8 directional antennas, each of which covers 45 degrees, thus creating an omnidirectional configuration of which the beams cover 360 degrees. To control the beam switching, an inexpensive PIC 16F877 microchip was used. An AIS algorithm was implemented in the microcontroller, which uses the received radio signal strength of the mobile device as reference. This is compared for each of the eight beams, after which the AIS algorithm selects the strongest signal received by the system and the microcontroller will then lock to the desired beam. In the experiment a frequency of 2.4 GHz (ISM band was used for transmitting and receiving. A test of the system was conducted in an outdoor environment. The results show that the switch beam smart antenna worked fine based on locating the mobile device.

It Takes Two to Tango: Towards Theory of AI's Mind

OpenAIRE

Chandrasekaran, Arjun; Yadav, Deshraj; Chattopadhyay, Prithvijit; Prabhu, Viraj; Parikh, Devi

2017-01-01

Theory of Mind is the ability to attribute mental states (beliefs, intents, knowledge, perspectives, etc.) to others and recognize that these mental states may differ from one's own. Theory of Mind is critical to effective communication and to teams demonstrating higher collective performance. To effectively leverage the progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make our lives more productive, it is important for humans and AI to work well together in a team. Traditionally, there has been m...

Adsorption chromatography to purify Spacer disaccharide of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient of QuimiHib vaccine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz, Belinda; Heynngnezz, Lazaro; Beldarrain, Alejandro

2013-01-01

In this paper we study the conditions of adsorption chromatography on Silica gel 60 for purification of Spacer disaccharide a component of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) of QuimiHib vaccine. For that, we made a scale down on an analytical scale that represented at 1.8% of industrial process, indicating reproducibility between two procedures in terms of packing efficiency, purity and recovery. Dynamic binding capacity of the resin Silicagel 60 by the DSE was roughly 125±0.2 mg /mL, 3.4 times the base process. The elution profile obtained, showed the possibility of collecting a unique fraction at range 195±2 and 260±2 minutes, if it is maintained a proper packing of the chromatography resin determined by asymmetry factor from 0.8 to 1.2, which ensures a recovery of 58.9±4.5% and high purity analyzed by Thin Layer Chromatography. Adjusting the adsorption conditions increases the productivity of chromatographic operation up to 3.5 fold, indicating that it is feasible in economic terms

Narrow pH Range of Surface Water Bodies Receiving Pesticide Input in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Bundschuh, Mirco; Weyers, Arnd; Ebeling, Markus; Elsaesser, David; Schulz, Ralf

2016-01-01

Fate and toxicity of the active ingredients (AI's) of plant protection products in surface waters is often influenced by pH. Although a general range of pH values is reported in literature, an evaluation targeting aquatic ecosystems with documented AI inputs is lacking at the larger scale. Results show 95% of European surface waters (n = 3075) with a documented history of AI exposure fall within a rather narrow pH range, between 7.0 and 8.5. Spatial and temporal variability in the data may at least be partly explained by the calcareous characteristics of parental rock material, the affiliation of the sampling site to a freshwater ecoregion, and the photosynthetic activity of macrophytes (i.e., higher pH values with photosynthesis). Nonetheless, the documented pH range fits well with the standard pH of most ecotoxicological test guidelines, confirming the fate and ecotoxicity of AIs are usually adequately addressed.

Cosmetic Functional Ingredients from Botanical Sources for Anti-Pollution Skincare Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Juliano

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Air pollution is a rising problem in many metropolitan areas around the world. Airborne contaminants are predominantly derived from anthropogenic activities, and include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, ozone and particulate matter (PM; a mixture of solid and liquid particles of variable size and composition, able to absorb and delivery a large number of pollutants. The exposure to these air pollutants is associated to detrimental effects on human skin, such as premature aging, pigment spot formation, skin rashes and eczema, and can worsen some skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis. A cosmetic approach to this problem involves the topical application of skincare products containing functional ingredients able to counteract pollution-induced skin damage. Considering that the demand for natural actives is growing in all segments of global cosmetic market, the aim of this review is to describe some commercial cosmetic ingredients obtained from botanical sources able to reduce the impact of air pollutants on human skin with different mechanisms, providing a scientific rationale for their use.

Functional ingredients from microalgae

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buono, S.; Langellotti, A.L.; Martello, A.; Rinna, F.; Fogliano, V.

2014-01-01

A wide variety of natural sources are under investigation to evaluate their possible use for new functional ingredient formulation. Some records attested the traditional and ancient use of wild harvested microalgae as human food but their cultivation for different purposes started about 40 years

Analytical method (HPLC, validation used for identification and assay of the pharmaceutical active ingredient, Tylosin tartrate for veterinary use and its finite product Tilodem 50, hydrosoluble powder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Neagu

2010-12-01

Full Text Available In SC DELOS IMPEX ’96 SRL the quality of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API for the finite product Tilodem 50 - hydrosoluble powder was acomkplished in the respect of last European Pharmacopoeia.The method for analysis used in this purpose was the compendial method „Tylosin tartrate for veterinary use” in EurPh. in vigour edition and represent a variant developed and validation „in house”.The parameters which was included in the methodology validation for chromatographic method are the followings: Selectivity, Linearity, Linearity range, Detection and Quantification limits, Precision, Repeatability (intra day, Inter-Day Reproductibility, Accuracy, Robustness, Solutions’ stability and System suitability. According to the European Pharmacopoeia, the active pharmaceutical ingredient is consistent, in terms of quality, if it contains Tylosin A - minimum 80% and the amount of Tylosin A, B, C, D, at minimum 95%. Identification and determination of each component separately (Tylosin A, B, C, D is possible by chromatographic separation-HPLC. Validation of analytical methods is presented below.

Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and body temperature in Australian merino ewes (Ovis aries) during summer artificial insemination (AI) program

Science.gov (United States)

Sawyer, Gregory; Parisella, Simone

2018-01-01

Reproductive wastage is a key issue for sheep producers, both regionally and globally. The reproductive output of farm animals can be influenced by physiological and environmental factors. Rapid and reliable quantification of physiological stress can provide a useful tool for designing and testing on-farm management interventions to improve farm animal welfare and productivity. In this study, we quantified physiological stress non-invasively using faecal glucocorticoid metabolites-FGMs analysis and body temperature measurements of 15 superovulated donor merino ewes (Ovis aries) during participation in artificial insemination (AI) program conducted during 2015/2016 Australian summer. We hypothesized that low percentage transferable embryos in donor merino ewes will be associated positively with higher body temperature and/or higher FGMs in these ewes. Temperature humidity index (THI) was calculated and found within high thermal stress range during the two AI trials. Overall, results showed none of the factors (ewe ID, AI trial no., THI or FGMs) were significant for reduced percentage transferrable embryos, except ewe body temperature was highly significant (p = 0.014). Within AI trial comparisons showed significant positive associations between higher FGMs and body temperature with reduced transferrable embryos. These results suggest that Australian merino ewes participating in summer AI trials can experience physiological stress. Prolonged activation of the stress endocrine response and high body temperature (e.g. ensued from heat stress) could impact on ewe reproductive output. Therefore, future research should apply minimally invasive physiological tools to gather baseline information on physiological stress in merino sheep to enable the development of new farm-friendly methods of managing stress. PMID:29381759

Marine Bioactives as Functional Food Ingredients: Potential to Reduce the Incidence of Chronic Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Lordan, Sinéad; Ross, R. Paul; Stanton, Catherine

2011-01-01

The marine environment represents a relatively untapped source of functional ingredients that can be applied to various aspects of food processing, storage, and fortification. Moreover, numerous marine-based compounds have been identified as having diverse biological activities, with some reported to interfere with the pathogenesis of diseases. Bioactive peptides isolated from fish protein hydrolysates as well as algal fucans, galactans and alginates have been shown to possess anticoagulant, anticancer and hypocholesterolemic activities. Additionally, fish oils and marine bacteria are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, while crustaceans and seaweeds contain powerful antioxidants such as carotenoids and phenolic compounds. On the basis of their bioactive properties, this review focuses on the potential use of marine-derived compounds as functional food ingredients for health maintenance and the prevention of chronic diseases. PMID:21747748

Marine Bioactives as Functional Food Ingredients: Potential to Reduce the Incidence of Chronic Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine Stanton

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The marine environment represents a relatively untapped source of functional ingredients that can be applied to various aspects of food processing, storage, and fortification. Moreover, numerous marine-based compounds have been identified as having diverse biological activities, with some reported to interfere with the pathogenesis of diseases. Bioactive peptides isolated from fish protein hydrolysates as well as algal fucans, galactans and alginates have been shown to possess anticoagulant, anticancer and hypocholesterolemic activities. Additionally, fish oils and marine bacteria are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, while crustaceans and seaweeds contain powerful antioxidants such as carotenoids and phenolic compounds. On the basis of their bioactive properties, this review focuses on the potential use of marine-derived compounds as functional food ingredients for health maintenance and the prevention of chronic diseases.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Operations Research (OR), and Decision Support Systems (DSS): A conceptual framework

Science.gov (United States)

Parnell, Gregory S.; Rowell, William F.; Valusek, John R.

1987-01-01

In recent years there has been increasing interest in applying the computer based problem solving techniques of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Operations Research (OR), and Decision Support Systems (DSS) to analyze extremely complex problems. A conceptual framework is developed for successfully integrating these three techniques. First, the fields of AI, OR, and DSS are defined and the relationships among the three fields are explored. Next, a comprehensive adaptive design methodology for AI and OR modeling within the context of a DSS is described. These observations are made: (1) the solution of extremely complex knowledge problems with ill-defined, changing requirements can benefit greatly from the use of the adaptive design process, (2) the field of DSS provides the focus on the decision making process essential for tailoring solutions to these complex problems, (3) the characteristics of AI, OR, and DSS tools appears to be converging rapidly, and (4) there is a growing need for an interdisciplinary AI/OR/DSS education.

Rétrospective de la diffusion du français en Espagne

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isabelle Cros

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Le français bénéficia longtemps en Espagne d’une vieille tradition francophile et de la forte implantation de l’Alliance française. Ainsi, il prédomina dans le système éducatif espagnol jusqu’au milieu du 20ème siècle sans intervention de l’État français pour en assurer la diffusion. Son déclin, amorcé sous Franco, nécessita toutefois la mise en place d’une politique linguistique et éducative compensatoire qui aboutit à un premier accord bilatéral favorisant surtout le développement de l’enseignement en français au sein du réseau de la Mission laïque mais qui eut peu d’effets à l’école espagnole où le français fut relégué au rang de deuxième langue étrangère. Cependant, suite à son adhésion à l’Europe, l’Espagne a recréé, en partenariat avec la France, une dynamique pour le français, notamment grâce aux sections bilingues qui connaissent un succès croissant. La langue française, considérée à présent davantage comme une langue utile, de communication et de travail, est enseignée suivant une méthodologie communicative plus adaptée aux réalités socio-économiques.

Ingredient classification according to the digestible amino acid profile: an exploratory analysis

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DE Faria Filho

2005-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed: 1 to classify ingredients according to the digestible amino acid (AA profile; 2 to determine ingredients with AA profile closer to the ideal for broiler chickens; and 3 to compare digestible AA profiles from simulated diets with the ideal protein profile. The digestible AA levels of 30 ingredients were compiled from the literature and presented as percentages of lysine according to the ideal protein concept. Cluster and principal component analyses (exploratory analyses were used to compose and describe groups of ingredients according to AA profiles. Four ingredient groups were identified by cluster analysis, and the classification of the ingredients within each of these groups was obtained from a principal component analysis, showing 11 classes of ingredients with similar digestible AA profiles. The ingredients with AA profiles closer to the ideal protein were meat and bone meal 45, fish meal 60 and wheat germ meal, all of them constituting Class 1; the ingredients from the other classes gradually diverged from the ideal protein. Soybean meal, which is the main protein source for poultry, showed good AA balance since it was included in Class 3. On the contrary, corn, which is the main energy source in poultry diets, was classified in Class 8. Dietary AA profiles were improved when corn and/or soybean meal were partially or totally replaced in the simulations by ingredients with better AA balance.

[In vitro susceptibility of Trichoconiella padwickii to various active ingredients used as fungicides in the cultivation of rice].

Science.gov (United States)

Lovato Echeverria, Alfonso D; Gutiérrez, Susana A; Carmona, Marcelo A

The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the mycelial susceptibility of Trichoconiella padwickii to different active ingredients through average median concentration IC 50 calculation. Inoculum disks were seeded on bean agar at different concentrations (0.1; 1; 10; 30, 50; 100 and 1000mg/l) of various fungicides. After seven days the colony diameter was measured. The data obtained were fitted to nonlinear regression models. Susceptibility was classified using the scale proposed by Edgington. The results show that the pathogen is very sensitive to products that act on the respiratory chain (quinone outside inhibitors [QoI] and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors [SDHI]) and cell membrane (multi-site contact activity), and moderately sensitive to those products interfering with cell division (methyl benzimidazole carbamates [MBC]), synthesis of nucleic acids (phenylamides [PA]) and osmotic signal transduction (multi-site contact activity). This work is the first record on the sensitivity of T. padwickii. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Bactericidal active ingredient in cryopreserved plasma-treated water with the reduced-pH method for plasma disinfection

Science.gov (United States)

Kitano, Katsuhisa; Ikawa, Satoshi; Nakashima, Yoichi; Tani, Atsushi; Yokoyama, Takashi; Ohshima, Tomoko

2016-09-01

For the plasma disinfection of human body, plasma sterilization in liquid is crucial. We found that the plasma-treated water (PTW) has strong bactericidal activity under low pH condition. Physicochemical properties of PTW is discussed based on chemical kinetics. Lower temperature brings longer half-life and the bactericidal activity of PTW can be kept by cryopreservation. High performance PTW, corresponding to the disinfection power of 22 log reduction (B. subtilis spore), can be obtained by special plasma system equipped with cooling device. This is equivalent to 65% H2O2, 14% sodium hypochlorite and 0.33% peracetic acid, which are deadly poison for human. But, it is deactivated soon at higher temperature (4 sec. at body temperature), and toxicity to human body seems low. For dental application, PTW was effective on infected models of human extracted tooth. Although PTW has many chemical components, respective chemical components in PTW were isolated by ion chromatography. In addition to peaks of H2O2, NO2- and NO3-, a specific peak was detected. and only this fraction had bactericidal activity. Purified active ingredient of PTW is the precursor of HOO, and further details will be discussed in the presentation. MEXT (15H03583, 23340176, 25108505). NCCE (23-A-15).

Active Ingredients of Epimedii Folium and Ligustri Lucidi Fructus Balanced GR/HSP90 to Improve the Sensitivity of Asthmatic Rats to Budesonide

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Xiufeng Tang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to investigate the possible molecular mechanisms of active ingredients of Epimedii Folium (EF and Ligustri Lucidi Fructus (LLF combined with Budesonide (Bun in asthmatic rats. Rats were divided into 5 groups, including normal group, asthma model group, Bun group, group of active ingredients of EL and LLF (EL, and group of coadministration of Bun with EL (Bun&EL. The asthmatic model was prepared by ovalbumin sensitizing and challenging. Lymphocyte apoptosis, GR protein and binding, and the protein and mRNA of GRα, GRβ, and HSP90 were tested. The results showed that Bun&EL ① markedly increased lymphocyte apoptosis, GR and HSP90 protein, and GR binding in BALF and ② enhanced the expressions of GRα and HSP90 and the ratio of GRα to GRβ or to HSP90 both in protein and in mRNA levels in lung, ③ while decrease occurred in GRβ mRNA and the mRNA ratio of GRβ to HSP90 compared with asthma or Bun group. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between GRα and GRβ in protein level, or between GRα and HSP90 both in protein and in mRNA levels. EL may effectively enhance the sensitivity of asthmatic rats to Bun via balancing GR/HSP90. And these findings will be beneficial for the treatment of asthma in the future.

Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Active Ingredients and Its Metabolites Derived from Rikkunshito, a Ghrelin Enhancer, in Healthy Japanese Volunteers: A Cross-Over, Randomized Study.

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Hiroyuki Kitagawa

Full Text Available Rikkunshito, a traditional Japanese (Kampo medicine, has been used to treat upper gastrointestinal disorders such as functional dyspepsia and gastroesophageal reflux. This study investigated the exposure and pharmacokinetics of the ingredients of rikkunshito in healthy volunteers.First, an exploratory nonrandomized, open-label, one-period, noncrossover study using four healthy Japanese volunteers to detect 32 typical ingredients of rikkunshito in plasma and urine. As a result, 18 or 21 of 32 ingredients was detected in plasma or urine samples after oral administration of rikkunshito (7.5 g/day. Furthermore, a randomized, open-label, three-arm, three-period, crossover study using 21 subjects was conducted to determine the amounts of exposure and pharmacokinetic parameters of nine ingredients derived from rikkunshito (atractylodin, atractylodin carboxylic acid, pachymic acid, 3,3',4',5,6,7,8-heptamethoxyflavone, naringenin, nobiletin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, and 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid after oral administration of rikkunshito at three different doses (2.5, 5.0, or 7.5 g/day during each period. The pharmacokinetic profiles of the nine ingredients in plasma were characterized. The geometric means (95% confidence interval for the Cmax of the ingredients at a dose of 7.5 g were 1570 (1210-2040, 14,300 (12,200-16,800, 91.0 (71.8-115, 105 (75.6-144, 1150 (802-1650, 35.9 (24.6-52.5, 800 (672-952, 42.8 (30.4-60.3, and 55,600 (39,600-78,100 pg/mL, respectively, and for the AUC0-last were 1760 (1290-2390, 12700 (11,100-14,600, 1210 (882-1650, 225 (157-322, 4630 (2930-7320, 35.7 (20.4-62.7, 4040 (3260-5010, 122 (88.2-168, and 832,000 (628,000-1,100,000 pg·h/mL respectively.We identified the ingredients of rikkunshito that are absorbed in humans. Furthermore, we determined the pharmacokinetics of nine ingredients derived from rikkunshito. This information will be useful for elucidating the pharmacological effects of rikkunshito

Feeding Supplementation And Radioimmunoassay (RIA) Technique For The Improvement Of artificial Insemination (AI) Efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tjiptosumirat, Totti; Supandi, Dadang; Firsoni

2002-01-01

Recent research activities have showed that RIA techniques may be use as a tool in the improvement of dairy cattle AI in . Cisurupan district, Garut. Although already indicate in the previous research, with a small number of dairy cattle tested, a more in depth study on the utilization of RIA for the improvement of AI efficiency is still required. It is indicated from the previous experiment results that administration of feeding supplementation might improved the efficiency of reproductive performance of dairy cattle. The current Study is a continuation from the previous study with a larger number of dairy cattle and wider area covered. The experiment is aimed to monitor the impact of feeding supplementation on the reproductive performance of dairy cattle using Artificial Insemination Database Application (AIDA) and RIA technique. Result from this study indicated that feeding supplementation improved conception rate between pre-supplemented and post-supplemented dairy cattle; 25% vs 40%, respectively, therefore improve ratio of Service per Conception of 4.0 vs 2.3, respectively for pre-supplemented and post-supplemented dairy cattle. Result of this experiment also showed that RIA might be use as an effective tool in monitoring the early failure of AI compared to if just relying on the conventional method, the rectal palpation. However, due to an increase in milk production as a result of feeding supplementation, tanners tend to lengthen the lactation period from 10.20 ± 0.5 months to 11.8 ± 0.6 months, respectively in dairy cattle pre-supplemented and post-supplemented. It can be conclude from this study that supplementation feeding improve reproductive performance. However, even AIDA and RIA may be of effective tool in monitoring the reproductive performance of dairy cattle, as an holistic approach for an improvement dairy farm management is still required due to other factors play important role for AI efficiency

The deep learning AI playbook strategy for disruptive artificial intelligence

CERN Document Server

Perez, Carlos E

2017-01-01

Deep Learning Artificial Intelligence involves the interplay of Computer Science, Physics, Biology, Linguistics and Psychology. In addition to that, it is technology that can be extremely disruptive. The ramifications to society and even our own humanity will be profound. There are few subjects that are as captivating and as consequential as this. Surprisingly, there is very little that is written about this new technology in a more comprehensive and cohesive way. This book is an opinionated take on the developments of Deep Learning AI. One question many have will be "how to apply Deep Learning AI in a business context?" Technology that is disruptive does not automatically imply that its application to valuable use cases will be apparent. For years, many people could not figure out how to monetize the World Wide Web. We are in a similar situation with Deep Learning AI. The developments may be mind-boggling but its monetization is far from being obvious. This book presents a framework to address this shortcomi...

Analysis of raw AIS spectrum recordings from a LEO satellite

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jesper Abildgaard; Mortensen, Hans Peter

2014-01-01

The AAUSAT3 satellite is a 1U cubesat, which has been developed by students at Aalborg University, Denmark in collaboration with the Danish Maritime Authority. The satellite was launched in February 2013 on a mission to monitor ships from space using their AIS broadcast signals as an indication...... of position. The SDR receiver developed to listen for these AIS signals also allows for sampling and storing of the raw intermediate frequency spectrum, which has been used in order to map channel utilization over the areas of interest for the mission, which is mainly the arctic regions. The SDR based...... receiver used onboard the satellite is using a single chip front-end solution, which down converts the AIS signal located around 162 MHz into an intermediate frequency, with a up to 200 kHz bandwidth. This I/F signal is sampled with a 750 kSPS A/D converter and further processed by an Analog Devices DSP...

Characterizing Active Ingredients of eHealth Interventions Targeting Persons With Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Using the Behavior Change Techniques Taxonomy: Scoping Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kebede, Mihiretu M; Liedtke, Tatjana P; Möllers, Tobias; Pischke, Claudia R

2017-10-12

The behavior change technique taxonomy v1 (BCTTv1; Michie and colleagues, 2013) is a comprehensive tool to characterize active ingredients of interventions and includes 93 labels that are hierarchically clustered into 16 hierarchical clusters. The aim of this study was to identify the active ingredients in electronic health (eHealth) interventions targeting patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and relevant outcomes. We conducted a scoping review using the BCTTv1. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), studies with or pre-post-test designs, and quasi-experimental studies examining efficacy and effectiveness of eHealth interventions for disease management or the promotion of relevant health behaviors were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. Reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts for eligibility using predetermined eligibility criteria. Data were extracted following a data extraction sheet. The BCTTv1 was used to characterize active ingredients of the interventions reported in the included studies. Of the 1404 unique records screened, 32 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and reported results on the efficacy and or or effectiveness of interventions. Of the included 32 studies, 18 (56%) were Web-based interventions delivered via personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet, computer, and/or mobile phones; 7 (22%) were telehealth interventions delivered via landline; 6 (19%) made use of text messaging (short service message, SMS); and 1 employed videoconferencing (3%). Of the 16 hierarchical clusters of the BCTTv1, 11 were identified in interventions included in this review. Of the 93 individual behavior change techniques (BCTs), 31 were identified as active ingredients of the interventions. The most common BCTs identified were instruction on how to perform behavior, adding objects to the environment, information about health consequences, self-monitoring of the outcomes and/or and prefers to be

Macroalgae-Derived Ingredients for Cosmetic Industry—An Update

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Filipa B. Pimentel

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aging is a natural and progressive declining physiological process that is influenced by multifactorial aspects and affects individuals’ health in very different ways. The skin is one of the major organs in which aging is more evident, as it progressively loses some of its natural functions. With the new societal paradigms regarding youth and beauty have emerged new concerns about appearance, encouraging millions of consumers to use cosmetic/personal care products as part of their daily routine. Hence, cosmetics have become a global and highly competitive market in a constant state of evolution. This industry is highly committed to finding natural sources of functional/bioactive-rich compounds, preferably from sustainable and cheap raw materials, to deliver innovative products and solutions that meet consumers’ expectations. Macroalgae are an excellent example of a natural resource that can fit these requirements. The incorporation of macroalgae-derived ingredients in cosmetics has been growing, as more and more scientific evidence reports their skin health-promoting effects. This review provides an overview on the possible applications of macroalgae as active ingredients for the cosmetic field, highlighting the main compounds responsible for their bioactivity on skin.

Explanation and trust: what to tell the user in security and AI?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pieters, Wolter

There is a common problem in artificial intelligence (AI) and information security. In AI, an expert system needs to be able to justify and explain a decision to the user. In information security, experts need to be able to explain to the public why a system is secure. In both cases, an important

Simultaneous determination of active ingredients in Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz. by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Qingcui; Wu, Ting; Fu, Liang; Ye, Jiannong

2005-03-09

A high-performance capillary electrophoresis (CE) with electrochemical detection (ED) method was developed for the determination of the pharmacologically active ingredients in Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz. and its extract phytopharmaceuticals in this work. Under the optimum conditions, nine analytes, baicalein, naringenin, scopoletin, kaempferol, apigenin, scutellarin, luteolin, caffeic acid and protocatechuic acid were separated within 24 min in a borax buffer (pH 8.7). Notably, excellent linearity was obtained over two orders of magnitude with detection limits (S/N=3) ranged from 1.0 x 10(-7) g/mL to 5.6 x 10(-7) g/mL for all nine analytes. This method was successfully used in the analysis of E. breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz. and its phytopharmaceuticals with a relatively simple extraction procedure, and the assay results were satisfactory.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of five active ingredients of Eucommiae cortex in normal and ovariectomized mice by UHPLC-MS/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

An, Jing; Hu, Fangdi; Wang, Changhong; Zhang, Zijia; Yang, Li; Wang, Zhengtao

2016-09-01

1. Pinoresinol di-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (PDG), geniposide (GE), geniposidic acid (GA), aucubin (AN) and chlorogenic acid (CA) are the representative active ingredients in Eucommiae cortex (EC), which may be estrogenic. 2. The ultra high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of the five ingredients showed good linearity, low limits of quantification and high extraction recoveries, as well as acceptable precision, accuracy and stability in mice plasma and tissue samples (liver, spleen, kidney and uterus). It was successfully applied to the comparative study on pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of PDG, GE, GA, AN and CA between normal and ovariectomized (OVX) mice. 3. The results indicated that except CA, the plasma and tissue concentrations of PDG, GE, GA in OVX mice were all greater than those in normal mice. AN could only be detected in the plasma and liver homogenate of normal mice, which was poorly absorbed in OVX mice and low in other measured tissues. PDG, GE and GA seem to be better absorbed in OVX mice than in normal mice proved by the remarkable increased value of AUC0-∞ and Cmax. It is beneficial that PDG, GE, GA have better plasma absorption and tissue distribution in pathological state.

[Effect of exogenous sucrose on growth and active ingredient content of licorice seedlings under salt stress conditions].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Fu-zhi; Yang, Jun

2015-11-01

Licorice seedlings were taken as experimental materials, an experiment was conducted to study the effects of exogenous sucrose on growth and active ingredient content of licorice seedlings under NaCl stress conditions. The results of this study showed that under salt stress conditions, after adding a certain concentration of exogenous sucrose, the licorice seedlings day of relative growth rate was increasing, and this stress can be a significant weakening effect, indicating that exogenous sucrose salt stress-relieving effect. The total flavonoids and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity were significantly increased, the exogenous sucrose can mitigated the seedling roots under salt stress, the licorice flavonoid content in the enhanced growth was largely due to the activity of PAL an increased, when the concentration of exogenous sucrose wae 10 mmol x L(-1), PAL activity reaching a maximum, when the concentration of exogenous sucrose was 15 mmol x L(-1), PAL activity turned into a downward trend, the results indicating that this mitigation has concentration effect. After applying different concentrations of exogenous sugar, the contents of liquiritin changes with the change of flavonoids content was similar. After applying different concentrations of exogenous sucrose, the content of licorice acid under salt stress was higher than the levels were not reached during salt stress, the impact of exogenous sucrose concentration gradient of licorice acid accumulation was not obvious.

Dimeric Surfactants: Promising Ingredients of Cosmetics and Toiletries

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Naveen Kumar

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Surfactants are an essential ingredient for cosmetic, toiletries and personal care products for enhancing their performance. Dimeric surfactants demonstrate superiority compared to conventional surfactants in all areas of application. Dimeric surfactants are extremely promising for utilization in various cosmetic formulations viz. shampoo, lotions, creams, conditioners etc. These surfactants possess extremely unique surface properties viz. lower surface tension, unique micellization, low critical micelle concentration (CMC and antimicrobial activity, higher solubilization etc. Dimerics enhance the performances of cosmetics in an extraordinary manner and provide eco-friendly preparations for human epidermis.

AI-2 quorum-sensing inhibitors affect the starvation response and reduce virulence in several Vibrio species, most likely by interfering with LuxPQ.

Science.gov (United States)

Brackman, Gilles; Celen, Shari; Baruah, Kartik; Bossier, Peter; Van Calenbergh, Serge; Nelis, Hans J; Coenye, Tom

2009-12-01

The increase of disease outbreaks caused by Vibrio species in aquatic organisms as well as in humans, together with the emergence of antibiotic resistance in Vibrio species, has led to a growing interest in alternative disease control measures. Quorum sensing (QS) is a mechanism for regulating microbial gene expression in a cell density-dependent way. While there is good evidence for the involvement of auto-inducer 2 (AI-2)-based interspecies QS in the control of virulence in multiple Vibrio species, only few inhibitors of this system are known. From the screening of a small panel of nucleoside analogues for their ability to disturb AI-2-based QS, an adenosine derivative with a p-methoxyphenylpropionamide moiety at C-3' emerged as a promising hit. Its mechanism of inhibition was elucidated by measuring the effect on bioluminescence in a series of Vibrio harveyi AI-2 QS mutants. Our results indicate that this compound, as well as a truncated analogue lacking the adenine base, block AI-2-based QS without interfering with bacterial growth. The active compounds affected neither the bioluminescence system as such nor the production of AI-2, but most likely interfered with the signal transduction pathway at the level of LuxPQ in V. harveyi. The most active nucleoside analogue (designated LMC-21) was found to reduce the Vibrio species starvation response, to affect biofilm formation in Vibrio anguillarum, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio cholerae, to reduce pigment and protease production in V. anguillarum, and to protect gnotobiotic Artemia from V. harveyi-induced mortality.

Digestibility of animal and vegetable protein ingredients by pirarucu juveniles, Arapaima gigas

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Filipe dos Santos Cipriano

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine the apparent digestibility coefficients of energy, protein, and amino acids in protein ingredients by pirarucu juveniles. A test was conducted with six protein ingredients: meat and bone meal, fish meal, hydrolyzed feather meal, poultry by-product meal, soybean meal, and corn gluten meal. Three repetitions were used for each tested ingredient. A reference feed was used with 430 g kg−1 crude protein and 19.63 kJ g−1 gross energy. The test feeds consisted of the replacement of 30% of the reference feeds with the test ingredients. Chromium oxide was added to the feeds at 1 g kg−1 as an external marker. Eighteen juveniles with an average weight of 235±36 g were used. The best apparent digestibility coefficients of protein were found for fish meal, followed by the poultry by-product meal and meat and bone meal. However, except for gluten, all the tested ingredients presented protein digestibilities above 0.70. The crude energy apparent digestibility coefficient was higher for animal ingredients, above 0.75, than for vegetable ingredients, which presented values below 0.60. Pirarucu efficiently uses the protein from the tested ingredients, regardless of origin. However, it has a preferential ability to use the energy from animal ingredients.

Explanation and trust: what to tell the user in security and AI?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pieters, Wolter

2010-01-01

There is a common problem in artificial intelligence (AI) and information security. In AI, an expert system needs to be able to justify and explain a decision to the user. In information security, experts need to be able to explain to the public why a system is secure. In both cases, the goal of

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Based Tactical Guidance for Fighter Aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

McManus, John W.; Goodrich, Kenneth H.

1990-01-01

A research program investigating the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to aid in the development of a Tactical Decision Generator (TDG) for Within Visual Range (WVR) air combat engagements is discussed. The application of AI programming and problem solving methods in the development and implementation of the Computerized Logic For Air-to-Air Warfare Simulations (CLAWS), a second generation TDG, is presented. The Knowledge-Based Systems used by CLAWS to aid in the tactical decision-making process are outlined in detail, and the results of tests to evaluate the performance of CLAWS versus a baseline TDG developed in FORTRAN to run in real-time in the Langley Differential Maneuvering Simulator (DMS), are presented. To date, these test results have shown significant performance gains with respect to the TDG baseline in one-versus-one air combat engagements, and the AI-based TDG software has proven to be much easier to modify and maintain than the baseline FORTRAN TDG programs. Alternate computing environments and programming approaches, including the use of parallel algorithms and heterogeneous computer networks are discussed, and the design and performance of a prototype concurrent TDG system are presented.

78 FR 63494 - Meeting of the National Coordination Committee on the AI/AN SANE-SART Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-24

... National Coordination Committee on the AI/AN SANE--SART Initiative AGENCY: Office for Victims of Crime.../ Alaska Native (AI/AN) Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE)--Sexual Assault Response Team (SART..., victim-centered responses to sexual violence within AI/AN communities. DATES: The meeting will be held...

Safety assessment of Vitis vinifera (grape)-derived ingredients as used in cosmetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiume, Monice M; Bergfeld, Wilma F; Belsito, Donald V; Hill, Ronald A; Klaassen, Curtis D; Liebler, Daniel C; Marks, James G; Shank, Ronald C; Slaga, Thomas J; Snyder, Paul W; Andersen, F Alan

2014-01-01

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel (Panel) assessed the safety of 24 Vitis vinifera (grape)-derived ingredients and found them safe in the present practices of use and concentration in cosmetics. These ingredients function in cosmetics mostly as skin-conditioning agents, but some function as antioxidants, flavoring agents, and/or colorants. The Panel reviewed the available animal and clinical data to determine the safety of these ingredients. Additionally, some constituents of grapes have been assessed previously for safety as cosmetic ingredients by the Panel, and others are compounds that have been discussed in previous Panel safety assessments. © The Author(s) 2014.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS, environment, exposome and epigenetics: a molecular perspective of postnatal normal spinal growth and the etiopathogenesis of AIS with consideration of a network approach and possible implications for medical therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burwell R Geoffrey

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Genetic factors are believed to play an important role in the etiology of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS. Discordant findings for monozygotic (MZ twins with AIS show that environmental factors including different intrauterine environments are important in etiology, but what these environmental factors may be is unknown. Recent evidence for common chronic non-communicable diseases suggests epigenetic differences may underlie MZ twin discordance, and be the link between environmental factors and phenotypic differences. DNA methylation is one important epigenetic mechanism operating at the interface between genome and environment to regulate phenotypic plasticity with a complex regulation across the genome during the first decade of life. The word exposome refers to the totality of environmental exposures from conception onwards, comprising factors in external and internal environments. The word exposome is used here also in relation to physiologic and etiopathogenetic factors that affect normal spinal growth and may induce the deformity of AIS. In normal postnatal spinal growth we propose a new term and concept, physiologic growth-plate exposome for the normal processes particularly of the internal environments that may have epigenetic effects on growth plates of vertebrae. In AIS, we propose a new term and concept pathophysiologic scoliogenic exposome for the abnormal processes in molecular pathways particularly of the internal environment currently expressed as etiopathogenetic hypotheses; these are suggested to have deforming effects on the growth plates of vertebrae at cell, tissue, structure and/or organ levels that are considered to be epigenetic. New research is required for chromatin modifications including DNA methylation in AIS subjects and vertebral growth plates excised at surgery. In addition, consideration is needed for a possible network approach to etiopathogenesis by constructing AIS diseasomes. These approaches may

Ingredients derived from the slaughter of bovines in dog food

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karina De Carli Loureiro

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: This study evaluated the nutritional levels, apparent digestibility coefficients, and faecal characteristics of dogs fed with four by-products from bovine slaughter: testicles, residue sirloin steak, trachea, and liver. Ingredients were processed and packed in tins for heat treatment in autoclaves. For the digestibility and faeces quality, ingredients were mixed with a reference diet (commercial food in the proportion of 30g kg-1 test ingredient and 70g kg-1 reference diet (as dry matter. Ten adult dogs were distributed in double Latin block squares (5x5 with five treatments and five periods, totalling ten repetitions per treatment. The residue sirloin steak presented the highest levels of essential (414.2g kg-1 of dry matter and non-essential (399.0g kg-1 of dry matter amino acids in tested ingredients. No differences (P>0.05 were observed in apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter - ADCDM (907g kg-1, ADCOM (930g kg-1, ADCCP (841g kg-1, ADCAEE (954g kg-1 values, and DE (5069kcal kg-1 and ME (4781kcal kg-1 values between testicle, residue sirloin steak, and liver. The trachea presented lower digestibility and energy values (digestible and metabolizable than the other ingredients. This lower trachea digestibility resulted in higher faecal volume for natural and dry matter (P0.05 in faecal score between ingredients. Ingredients tested in this study can be used in feeds for adult dogs; however, their nutritional levels and digestibility values should be considered for correct diet balance.

Liver system. V. Activation-extinction line of cyclic hepatocyte activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Dioguardi, N; Brambilla, F; Dell'Oca, M; Arosio, E; Parmeggiani, L

1991-01-01

The excitation-extintion line of hepatocytes from an inert state towards the stabilization of a given activity is described. Within the cell, the switching on of any given activity is a competitive process among different activities. The process is driven by the influence field created in the environment of the Rappaport acinus by sinusoidal blood which changes its characteristics during its passage from the portal zone to the central vein. Every step of the excitation-extintion pathway follows the so-called law of autoisodiasostasis (AIS), i.e. it is characterized by an oscillatory motion between restoring (homopoiesis or HP) and working (homeorhesis or HR) states. Since the cyclical bistable equilibrium of AIS characterizes all conditions of hepatocyte activities, the AIS cycle can be defined a limit cycle.

Dry eyes and AIs: If you don't ask you won't find out.

Science.gov (United States)

Inglis, Holly; Boyle, Frances M; Friedlander, Michael L; Watson, Stephanie L

2015-12-01

Our objective was to investigate the hypothesis that women on adjuvant aromatase inhibitors (AIs) for treatment of breast cancer have a higher prevalence of dry eye syndrome (DES) compared with controls. Exposure and control groups were recruited. A cross sectional questionnaire-based study was performed. Demographic data and medical histories were collected. The presence of dry eye syndrome was determined by the ocular surface disease index (OSDI). The Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment - Endocrine Subscale (FACT-ES) was performed to investigate correlations with other side effects of AIs. 93 exposure group and 100 control group questionnaires were included. The groups were similar in all demographic variables. The prevalence of dry eye syndrome was 35% (exposure) and 18% (control) (p dry eyes. The OSDI score was negatively correlated with the total FACT-ES score and positively correlated with duration of treatment. Our study is the first to use a validated questionnaire to assess for DES in this population. DES is significantly more prevalent in women on AIs compared with controls. This is a newly emerging, and easily treated side effect of AIs. Self-reporting of dry eye symptoms underestimates the prevalence of DES with AIs. We recommend routine screening of patients on AIs with the OSDI with the aim of improving patient quality of life and possibly adherence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A study on the applications of AI in finishing of additive manufacturing parts

Science.gov (United States)

Fathima Patham, K.

2017-06-01

Artificial intelligent and computer simulation are the technological powerful tools for solving complex problems in the manufacturing industries. Additive Manufacturing is one of the powerful manufacturing techniques that provide design flexibilities to the products. The products with complex shapes are directly manufactured without the need of any machining and tooling using Additive Manufacturing. However, the main drawback of the components produced using the Additive Manufacturing processes is the quality of the surfaces. This study aims to minimize the defects caused during Additive Manufacturing with the aid of Artificial Intelligence. The developed AI system has three layers, each layer is trying to eliminate or minimize the production errors. The first layer of the AI system optimizes the digitization of the 3D CAD model of the product and hence reduces the stair case errors. The second layer of the AI system optimizes the 3D printing machine parameters in order to eliminate the warping effect. The third layer of AI system helps to choose the surface finishing technique suitable for the printed component based on the Degree of Complexity of the product and the material. The efficiency of the developed AI system was examined on the functional parts such as gears.

Do adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS neglect proprioceptive information in sensory integration of postural control?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine Assaiante

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: It has been reported that AIS rely much more on ankle proprioception to control the amplitude of the balance control commands as compared to age-matched healthy adolescents. Our hypothesis was that AIS do not neglect proprioceptive information to control posture probably because of their vestibular deficits. We investigated the proprioceptive contribution to postural control in AIS which expresses spinal deformity during a crucial transitional period of ontogenesis. METHODS: 10 adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis (AIS with moderate spinal deformity (10° 35° and 10 control adolescents (CA had to maintain vertical stance while very slow oscillations in the frontal plane (below the detection threshold of the semicircular canal system were applied to the support with the eyes open and closed. Postural orientation and segmental stabilisation were analysed at head, shoulder, trunk and pelvis levels. RESULTS: Scoliosis did not affect vertical orientation control and segmental stabilization strategies. Vision improves postural control in both CA and AIS, which seem more dependent on visual cues than adults. CONCLUSIONS: AIS as CA were unable to control efficiently their postural orientation on the basis of the proprioceptive cues, the only sensory information available in the EC situation, whereas in the same condition healthy young adults present no difficulty to achieve the postural control. This suggests that AIS as CA transitory neglect proprioceptive information to control their posture. These results and previous studies suggest the existence of different afferent pathways for proprioceptive information subserving different parts in sensory integration of postural control. We conclude that the static proprioceptive system is not affected by the idiopathic scoliosis, while the dynamic proprioceptive system would be mainly affected.

Radiation processing of dry food ingredients - a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farkas, J.

1985-01-01

Radiation decontamination of dry ingredients, herbs and enzyme preparations is a technically feasible, economically viable and safe physical process. The procedure is direct, simple, requires no additives, does not leave residues and is highly efficient. Its dose requirement is moderate. Radiation doses of 3 to 10 kGy proved to be sufficient to reduce the viable cell counts to a satisfactory level. Ionizing radiations do not cause any significant rise in temperature and the flavour, texture or other important technological or sensory properties of most ingredients are not influenced at radiation doses necessary for a satisfactory decontamination. The microflora surviving the cell-count reduction by irradiation is more sensitive to subsequent food processing treatments than the microflora of untreated ingredients. Recontamination can be prevented since the product can be irradiated in its final packaging. Irradiation can be carried out in commercial containers and it results in considerable savings of energy and labour as compared to alternative decontamination techniques. Radiation processing of dry ingredients is an emerging technology in several countries and more and more clearances on irradiated foods are issued or expected to be granted in the near future. (author)

Radiation processing of dry food ingredients - a review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farkas, J

1985-01-01

Radiation decontamination of dry ingredients, herbs and enzyme preparations is a technically feasible, economically viable and safe physical process. The procedure is direct, simple, requires no additives, does not leave residues and is highly efficient. Its dose requirement is moderate. Radiation doses of 3 to 10 kGy proved to be sufficient to reduce the viable cell counts to a satisfactory level. Ionizing radiations do not cause any significant rise in temperature and the flavour, texture or other important technological or sensory properties of most ingredients are not influenced at radiation doses necessary for a satisfactory decontamination. The microflora surviving the cell-count reduction by irradiation is more sensitive to subsequent food processing treatments than the microflora of untreated ingredients. Recontamination can be prevented since the product can be irradiated in its final packaging. Irradiation can be carried out in commercial containers and it results in considerable savings of energy and labour as compared to alternative decontamination techniques. Radiation processing of dry ingredients is an emerging technology in several countries and more and more clearances on irradiated foods are issued or expected to be granted in the near future.

Genotoxic Potential of Two Herbicides and their Active Ingredients Assessed with Comet Assay on a Fish Cell Line, Epithelioma Papillosum Cyprini (EPC)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Syberg, Kristian; Rank, Jette; Jensen, Klara

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to optimize the epithelioma papillosum cyprini (EPC) cell line handling procedure for the comet assay to investigate the genotoxic potential of widely used pesticides. The effects of various media and handling of the EPC cell line were examined. Results indicated......-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propionic acid) individually and in a ternary mixture were examined with the comet assay. Data showed that among the active ingredients only 2,4-D andMCPA induced DNA damage, while both herbicides were genotoxic at high concentrations....

Ingredients derived from the slaughter of bovines in dog food

OpenAIRE

Loureiro, Karina De Carli; Haese, Douglas; Kill, João Luís; Pires, Achicine Furno; Fernandes, Danieli Rankel; Colnago, Geraldo Luiz; Lucas, Wendius Henrique; Gama, Gabriela Oliveira

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT: This study evaluated the nutritional levels, apparent digestibility coefficients, and faecal characteristics of dogs fed with four by-products from bovine slaughter: testicles, residue sirloin steak, trachea, and liver. Ingredients were processed and packed in tins for heat treatment in autoclaves. For the digestibility and faeces quality, ingredients were mixed with a reference diet (commercial food) in the proportion of 30g kg-1 test ingredient and 70g kg-1 reference diet (as dry ...

Artificial intelligence, expert systems, computer vision, and natural language processing

Science.gov (United States)

Gevarter, W. B.

1984-01-01

An overview of artificial intelligence (AI), its core ingredients, and its applications is presented. The knowledge representation, logic, problem solving approaches, languages, and computers pertaining to AI are examined, and the state of the art in AI is reviewed. The use of AI in expert systems, computer vision, natural language processing, speech recognition and understanding, speech synthesis, problem solving, and planning is examined. Basic AI topics, including automation, search-oriented problem solving, knowledge representation, and computational logic, are discussed.

Innovations in natural ingredients and their use in skin care.

Science.gov (United States)

Fowler, Joseph F; Woolery-Lloyd, Heather; Waldorf, Heidi; Saini, Ritu

2010-06-01

Natural ingredients have been used traditionally for millennia and their application in topical creams, lotions and preparations within the traditional medicines and healing traditions of many cultures has been observed. Over the last 20 years, clinical and laboratory studies have identified the benefits of an array of natural ingredients for skin care. Consequently, a number of these ingredients and compounds are today being developed, used or considered not only for anti-aging effects, but also for use in dermatologic disorders. Certain ingredients, such as colloidal oatmeal and aloe vera, have been identified as beneficial in the treatment of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, respectively, due to their anti-inflammatory properties. For combating acne and rosacea, green tea, niacinamide and feverfew are considered efficacious. As to hyperpigmentation and antioxidative capabilities, licorice, green tea, arbutin, soy, acai berry, turmeric and pomegranate are among those plants and compounds found to be most beneficial. Additional research is needed to determine to confirm and elucidate the benefits of these ingredients in the prevention and management of skin disease.

Optimizing Limousine Service with AI

OpenAIRE

Chun, Andy Hon Wai

2011-01-01

A common problem for companies with strong business growth is that it is hard to find enough experienced staff to support expansion needs. This problem is particular pronounced for operations planners and controllers who must be very highly knowledgeable and experienced with the business domain. This article is a case study of how one of the largest travel agencies in Hong Kong alleviated this problem by using AI to support decision-making and problem-solving so that their planners and contro...

Intravenous microemulsion of docetaxel containing an anti-tumor synergistic ingredient (Brucea javanica oil: formulation and pharmacokinetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma S

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Shilin Ma,1 Fen Chen,1 Xiaohui Ye,2 Yingjie Dong,2 Yingna Xue,1 Heming Xu,1 Wenji Zhang,1 Shuangshuang Song,1 Li Ai,2 Naixian Zhang,2 Weisan Pan1 1School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 2Liaoning Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Liaoning, The People's Republic of China Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop a docetaxel microemulsion containing an anti-tumor synergistic ingredient (Brucea javanica oil and to investigate the characteristics of the microemulsion. Brucea javanica oil contains oleic acid and linoleic acids that have been shown by animal and human studies to inhibit tumor formation. The microemulsion containing Brucea javanica oil, medium-chain triglyceride, soybean lecithin, Solutol®HS 15, PEG 400, and water was developed for docetaxel intravenous administration. A formulation with higher drug content, lower viscosity, and smaller particle size was developed. The droplet size distribution of the dispersed phase of the optimized microemulsion was 13.5 nm, determined using a dynamic light scattering technique. The small droplet size enabled the microemulsion droplets to escape from uptake and phagocytosis by the reticuloendothelial system and increased the circulation time of the drug. The zeta potential was -41.3 mV. The optimized microemulsion was pale yellow, transparent, and non-opalescent in appearance. The value of the combination index was 0.58, showing that there was a synergistic effect when docetaxel was combined with Brucea javanica oil. After a single intravenous infusion dose (10 mg/kg in male Sprague Dawley rats, the area under the curve of the microemulsion was higher and the half-time was longer compared with that of docetaxel solution alone, and showed superior pharmacokinetic characteristics. These results indicate that this preparation of docetaxel in emulsion is likely to provide an excellent prospect for clinical tumor treatment. Keywords: microemulsion, docetaxel

Health Risk Assessment on Hazardous Ingredients in Household Deodorizing Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minjin Lee

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The inhalation of a water aerosol from a humidifier containing disinfectants has led to serious lung injuries in Korea. To promote the safe use of products, the Korean government enacted regulations on the chemicals in various consumer products that could have adverse health effects. Given the concern over the potential health risks associated with the hazardous ingredients in deodorizing consumer products, 17 ingredients were analyzed and assessed according to their health risk on 3 groups by the application type in 47 deodorizing products. The risk assessment study followed a stepwise procedure (e.g., collecting toxicological information, hazard identification/exposure assessment, and screening and detailed assessment for inhalation and dermal routes. The worst-case scenario and maximum concentration determined by the product purpose and application type were used as the screening assessment. In a detailed assessment, the 75th exposure factor values were used to estimate the assumed reasonable exposure to ingredients. The exposed concentrations of seven ingredients were calculated. Due to limitation of toxicity information, butylated hydroxyl toluene for a consumer’s exposure via the dermal route only was conducted for a detailed assessment. This study showed that the assessed ingredients have no health risks at their maximum concentrations in deodorizing products. This approach can be used to establish guidelines for ingredients that may pose inhalation and dermal hazards.

Health Risk Assessment on Hazardous Ingredients in Household Deodorizing Products

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Minjin; Kim, Joo-Hyon; Lee, Daeyeop; Kim, Jaewoo; Lim, Hyunwoo; Seo, Jungkwan; Park, Young-Kwon

2018-01-01

The inhalation of a water aerosol from a humidifier containing disinfectants has led to serious lung injuries in Korea. To promote the safe use of products, the Korean government enacted regulations on the chemicals in various consumer products that could have adverse health effects. Given the concern over the potential health risks associated with the hazardous ingredients in deodorizing consumer products, 17 ingredients were analyzed and assessed according to their health risk on 3 groups by the application type in 47 deodorizing products. The risk assessment study followed a stepwise procedure (e.g., collecting toxicological information, hazard identification/exposure assessment, and screening and detailed assessment for inhalation and dermal routes). The worst-case scenario and maximum concentration determined by the product purpose and application type were used as the screening assessment. In a detailed assessment, the 75th exposure factor values were used to estimate the assumed reasonable exposure to ingredients. The exposed concentrations of seven ingredients were calculated. Due to limitation of toxicity information, butylated hydroxyl toluene for a consumer’s exposure via the dermal route only was conducted for a detailed assessment. This study showed that the assessed ingredients have no health risks at their maximum concentrations in deodorizing products. This approach can be used to establish guidelines for ingredients that may pose inhalation and dermal hazards. PMID:29652814

AI Reloaded: Objectives, Potentials, and Challenges of the Novel Field of Brain-Like Artificial Intelligence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosemarie Velik

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The general objective of Artificial Intelligence (AI is to make machines – particularly computers – do things that require intelligence when done by humans. In the last 60 years, AI has significantly progressed and today forms an important part of industry and technology. However, despite the many successes, fundamental questions concerning the creation of human-level intelligence in machines still remain open and will probably not be answerable when continuing on the current, mainly mathematic-algorithmically-guided path of AI. With the novel discipline of
Brain-Like Artificial Intelligence, one potential way out of this dilemma has been suggested. Brain-Like AI aims at analyzing and deciphering the working mechanisms of the brain and translating this knowledge into implementable AI architectures with the objective to develop in this way more efficient, flexible, and capable technical systems This article aims at giving a review about this young and still heterogeneous and dynamic research field.

Evaluation of soy-based surface active copolymers as surfactant ingredients in model shampoo formulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Popadyuk, A; Kalita, H; Chisholm, B J; Voronov, A

2014-12-01

A new non-toxic soybean oil-based polymeric surfactant (SBPS) for personal-care products was developed and extensively characterized, including an evaluation of the polymeric surfactant performance in model shampoo formulations. To experimentally assure applicability of the soy-based macromolecules in shampoos, either in combination with common anionic surfactants (in this study, sodium lauryl sulfate, SLS) or as a single surface-active ingredient, the testing of SBPS physicochemical properties, performance and visual assessment of SBPS-based model shampoos was carried out. The results obtained, including foaming and cleaning ability of model formulations, were compared to those with only SLS as a surfactant as well as to SLS-free shampoos. Overall, the results show that the presence of SBPS improves cleaning, foaming, and conditioning of model formulations. SBPS-based formulations meet major requirements of multifunctional shampoos - mild detergency, foaming, good conditioning, and aesthetic appeal, which are comparable to commercially available shampoos. In addition, examination of SBPS/SLS mixtures in model shampoos showed that the presence of the SBPS enables the concentration of SLS to be significantly reduced without sacrificing shampoo performance. © 2014 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

Constitution d’un Corpus de Français Langue Etrangère destiné aux Apprenants Allemands

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Fauth Camille

2014-07-01

Nationale de la Recherche et Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft attribué à l’équipe Parole du LORIA UMR 7503, Nancy – France et à l’Equipe de Linguistique Computationnelle et de Phonétique FR 4.7 de l’Université de la Sarre Sarrebruck – Allemagne dans lequel le français et l’allemand sont des langues cibles. Pour la paire allemand-français, peu de corpus parallèles sont disponibles. Nous présentons ici l’élaboration d’un corpus de productions orales de locuteurs natifs et non natifs pour la paire allemand-français. Notre corpus entend mettre au jour les déviations phonétiques et phonologiques que les locuteurs allemands produisent lorsqu’ils apprennent le français. Ce travail s’insère dans un projet plus global, Ce projet entend étudier les difficultés que les locuteurs français rencontrent lorsqu’ils apprennent l’allemand, et réciproquement. Aussi, cinquante locuteurs allemands seront recrutés dans des milieux universitaires et scolaires (niveau lycée en Allemagne et cinquante locuteurs français dans les mêmes milieux en France. Il s’agit pour les deux populations de produire d’une part le corpus en langue étrangère (en langue française pour les locuteurs allemands et en langue allemande pour les locuteurs français mais également le corpus en langue maternelle (en allemand pour les allemands et en français pour les français. Les corpus ainsi obtenus devraient nous permettre d’identifier les difficultés que les locuteurs allemands ou français rencontrent lorsqu’ils apprennent le français ou l’allemand. Les données de contrôle sont doubles puisque l’on pourra à la fois se référer aux productions des apprenants dans leur langue maternelle (ici l’allemand, mais également à celles de locuteurs natifs (ici germanophones. Nous ne présenterons ici que la constitution du corpus en français.

Polymorph characterization of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) using low-frequency Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Larkin, Peter J; Dabros, Marta; Sarsfield, Beth; Chan, Eric; Carriere, James T; Smith, Brian C

2014-01-01

Polymorph detection, identification, and quantitation in crystalline materials are of great importance to the pharmaceutical industry. Vibrational spectroscopic techniques used for this purpose include Fourier transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy, Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and terahertz (THz) and far-infrared (FIR) spectroscopy. Typically, the fundamental molecular vibrations accessed using high-frequency Raman and MIR spectroscopy or the overtone and combination of bands in the NIR spectra are used to monitor the solid-state forms of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The local environmental sensitivity of the fundamental molecular vibrations provides an indirect probe of the long-range order in molecular crystals. However, low-frequency vibrational spectroscopy provides access to the lattice vibrations of molecular crystals and, hence, has the potential to more directly probe intermolecular interactions in the solid state. Recent advances in filter technology enable high-quality, low-frequency Raman spectra to be acquired using a single-stage spectrograph. This innovation enables the cost-effective collection of high-quality Raman spectra in the 200-10 cm(-1) region. In this study, we demonstrate the potential of low-frequency Raman spectroscopy for the polymorphic characterization of APIs. This approach provides several benefits over existing techniques, including ease of sampling and more intense, information-rich band structures that can potentially discriminate among crystalline forms. An improved understanding of the relationship between the crystalline structure and the low-frequency vibrational spectrum is needed for the more widespread use of the technique.

Archiving AIS messages in a Geo-DBMS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijers, B.M.; Quak, C.W.; van Oosterom, P.J.M.; Bregt, Arnold; Sarjakoski, Tapani; Lammeren, Ron van; Rip, Frans

2017-01-01

This paper reports on the result of two studies for using a geographical database management system for archiving Automated Identification System (AIS) message data. In this paper, we analyse the storage (using MongoDB and PostgreSQL) and we give a more in-depth description of a possible data model

Detection of possible AI-2-mediated quorum sensing system in commensal intestinal bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukás, F; Gorenc, G; Kopecný, J

2008-01-01

The Vibrio harveyi strain BB170-autoinducer bioassay was used to detect possible quorum sensing autoinducer-2 molecule (AI-2) in culture fluids of commensal intestinal bacteria. Culture fluids of Bacteroides vulgatus, Clostridium proteoclasticum, Escherichia coli, Eubacterium rectale, Lachnospira multipara, Pseudobutyrivibrio ruminis, Roseburia intestinalis, Ruminococcus albus and Ruminococcus flavefaciens contained AI-2-like molecules. The PCR bands from some of the tested strains could be also amplified using primers designed for the luxS gene. These findings suggest that AI-2 is present in the gastrointestinal tract; however, it has not yet been proved whether it is used for bacterial cell-to-cell communication.

AI empowered context-aware smart system for medication adherence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiong Wu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose – Poor medication adherence leads to high hospital admission rate and heavy amount of health-care cost. To cope with this problem, various electronic pillboxes have been proposed to improve the medication adherence rate. However, most of the existing electronic pillboxes use time-based reminders which may often lead to ineffective reminding if the reminders are triggered at inopportune moments, e.g. user is sleeping or eating. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the authors propose an AI-empowered context-aware smart pillbox system. The pillbox system collects real-time sensor data from a smart home environment and analyzes the user’s contextual information through a computational abstract argumentation-based activity classifier. Findings – Based on user’s different contextual states, the smart pillbox will generate reminders at appropriate time and on appropriate devices. Originality/value – This paper presents a novel context-aware smart pillbox system that uses argumentation-based activity recognition and reminder generation.

Future role of AI/Robotics in physical security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobs, J.

1986-01-01

Manpower requirements for physical security systems place a heavy burden on operating security budgets. Technology innovations which free personnel or which make security personnel more efficient in carrying out their tasks is an important means of dealing with budget and manpower constraints. It is believed that AI/Robotics will be important technologies to alleviate these problems in the future. There are three types of applications for AI and Robotics technology that may: (l) help security personnel perform their tasks more effectively or efficiently, (2) perform tasks that security personnel would otherwise perform (free up people), and (3) perform tasks that cannot be performed by security personnel at this time. This paper discusses the various types of security applications that are presently being considered for the above areas and briefly describes a few examples of the application of this technology

AI mass spectrometers for space shuttle health monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, F. W.

1991-01-01

The facility Hazardous Gas Detection System (HGDS) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is a mass spectrometer based gas analyzer. Two instruments make up the HGDS, which is installed in a prime/backup arrangement, with the option of using both analyzers on the same sample line, or on two different lines simultaneously. It is used for monitoring the Shuttle during fuel loading, countdown, and drainback, if necessary. The use of complex instruments, operated over many shifts, has caused problems in tracking the status of the ground support equipment (GSE) and the vehicle. A requirement for overall system reliability has been a major force in the development of Shuttle GSE, and is the ultimate driver in the choice to pursue artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for Shuttle and Advanced Launch System (ALS) mass spectrometer systems. Shuttle applications of AI are detailed.

Development of a Consumer Product Ingredient Database for ...

Science.gov (United States)

Consumer products are a primary source of chemical exposures, yet little structured information is available on the chemical ingredients of these products and the concentrations at which ingredients are present. To address this data gap, we created a database of chemicals in consumer products using product Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) publicly provided by a large retailer. The resulting database represents 1797 unique chemicals mapped to 8921 consumer products and a hierarchy of 353 consumer product “use categories” within a total of 15 top-level categories. We examine the utility of this database and discuss ways in which it will support (i) exposure screening and prioritization, (ii) generic or framework formulations for several indoor/consumer product exposure modeling initiatives, (iii) candidate chemical selection for monitoring near field exposure from proximal sources, and (iv) as activity tracers or ubiquitous exposure sources using “chemical space” map analyses. Chemicals present at high concentrations and across multiple consumer products and use categories that hold high exposure potential are identified. Our database is publicly available to serve regulators, retailers, manufacturers, and the public for predictive screening of chemicals in new and existing consumer products on the basis of exposure and risk. The National Exposure Research Laboratory’s (NERL’s) Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division (HEASD) conducts resear

Assessment of Total Risk on Non-Target Organisms in Fungicide Application for Agricultural Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Musa Bozdogan

2014-02-01

Full Text Available In Turkey, in 2010, the amount of pesticide (active ingredient; a.i. used in agriculture was about 23,000 metric tons, of which approximately 32% was fungicides. In 2012, 14 a.i. were used for fungus control in wheat cultivation areas in Adana province, Turkey. These a.i. were: azoxystrobin, carbendazim, difenoconazole, epoxiconazole, fluquinconazole, prochloraz, propiconazole, prothioconazole, pyraclostrobin, spiroxamine, tebuconazole, thiophanate-methyl, triadimenol, and trifloxystrobin. In this study, the potential risk of a.i. on non-target organisms in fungicide application of wheat cultivation was assessed by The Pesticide Occupational and Environmental Risk (POCER indicators. In this study, the highest human health risk was for fluquinconazole (Exceedence Factor (EF 1.798 for human health, whereas the fungicide with the highest environmental risk was propiconazole (EF 2.000 for the environment. For non-target organisms, the highest potential risk was determined for propiconazole when applied at 0.1250 kg a.i. ha-1 (EF 2.897. The lowest total risk was for azoxystrobin when applied at  0.0650 kg a.i. ha-1 (EF 0.625.

Study of Separation and Identification of the Active Ingredients in Gardenia jasminoides Ellis Based on a Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography by Coupling Reversed Phase Liquid Chromatography and Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xuan; Chen, Cen; Ye, Xiaolan; Song, Fenyun; Fan, Guorong; Wu, Fuhai

2017-01-01

In this paper, by coupling reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC), a two-dimensional liquid chromatography system was developed for separation and identification of the active ingredients in Gardenia jasminoides Ellis (GJE). By applying the semi-preparative C18 column as the first dimension and the core-shell column as the second dimension, a total of 896 peaks of GJE were separated. Among the 896 peaks, 16 active ingredients including geniposide, gardenoside, gardoside, etc. were identified by mass spectrometry analysis. The results indicated that the proposed two-dimensional RPLC/HILIC system was an effective method for the analysis of GJE and might hold a high potential to become a useful tool for analysis of other complex mixtures. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Substantiation of the active ingredients rational concentration of ointment for treatment of allergic dermatitis complicated by fungal infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. A. Rukhmakova

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Aim. Due to the rapid growth of number of allergic skin diseases complicated by secondary fungal infection, creation of new drugs with an integrated anti-allergic and anti-fungal action for their local treatment is especially important. Methods and results. In the process of developing an ointment under conventional name “Allergolik” microbiological studies have been conducted to determine its rational composition. Concentrations of licorice root extract, terbinafine hydrochloride and lavender essential oil have been substantiated as parts of the studied medication. Study of acute toxicity of the developed dosage form has set that it belongs to the IV class of low-toxic substances due to the standard classification of K.K. Sidorova. Conclusion. This testifies the correctness of the choice of drug active ingredients and their concentrations.

Fire regimes and vegetation responses in two Mediterranean-climate regions

Science.gov (United States)

Montenegro, Gloria; Ginocchio, Rosanna; Segura, Alejandro; Keeley, Jon E.; Gomez, Miguel

2004-01-01

Brain cholinesterase activities were determined in birds from forests sprayed with Dylox2 at 1.13 kg/hectare (1 lb/acre ? active ingredient [a.i.]) or Sevin-4-oil2 at 1.13 kg/hectare (1 lb/acre ? a.i.) for up to 5 days postspray. Of ten bird species evaluated from the Dylox spray area, four species represented by six individuals had values which were depressed more than 2 standard deviations below the mean. Three of these activities (two species) were about 20% less than the mean. Of 12 species evaluated from the Sevin-4-oil spraying, three individuals representing three species had depressed values. One value was depressed greater than 20% below the mean. Half of the depressed activities were in canopy-dwelling birds collected on the day of spray.

Augmentation index (AI) in a dose-response relationship with smoking habits in males: The Tanushimaru study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuru, Tomoko; Adachi, Hisashi; Enomoto, Mika; Fukami, Ako; Kumagai, Eita; Nakamura, Sachiko; Nohara, Yume; Kono, Shoko; Nakao, Erika; Sakaue, Akiko; Morikawa, Nagisa; Fukumoto, Yoshihiro

2016-12-01

We investigated the relationship between augmentation index (AI) and smoking habits in community-dwelling Japanese.This cross-sectional study enrolled 1926 subjects (769 males and 1157 females) aged 40 to 95 years who underwent a health check-up in a Japanese cohort of the Seven Countries Study, in Tanushimaru, a typical farming town in Kyushu Island in 2009. The subjects' medical history, alcohol intake, smoking habit, and current medications for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes were ascertained by questionnaire. Radial arterial pressure wave analysis was used to obtain AI. We analyzed the data stratified by gender.Age-adjusted means of AI in males showed a clear dose-response relationship in 4 categories of smoking habits (P = 0.010). There was no significant relationship between AI and smoking habits in females (P = 0.127). The significant dose-response relationship (P = 0.036) in males between AI and 4 categories of smoking habits still remained even after adjustment for age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, estimated glomerular filtration rate, glucose, hypertensive medication, and alcohol intake.The present study demonstrated that AI values were significantly associated with smoking habits in a dose-dependent manner in Japanese males.

Effect of ingredients on oxidative stability of fish oil-enriched drinking yoghurt

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Nina Skall; Klein, Anna; Jacobsen, Charlotte

2009-01-01

, pectin, citric acid or gluconodelta- lactone did not affect the oxidative stability of fish oil-enriched yoghurt emulsions. Furthermore, the fruit preparation and added sugar did not lead to increased antioxidative activity. It is concluded that yoghurt as the dairy component in the fish oil......The oxidative stabilities of fish oil-enriched milk and fish oil-enriched drinking yoghurt were compared by following the development of lipid oxidation in plain milk, plain yoghurt and yoghurt to which ingredients present in drinking yoghurt were added one by one. All samples were enriched with 1...... wt-% fish oil. After 3 weeks of storage, development of peroxide values, volatile secondary oxidation products and fishy offflavors were much more pronounced in the milk compared to any of the yoghurt samples, irrespective of any added ingredients used to prepare flavored drinking yoghurt. Thus...

An artificial intelligence (AI) NOx/heat rate optimization system for Ontario Hydro`s fossil generating stations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luk, J.; Frank, A.; Bodach, P. [Ontario Hydro, Toronto, ON (Canada); Warriner, G. [Radian International, Tucker, GA (United States); Noblett, J. [Radian International, Austin, TX (United States); Slatsky, M. [Southern Company, Birmingham, AL (United States)

1999-08-01

Artificial intelligence (AI)-based software packages which can optimize power plant operations that improves heat rate and also reduces nitrogen oxide emissions are now commonly available for commercial use. This paper discusses the implementation of the AI-based NOx and Heat Rate Optimization System at Ontario Hydro`s generation stations, emphasizing the current AI Optimization Project at Units 5 and 6 of the Lakeview Generating Station. These demonstration programs are showing promising results in NOx reduction and plant performance improvement. The availability of the plant Digital Control System (DCS) in implementing AI optimization in a closed-loop system was shown to be an important criterion for success. Implementation of AI technology at other Ontario Hydro fossil generating units as part of the overall NOx emission reduction system is envisaged to coincide with the retrofit of the original plant control system with the latest DCS systems. 14 refs., 3 figs.

Protection level of AI H5N1 vaccine clade 2.1.3 commercial against AI H5N1 clade 2.3.2 virus from Ducks to SPF chicken in laboratory conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Indriani R

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI subtype H5N1 clade 2.3.2 has infected chickens in farms, causing mortality and a decrease in egg production. Vaccination is one of the strategies to control disease of AI subtype H5N1. AI H5N1 clade 2.1.3 vaccine is available commercially. The effectiveness of two vaccines of AI H5N1 clade 2.1.3 (product A and B, and AI H5N1 clade 2.3.2 (Sukoharjo against AI H5N1 clade 2.3.2 (Sukoharjo virus SPF chickens was tested in laboratory. Four groups of SPF chickens were used in this study, there were (1 vaccinated with H5N1 clade 2.1.3 (product A, (2 vaccinated with H5N1 clade 2.1.3 (product B, (3 vaccinated with AI H5N1 clade 2.3.2 and (4 unvaccinated (as a control. Each vaccinated group consisted of 10 chicken except 8 chicken for control group. SPF chicken were vaccinated with 1 dose of vaccine at 3 weeks olds, and then after 3 weeks post vaccination (at 6 weeks olds. All group of chicken were challenged with 106 EID50 per 0.1 ml via intranasal. The results showed, chicken vaccinated with H5N1 clade 2.1.3 product A and B gave 100 and 80% protection respectively, but showed challenged virus shedding, whereas vaccine of H5N1 clade 2.3.2 gave 100% protection from mortality and without virus shedding. Vaccines of AI H5N1 clade 2.1.3 product A was better than vaccine product B, and when chicken vaccinated against H5N1 clade 2.3.2, H5N1 clade 2.3.2 vaccine was the best to be used. In order to protect chicken from AI subtype H5N1 clade 2.1.3 and 2.3.2 in the field, a bivalent vaccine of H5N1 clade 2.1.3 and 2.3.2 subtypes should be developed.

Os efeitos do método Ai Chi em pacientes portadoras da síndrome fibromiálgica The effect of Ai Chi method in fybromialgic patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacqueline Soares de Santana

2010-06-01

Full Text Available O objetivo do estudo é demonstrar os efeitos do método Ai Chi como forma alternativa de abordagem hidroterapêutica em pacientes portadoras da síndrome fibromiálgica. Foram estudados dez pacientes; quatro fizeram parte do grupo experimento e cinco, do grupo controle, com uma desistência. As pacientes foram avaliadas através do Questionário de Impacto da Fibromialgia (QIF e da Escala de Intensidade e Índice de dor nos Pontos Sensíveis. Foram realizadas duas avaliações, uma antes e outra após o tratamento. As pacientes foram submetidas a dez sessões do método Ai Chi, com duração de quarenta minutos. Houve melhora na intensidade da dor, de acordo com a escala da intensidade de dor nos pontos sensíveis, após a intervenção; já a qualidade de vida manteve-se sem alteração. Na qualidade de vida, observou-se que os grupos obtiveram resultados semelhantes; isso se deve ao fato que as pacientes não apresentaram melhora no seu estado depressivo. No índice dos pontos sensíveis, verificou-se diferença entre os grupos. A explicação para essa diferença deve-se possivelmente aos benefícios da imersão em água aquecida e aos efeitos do método Ai Chi. Não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos, o que pode ser atribuído às limitações do estudo. Desta forma, torna-se relevante a realização de novos estudos referentes à aplicação do método Ai Chi em pacientes portadoras da síndrome fibromiálgica.The objective of this article is to show the effect of the Ai Chi method, as an alternative form of hydrotherapeutic approach in fibromyalgia syndrome patients. Ten patients were studied, four were part of the experiment group and five of the control group, with one desistance. The patients were evaluated through the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (QIF and Scale of Intensity and Index of pain in Sensible Points. Two evaluations were performed, before and after the treatment. The patients were submitted to ten sessions

Galloyl-RGD as a new cosmetic ingredient

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background The cosmetics market has rapidly increased over the last years. For example, in 2011 it reached 242.8 billion US dollars, which was a 3.9% increase compared to 2010. There have been many recent trials aimed at finding the functional ingredients for new cosmetics. Gallic acid is a phytochemical derived from various herbs, and has anti-fungal, anti-viral, and antioxidant properties. Although phytochemicals are useful as cosmetic ingredients, they have a number of drawbacks, such as thermal stability, residence time in the skin, and permeability through the dermal layer. To overcome these problems, we considered conjugation of gallic acid with a peptide. Results We synthesized galloyl-RGD, which represents a conjugate of gallic acid and the peptide RGD, purified it by HPLC and characterized by MALDI-TOF with the aim of using it as a new cosmetic ingredient. Thermal stability of galloyl-RGD was tested at alternating temperatures (consecutive 4°C, 20°C, or 40°C for 8 h each) on days 2, 21, 41, and 61. Galloyl-RGD was relatively safe to HaCaT keratinocytes, as their viability after 48 h incubation with 500 ppm galloyl-RGD was 93.53%. In the group treated with 50 ppm galloyl-RGD, 85.0% of free radicals were removed, whereas 1000 ppm galloyl-RGD suppressed not only L-DOPA formation (43.8%) but also L-DOPA oxidation (54.4%). Conclusions Galloyl-RGD is a promising candidate for a cosmetic ingredient. PMID:25103826

Quantification of active ingredients in semi-solid pharmaceutical formulations by near infrared spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlegel, Lisa B; Schubert-Zsilavecz, Manfred; Abdel-Tawab, Mona

2017-08-05

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is increasingly gaining significance in the pharmaceutical industry for quality and in-process control. However, the potential of this method for quantitative quality control in pharmacies has long been neglected and little data is available on its application in analysis of creams and ointments. This study evaluated the applicability of NIR spectrometer with limited wavelength range (1000-1900nm) for quantitative quality control of six different dermatological semi-solid pharmaceutical preparations. Each contained a frequently used active ingredient in a common concentration either in a water-free lipid base or in an aqueous cream matrix. Based on direct NIR transflectance measurements through standardized glass beakers and partial least squares (PLS) multivariate calibration, quantitative models were generated comparing several data pre-processing methods Whereas difficulties were observed for mixtures containing 2% (w/w) metronidazole or 4% (w/w) erythromycin, content determination was possible with sufficient accuracy for salicylic acid (5 % (w/w)) and urea (10% (w/w)) in hydrophilic as well as in lipophilic formulations meeting the limit of a maximum deviation of±5% (relative) from the reference values. Exemplarily, one of the methods was successfully validated according to the EMA Guideline, determining several figures of merit such as specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new world of ingredients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halloran, Afton Marina Szasz; Flore, Roberto

2018-01-01

Insects have been absent from European diets with only few regional exceptions, making them an uncommon ingredient in the kitchens of fine dining establishments. This chapter investigates whether a piece the puzzle of understanding the temporality or permanence of edible insects in modern Europea...

An integrated evidence-based targeting strategy for determining combinatorial bioactive ingredients of a compound herbal medicine Qishen Yiqi dripping pills.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yiqian; Yu, Jiahui; Zhang, Wen; Wang, Yuewei; He, Yi; Zhou, Shuiping; Fan, Guanwei; Yang, Hua; Zhu, Yan; Li, Ping

2018-06-12

Qishen Yiqi is a widely used Chinese herbal medicine formula with "qi invigorating and blood activating" property. Its dripping pill preparation (QSYQ) is a commercial herbal medicine approved by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) in 2003 and is extensively used clinically to treat cardiovascular diseases, such as ischemic heart failure and angina pectoris, as well as for the secondary prevention of myocardial infarction. However, the bioactive ingredients of QSYQ remain unclear. As QSYQ is a compound herbal formula, it is of great importance to elucidate its pharmacologically active ingredients and underlying synergetic effects. This experimental study was conducted to comprehensively determine the combinatorial bioactive ingredients (CBIs) in QSYQ and to elucidate their potential synergetic effects. The established strategy may shed new light on how to rapidly determine CBIs in complex herbal formulas with holistic properties. An integrated evidence-based targeting strategy was introduced and validated to determine CBIs in QSYQ. The strategy included the following steps: (1) Chemical ingredients in QSYQ were analyzed via UPLC-Q-TOF/MS in the negative and positive modes and were identified by comparison with standard compounds and previously reported data. Their potential therapeutic activities were predicted based on the ChEMBL database to preliminarily search for candidate bioactive ingredients, and their combination was defined as the CBIs. (2) The CBIs were directly trapped and prepared from QSYQ with a two-dimensional chromatographic separation system, and the remaining part was defined as the rest ingredients (RIs). (3) As animal and cell models, left anterior descending coronary artery ligation (LAD)-induced heart failure in rats and hypoxia-induced cardiac myocyte injury in H9c2 cells were applied to compare the potency of QSYQ, CBIs and RIs. (4) The synergetic effects on cardiac myocyte protection of multiple ingredients in CBIs were examined

Effect of added ingredients on water status and physico-chemical properties of tomato sauce.

Science.gov (United States)

Diantom, Agoura; Curti, Elena; Carini, Eleonora; Vittadini, Elena

2017-12-01

Different ingredients (guar, xanthan, carboxy methyl cellulose, locust bean gums, potato fiber, milk, potato and soy proteins) were added to tomato sauce to investigate their effect on its physico-chemical properties. The products were characterized in terms of colour, rheological properties (Bostwick consistency, flow behavior and consistency coefficient), water status (water activity, moisture content) and molecular mobility by 1 H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Water activity was significantly decreased only by the addition of potato fiber. Xanthan, locust bean, guar and carboxy methyl cellulose significantly enhanced Bostwick consistency and consistency coefficient. Type of ingredient and concentration significantly affected 1 H NMR mobility indicators. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that only 1 H NMR mobility parameters were able to differentiate the effect of milk protein, xanthan and potato fiber on tomato sauce properties. The information collected in this work provides information to intelligently modulate tomato sauce attributes and tailor its properties for specific applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

BanII dimorphic site located in the third intron of the human apolipoprotein AI (APOA1) gene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coleman, R T; Kresnak, M T; Frossard, P M

1988-02-11

A 0.7kb fragment generated by AvaII digestion of pBL13AI, a 0.965kb full-length human apolipoprotein AI cDNA was cloned into the EcoRI site of pBR322. The apoAI cDNA was isolated from a lambdagt10 human fetal liver cDNA library. BanII (GPuGCPyC) (International Biotechnologies, Inc.) identifies two invariant bands at 1122bp and 417bp, and a single two-allele polymorphism with bands at either 274bp or 452bp. The human apolipoprotein AI-CIII-AIV gene complex has been localized on the long arm of chromosome 11 by Southern blot analysis of human-chinese hamster cell hybrids. Co-dominant segregation has been observed in two families (13 individuals). The BanII restriction map was constructed from DNA sequence data of the human apoAI gene. The 452bp fragment is generated by the loss of a BanII dimorphic site in the third intron of the apoAI gene, between the 178bp and the 274bp fragments.

PASTURE ffPROVEMENT POSSIBILTTIES IN EFFECTIVE AI{IMAL ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PASTURE ffPROVEMENT POSSIBILTTIES IN EFFECTIVE AI{IMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. P. de V. Booysen. University of Natal, King George V Avenue, Durban. (Key words: .... inherent in biotic simplification is the danger of increased susceptibility of the abiotic component to degradation. So as the agriculturalist ...

The hidden dangers of experimenting in distributed AI

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meyer, A.P.; Smit, A.; Kempen, M.; Wijngaards, N.

2006-01-01

Research on multi-agent systems often involves experiments, also in situations where humans interact with agents. Consequently, the field of experimental (human) sciences becomes more and more relevant. This paper clarifies how things can and often do go wrong in distributed AI experiments. We show

The 2010 Mario AI Championship: Level Generation Track

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaker, Noor; Togelius, Julian; Yannakakis, Georgios N.

2011-01-01

The Level Generation Competition, part of the IEEE CIS-sponsored 2010 Mario AI Championship, was to our knowledge the world’s first procedural content generation competition. Competitors participated by submitting level generators — software that generates new levels for a version of Super Mario...

Lack of genomic evidence of AI-2 receptors suggests a non-quorum sensing role for luxS in most bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezzonico, Fabio; Duffy, Brion

2008-09-20

Great excitement accompanied discoveries over the last decade in several Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria of the LuxS protein, which catalyzes production of the AI-2 autoinducer molecule for a second quorum sensing system (QS-2). Since the luxS gene was found to be widespread among the most diverse bacterial taxa, it was hypothesized that AI-2 may constitute the basis of a universal microbial language, a kind of bacterial Esperanto. Many of the studies published in this field have drawn a direct correlation between the occurrence of the luxS gene in a given organism and the presence and functionality of a QS-2 therein. However, rarely hathe existence of potential AI-2 receptors been examined. This is important, since it is now well recognized that LuxS also holds a central role as a metabolic enzyme in the activated methyl cycle which is responsible for the generation of S-adenosyl-L-methionine, the major methyl donor in the cell. In order to assess whether the role of LuxS in these bacteria is indeed related to AI-2 mediated quorum sensing we analyzed genomic databases searching for established AI-2 receptors (i.e., LuxPQ-receptor of Vibrio harveyi and Lsr ABC-transporter of Salmonella typhimurium) and other presumed QS-related proteins and compared the outcome with published results about the role of QS-2 in these organisms. An unequivocal AI-2 related behavior was restricted primarily to organisms bearing known AI-2 receptor genes, while phenotypes of luxS mutant bacteria lacking these genes could often be explained simply by assuming deficiencies in sulfur metabolism. Genomic analysis shows that while LuxPQ is restricted to Vibrionales, the Lsr-receptor complex is mainly present in pathogenic bacteria associated with endotherms. This suggests that QS-2 may play an important role in interactions with animal hosts. In most other species, however, the role of LuxS appears to be limited to metabolism, although in a few cases the presence of yet unknown

Lack of genomic evidence of AI-2 receptors suggests a non-quorum sensing role for luxS in most bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duffy Brion

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Great excitement accompanied discoveries over the last decade in several Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria of the LuxS protein, which catalyzes production of the AI-2 autoinducer molecule for a second quorum sensing system (QS-2. Since the luxS gene was found to be widespread among the most diverse bacterial taxa, it was hypothesized that AI-2 may constitute the basis of a universal microbial language, a kind of bacterial Esperanto. Many of the studies published in this field have drawn a direct correlation between the occurrence of the luxS gene in a given organism and the presence and functionality of a QS-2 therein. However, rarely hathe existence of potential AI-2 receptors been examined. This is important, since it is now well recognized that LuxS also holds a central role as a metabolic enzyme in the activated methyl cycle which is responsible for the generation of S-adenosyl-L-methionine, the major methyl donor in the cell. Results In order to assess whether the role of LuxS in these bacteria is indeed related to AI-2 mediated quorum sensing we analyzed genomic databases searching for established AI-2 receptors (i.e., LuxPQ-receptor of Vibrio harveyi and Lsr ABC-transporter of Salmonella typhimurium and other presumed QS-related proteins and compared the outcome with published results about the role of QS-2 in these organisms. An unequivocal AI-2 related behavior was restricted primarily to organisms bearing known AI-2 receptor genes, while phenotypes of luxS mutant bacteria lacking these genes could often be explained simply by assuming deficiencies in sulfur metabolism. Conclusion Genomic analysis shows that while LuxPQ is restricted to Vibrionales, the Lsr-receptor complex is mainly present in pathogenic bacteria associated with endotherms. This suggests that QS-2 may play an important role in interactions with animal hosts. In most other species, however, the role of LuxS appears to be limited to metabolism

Synthesized and characterization of AI and Gd substitute ferrite for microwave

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudjono, Hans K.; Muljadi; Soepriyanto, Syony

2000-01-01

Ferrite for microwave components has been synthesized from garnet ceramics (YIG)substituted by AI and Gd. Magnetic permeability and magnetic polarization changes according to the AI 3+ ion addition. XRD is performed to determined the sintering products at various temperatures. For some samples the magnetic property and performance in microwave region was tested. The testing is conducted in the form of completely assembled circulator which gives data on isolation, insertion loss when microwave circuit analyzer was employed. Due to high level of porosity insertion lost is still to large, improved process is necessary

AIS radiometry and the problem of contamination from mixed spectral orders

Science.gov (United States)

Conel, J. E.; Adams, S.; Alley, R. E.; Hoover, G.; Schultz, S.

1988-01-01

The spectral radiance of test areas under solar illumination is ascertained in view of Airborne Imaging Spectrometer (AIS) data from Mono Lake, CA, establishing an atmospheric correction method for major absorbers on the basis of the spectrometric data themselves. The apparent low contrast of all atmospheric absorption bands leads to a study of contamination from overlapping spectral orders in the AIS data; this contamination is found unambiguously above 1500 nm with a magnitude that is a factor of 1.5-2.0 greater than the expected uncontaminated signal alone.

On how AI & Law can help autonomous systems obey the law: a position paper

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Prakken, Hendrik

2016-01-01

In this position paper I discuss to what extent current and past AI & law research is relevant for research on autonomous intelligent systems that exhibit legally relevant behaviour. After a brief review of the history of AI & law, I will compare the problems faced by autonomous intelligent systems

7 CFR 205.305 - Multi-ingredient packaged products with less than 70 percent organically produced ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing... organically produced ingredients may only identify the organic content of the product by: (1) Identifying each... statement, displaying the product's percentage of organic contents on the information panel. (b...

What Is "Natural"? Consumer Responses to Selected Ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Edgar; Chambers, Edgar; Castro, Mauricio

2018-04-23

Interest in “natural” food has grown enormously over the last decade. Because the United States government has not set a legal definition for the term “natural”, customers have formed their own sensory perceptions and opinions on what constitutes natural. In this study, we examined 20 ingredients to determine what consumers consider to be natural. Using a national database, 630 consumers were sampled (50% male and 50% female) online, and the results were analyzed using percentages and chi-square tests. No ingredient was considered natural by more than 69% of respondents. We found evidence that familiarity may play a major role in consumers’ determination of naturalness. We also found evidence that chemical sounding names and the age of the consumer have an effect on whether an ingredient and potentially a food is considered natural. Interestingly, a preference towards selecting GMO (genetically modified organisms) foods had no significant impact on perceptions of natural.

An Empirical Study of AI Population Dynamics with Million-agent Reinforcement Learning

OpenAIRE

Yang, Yaodong; Yu, Lantao; Bai, Yiwei; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Weinan; Wen, Ying; Yu, Yong

2017-01-01

In this paper, we conduct an empirical study on discovering the ordered collective dynamics obtained by a population of artificial intelligence (AI) agents. Our intention is to put AI agents into a simulated natural context, and then to understand their induced dynamics at the population level. In particular, we aim to verify if the principles developed in the real world could also be used in understanding an artificially-created intelligent population. To achieve this, we simulate a large-sc...

Zinc oxide as a new antimicrobial preservative of topical products: interactions with common formulation ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasquet, Julia; Chevalier, Yves; Couval, Emmanuelle; Bouvier, Dominique; Bolzinger, Marie-Alexandrine

2015-02-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) appears as a promising preservative for pharmaceutical or cosmetic formulations. The other ingredients of the formulations may have specific interactions with ZnO that alter its antimicrobial properties. The influence of common formulation excipients on the antimicrobial efficacy of ZnO has been investigated in simple model systems and in typical topical products containing a complex formulation. A wide variety of formulation excipients have been investigated for their interactions with ZnO: antioxidants, chelating agents, electrolytes, titanium dioxide pigment. The antimicrobial activity of ZnO against Escherichia coli was partially inhibited by NaCl and MgSO4 salts. A synergistic influence of uncoated titanium dioxide has been observed. The interference effects of antioxidants and chelating agents were quite specific. The interactions of these substances with ZnO particles and with the soluble species released by ZnO were discussed so as to reach scientific guidelines for the choice of the ingredients. The preservative efficacy of ZnO was assessed by challenge testing in three different formulations: an oil-in-water emulsion; a water-in-oil emulsion and a dry powder. The addition of ZnO in complex formulations significantly improved the microbiological quality of the products, in spite of the presence of other ingredients that modulate the antimicrobial activity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nuclear EMP: ingredients of an EMP protection engineering methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latorre, V.R.; Spogen, L.R. Jr.

1977-02-01

A fundamental methodology of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) protection engineering is described. Operations performed within the framework of this methodology are discussed. These operations, along with problem constraints and data, constitute the essential ingredients needed to implement the overall engineering methodology. Basic definitions and descriptions of these essential ingredients are provided. The issues discussed represent the first step in developing a methodology for protecting systems against EMP effects

S-aryl-L-cysteine sulphoxides and related organosulphur compounds alter oral biofilm development and AI-2-based cell-cell communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasper, S H; Samarian, D; Jadhav, A P; Rickard, A H; Musah, R A; Cady, N C

2014-11-01

To design and synthesize a library of structurally related, small molecules related to homologues of compounds produced by the plant Petiveria alliacea and determine their ability to interfere with AI-2 cell-cell communication and biofilm formation by oral bacteria. Many human diseases are associated with persistent bacterial biofilms. Oral biofilms (dental plaque) are problematic as they are often associated with tooth decay, periodontal disease and systemic disorders such as heart disease and diabetes. Using a microplate-based approach, a bio-inspired small molecule library was screened for anti-biofilm activity against the oral species Streptococcus mutans UA159, Streptococcus sanguis 10556 and Actinomyces oris MG1. To complement the static screen, a flow-based BioFlux microfluidic system screen was also performed under conditions representative of the human oral cavity. Several compounds were found to display biofilm inhibitory activity in all three of the oral bacteria tested. These compounds were also shown to inhibit bioluminescence by Vibrio harveyi and were thus inferred to be quorum sensing (QS) inhibitors. Due to the structural similarity of these compounds to each other, and to key molecules in AI-2 biosynthetic pathways, we propose that these molecules potentially reduce biofilm formation via antagonism of QS or QS-related pathways. This study highlights the potential for a non-antimicrobial-based strategy, focused on AI-2 cell-cell signalling, to control the development of dental plaque. Considering that many bacterial species use AI-2 cell-cell signalling, as well as the increased concern of the use of antimicrobials in healthcare products, such an anti-biofilm approach could also be used to control biofilms in environments beyond the human oral cavity. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Natural ingredients based cosmetics. Content of selected fragrance sensitizers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rastogi, Suresh Chandra; Johansen, J D; Menné, T

1996-01-01

In the present study, we have investigated 42 cosmetic products based on natural ingredients for content of 11 fragrance substances: geraniol, hydroxycitronellal, eugenol, isoeugenol, cinnamic aldehyde, cinnamic alcohol, alpha-amylcinnamic aldehyde, citral, coumarin, dihydrocoumarin and alpha......-hexylcinnamic aldehyde. The study revealed that the 91% (20/22) of the natural ingredients based perfumes contained 0.027%-7.706% of 1 to 7 of the target fragrances. Between 1 and 5 of the chemically defined synthetic constituents of fragrance mix were found in 82% (18/22) of the perfumes. 35% (7/20) of the other...... of hydroxycitronellal and alpha-hexylcinnamic aldehyde in some of the products demonstrates that artificial fragrances, i.e., compounds not yet regarded as natural substances, may be present in products claimed to be based on natural ingredients....

Monitoring Severe Accidents Using AI Techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

No, Young Gyu; Kim, Ju Hyun; Na, Man Gyun; Ahn, Kwang Il

2011-01-01

It is very difficult for nuclear power plant operators to monitor and identify the major severe accident scenarios following an initiating event by staring at temporal trends of important parameters. The objective of this study is to develop and verify the monitoring for severe accidents using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques such as support vector classification (SVC), probabilistic neural network (PNN), group method of data handling (GMDH) and fuzzy neural network (FNN). The SVC and PNN are used for event classification among the severe accidents. Also, GMDH and FNN are used to monitor for severe accidents. The inputs to AI techniques are initial time-integrated values obtained by integrating measurement signals during a short time interval after reactor scram. In this study, 3 types of initiating events such as the hot-leg LOCA, the cold-leg LOCA and SGTR are considered and it is verified how well the proposed scenario identification algorithm using the GMDH and FNN models identifies the timings when the reactor core will be uncovered, when CET will exceed 1200 .deg. F and when the reactor vessel will fail. In cases that an initiating event develops into a severe accident, the proposed algorithm showed accurate classification of initiating events. Also, it well predicted timings for important occurrences during severe accident progression scenarios, which is very helpful for operators to perform severe accident management

AI techniques in geomagnetic storm forecasting

Science.gov (United States)

Lundstedt, Henrik

This review deals with how geomagnetic storms can be predicted with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques. Today many different Al techniques have been developed, such as symbolic systems (expert and fuzzy systems) and connectionism systems (neural networks). Even integrations of AI techniques exist, so called Intelligent Hybrid Systems (IHS). These systems are capable of learning the mathematical functions underlying the operation of non-linear dynamic systems and also to explain the knowledge they have learned. Very few such powerful systems exist at present. Two such examples are the Magnetospheric Specification Forecast Model of Rice University and the Lund Space Weather Model of Lund University. Various attempts to predict geomagnetic storms on long to short-term are reviewed in this article. Predictions of a month to days ahead most often use solar data as input. The first SOHO data are now available. Due to the high temporal and spatial resolution new solar physics have been revealed. These SOHO data might lead to a breakthrough in these predictions. Predictions hours ahead and shorter rely on real-time solar wind data. WIND gives us real-time data for only part of the day. However, with the launch of the ACE spacecraft in 1997, real-time data during 24 hours will be available. That might lead to the second breakthrough for predictions of geomagnetic storms.

21 CFR 700.18 - Use of chloroform as an ingredient in cosmetic products.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Use of chloroform as an ingredient in cosmetic... SERVICES (CONTINUED) COSMETICS GENERAL Requirements for Specific Cosmetic Products § 700.18 Use of chloroform as an ingredient in cosmetic products. (a) Chloroform has been used as an ingredient in cosmetic...

Antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of condensed tannins in acetonic extract of selected raw and processed indigenous food ingredients from Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunyanga, Catherine Nkirote; Imungi, Jasper Kathenya; Okoth, Michael; Momanyi, Clare; Biesalski, Han Konrad; Vadivel, Vellingiri

2011-05-01

Recently, tannins have received considerable attention as health-promoting component in various plant foods and several studies have reported on its nutraceutical properties. However, no study has established the role of condensed tannins in indigenous foods of Kenya. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP) and antidiabetic effects (α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition activities) of condensed tannins in some selected raw and traditionally processed indigenous cereals, legumes, oil seeds, and vegetables. The condensed tannin content of the grains and vegetables ranged between 2.55 and 4.35 g/100 g DM and 1.53 and 5.73 g/100 g DM, respectively. The scavenging effect of acetonic extract on DPPH radical ranged from 77% to 90% while the reducing power was found to be 31 to 574 mmol Fe(II)/g DM in all the investigated food ingredients. The condensed tannin extracts of the analyzed samples showed promising antidiabetic effects with potential α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition activities of 23% to 44% and 58% to 88%, respectively. Condensed tannins extracted from the amaranth grain, finger millet, field bean, sunflower seeds, drumstick, and amaranth leaves exerted significantly higher antioxidant and antidiabetic activities than other food ingredients. Among the traditional processing methods, roasting of grains and cooking of vegetables were found to be more suitable mild treatments for preserving the tannin compound and its functional properties as opposed to soaking + cooking and blanching treatments. The identified elite sources of optimally processed indigenous food ingredients with promising results could be used as health-promoting ingredients through formulation of therapeutic diets. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

Microstructural studies of suck cast (Zr-SS)-3 and 5 AI alloys for nuclear metallic waste form

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, P.; Das, N.; Sengupta, P.; Arya, A.; Dey, G.K.

2015-01-01

Management of radioactive metallic waste using 'alloy melting route' is currently being investigated. For disposal of Zr and SS base nuclear metallic wastes, Zr-stainless steel (SS) hybrid alloys are being considered as baseline alloys for developing metallic-waste-form (MWF) alloys. In this context Zr-16 wt. %55 has been selected for MWF alloy in our previous study. In present study, to include amorphous phase in this alloy, 3 and 5 wt. % Al has been added in order to improve desirable properties and useful features of MWF and the two alloys have been prepared by suck casting techniques. Microstructure of these alloys have been investigated by optical and electron microscopy which shows occurrence of two different phases, e.g. dark grey and white phases, in (Zr-16 SS)-3 Al and three different phases, e.g. grey, dark grey and white phases in (Zr-16 SS)-5 AI. Electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of these two alloy specimens revealed the occurrence of Zr (Fe, Cr, AI) (dark grey) and Zr 2 (Fe, Cr, AI) (white) phases in (Zr-16 SS)-3 Al whereas, Zr (Fe, Cr, AI) (dark grey), Zr 2 (Fe, Cr, AI) (grey) and Zr 3 (Fe, Cr, AI) (white) phases were found in (Zr-16 SS)-5 AI. In addition, presence of amorphous phase was indicated by XRD analysis that could be confirmed by transmission electron microscopy of these two alloys. (author)

A Cooking Recipe Recommendation System with Visual Recognition of Food Ingredients

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Keiji Yanai

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose a cooking recipe recommendation system which runs on a consumer smartphone as an interactive mobile application. The proposed system employs real-time visual object recognition of food ingredients, and recommends cooking recipes related to the recognized food ingredients. Because of visual recognition, by only pointing a built-in camera on a smartphone to food ingredients, a user can get to know a related cooking recipes instantly. The objective of the proposed system is to assist people who cook to decide a cooking recipe at grocery stores or at a kitchen. In the current implementation, the system can recognize 30 kinds of food ingredient in 0.15 seconds, and it has achieved the 83.93% recognition rate within the top six candidates. By the user study, we confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed system.

Chitin Oligosaccharide (COS) Reduces Antibiotics Dose and Prevents Antibiotics-Caused Side Effects in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) Patients with Spinal Fusion Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Yang; Xu, Jinyu; Zhou, Haohan; Dong, Rongpeng; Kang, Mingyang; Zhao, Jianwu

2017-03-14

Antibiotics are always considered for surgical site infection (SSI) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery. However, the use of antibiotics often causes the antibiotic resistance of pathogens and side effects. Thus, it is necessary to explore natural products as drug candidates. Chitin Oligosaccharide (COS) has anti-inflammation and anti-bacteria functions. The effects of COS on surgical infection in AIS surgery were investigated. A total of 312 AIS patients were evenly and randomly assigned into control group (CG, each patient took one-gram alternative Azithromycin/Erythromycin/Cloxacillin/Aztreonam/Ceftazidime or combined daily), experiment group (EG, each patient took 20 mg COS and half-dose antibiotics daily), and placebo group (PG, each patient took 20 mg placebo and half-dose antibiotics daily). The average follow-up was one month, and infection severity and side effects were analyzed. The effects of COS on isolated pathogens were analyzed. SSI rates were 2%, 3% and 8% for spine wounds and 1%, 2% and 7% for iliac wound in CG, EG and PG ( p antibiotics ( p antibiotics dose and antibiotics-caused side effects in AIS patients with spinal fusion surgery by improving antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. COS should be developed as potential adjuvant for antibiotics therapies.

LE CINÉMA FRANÇAIS EN ROUMANIE DANS L’ENTRE-DEUX-GUERRES

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Georgiana MEDREA

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Avant même d’aborder la nature des films français importés en Roumanie dans l’entre-deux-guerres, il convient de situer cette production cinématographique dans l’ensemble de celles présentes sur le marché roumain, ce que permettent documents et articles critiques contemporains. La diversité des mises en scène et des acteurs, la variété des sujets traités plaisent à un large public. La plus grande place que connaît le cinéma français en Roumanie dans les années trente est sans doute due,également, à la présence, dans le monde cinématographique français, d’artistes roumains qui manifestent un souci d’intégration dans une culture d’accueil qu’ils admirent. Les exemplesde coopérations franco-roumaines sont nombreuses, jusqu’à se manifester parfois sous la forme de coproductions

A Host-Produced Autoinducer-2 Mimic Activates Bacterial Quorum Sensing.

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Ismail, Anisa S; Valastyan, Julie S; Bassler, Bonnie L

2016-04-13

Host-microbial symbioses are vital to health; nonetheless, little is known about the role crosskingdom signaling plays in these relationships. In a process called quorum sensing, bacteria communicate with one another using extracellular signal molecules called autoinducers. One autoinducer, AI-2, is proposed to promote interspecies bacterial communication, including in the mammalian gut. We show that mammalian epithelia produce an AI-2 mimic activity in response to bacteria or tight-junction disruption. This AI-2 mimic is detected by the bacterial AI-2 receptor, LuxP/LsrB, and can activate quorum-sensing-controlled gene expression, including in the enteric pathogen Salmonella typhimurium. AI-2 mimic activity is induced when epithelia are directly or indirectly exposed to bacteria, suggesting that a secreted bacterial component(s) stimulates its production. Mutagenesis revealed genes required for bacteria to both detect and stimulate production of the AI-2 mimic. These findings uncover a potential role for the mammalian AI-2 mimic in fostering crosskingdom signaling and host-bacterial symbioses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using a behaviour change techniques taxonomy to identify active ingredients within trials of implementation interventions for diabetes care.

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Presseau, Justin; Ivers, Noah M; Newham, James J; Knittle, Keegan; Danko, Kristin J; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

2015-04-23

Methodological guidelines for intervention reporting emphasise describing intervention content in detail. Despite this, systematic reviews of quality improvement (QI) implementation interventions continue to be limited by a lack of clarity and detail regarding the intervention content being evaluated. We aimed to apply the recently developed Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1) to trials of implementation interventions for managing diabetes to assess the capacity and utility of this taxonomy for characterising active ingredients. Three psychologists independently coded a random sample of 23 trials of healthcare system, provider- and/or patient-focused implementation interventions from a systematic review that included 142 such studies. Intervention content was coded using the BCTTv1, which describes 93 behaviour change techniques (BCTs) grouped within 16 categories. We supplemented the generic coding instructions within the BCTTv1 with decision rules and examples from this literature. Less than a quarter of possible BCTs within the BCTTv1 were identified. For implementation interventions targeting providers, the most commonly identified BCTs included the following: adding objects to the environment, prompts/cues, instruction on how to perform the behaviour, credible source, goal setting (outcome), feedback on outcome of behaviour, and social support (practical). For implementation interventions also targeting patients, the most commonly identified BCTs included the following: prompts/cues, instruction on how to perform the behaviour, information about health consequences, restructuring the social environment, adding objects to the environment, social support (practical), and goal setting (behaviour). The BCTTv1 mapped well onto implementation interventions directly targeting clinicians and patients and could also be used to examine the impact of system-level interventions on clinician and patient behaviour. The BCTTv1 can be used to characterise

Prediction of skin anti-aging clinical benefits of an association of ingredients from marine and maritime origins: Ex vivo evaluation using a label-free quantitative proteomic and customized data processing approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Hameury, Sebastien; Borderie, Laurent; Monneuse, Jean-Marc; Skorski, Gilbert; Pradines, Dominique

2018-05-23

The application of ingredients from marine and maritime origins is increasingly common in skin care products, driven by consumer expectations for natural ingredients. However, these ingredients are typically studied for a few isolated in vitro activities. The purpose of this study was to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the activity on the skin of an association of ingredients from marine and maritime origins using label-free quantitative proteomic analysis, in order to predict the clinical benefits if used in a skin care product. An aqueous gel containing 6.1% of ingredients from marine and maritime origins (amino acid-enriched giant kelp extract, trace element-enriched seawater, dedifferentiated sea fennel cells) was topically applied on human skin explants. The skin explants' proteome was analyzed in a label-free manner by high-performance liquid nano-chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. A specific data processing pipeline (CORAVALID) providing an objective and comprehensive interpretation of the statistically relevant biological activities processed the results. Compared to untreated skin explants, 64 proteins were significantly regulated by the gel treatment (q-value ≤ 0.05). Computer data processing revealed an activity of the ingredients on the epidermis and the dermis. These significantly regulated proteins are involved in gene expression, cell survival and metabolism, inflammatory processes, dermal extracellular matrix synthesis, melanogenesis and keratinocyte proliferation, migration, and differentiation. These results suggest that the tested ingredients could help to preserve a healthy epidermis and dermis, and possibly to prevent the visible signs of skin aging. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ultrasonic Recovery and Modification of Food Ingredients

Science.gov (United States)

Vilkhu, Kamaljit; Manasseh, Richard; Mawson, Raymond; Ashokkumar, Muthupandian

There are two general classes of effects that sound, and ultrasound in particular, can have on a fluid. First, very significant modifications to the nature of food and food ingredients can be due to the phenomena of bubble acoustics and cavitation. The applied sound oscillates bubbles in the fluid, creating intense forces at microscopic scales thus driving chemical changes. Second, the sound itself can cause the fluid to flow vigorously, both on a large scale and on a microscopic scale; furthermore, the sound can cause particles in the fluid to move relative to the fluid. These streaming phenomena can redistribute materials within food and food ingredients at both microscopic and macroscopic scales.

Ship Emission Inventories in Estuary of the Yangtze River Using Terrestrial AIS Data

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Xin Yao

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Estuary forms a transition zone between inland river and open sea. In China, the estuary of the Yangtze River plays a vital role in connecting the inland and oversea shipping, and witnesses heavy vessel traffic in the recent decades. Nowadays, more attentions have been directed to the issue of ship pollution in busy waterways. In order to investigate the ship emission inventory, this paper presents an Automatic Identification System(AIS based method. AIS data is the realistic data of vessel traffic including dynamic information (position, speed, course, etc. and static information (ship type, dimensions, name, etc.. According to ship dimensions, the power of engines is estimated for different ship types. By using AIS based bottom-up approach, ship emission inventories and shares of air pollutants and GHGs (Greenhouse gases are developed. Spatial distribution of ship emissions is illustrated in the form of heat map. As a case study, the emission inventories are analyzed using AIS data of 2010 in the estuary, and following results are made:(1 shares of the emission are cruise ships 6.59%, bulk carriers 5.16%, container ships 52.96%, tankers 15.16%, fishing ships 9.16%, other ships 10.97%; (2 CO2 is the dominant part of the emission. (3 Areas of highest emission intensity are generally clustered around the South Channel, the North Channel and ports in the vicinity. The proposed method is promising because it is derived from the AIS data which contains not only real data of individual ship but also vessel traffic situation in the study area. It can server as a reference for other researchers and policy makers working in this field.

Grammaire progressive du français corrigés : niveau intermédiaire

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Thiévenaz, Odile

2017-01-01

Quatrième édition des corrigés de l'ouvrage de Grammaire de français langue étrangère (FLE), niveau intermédiaire, dans la collection Progressive du français destiné aux grands adolescents et adultes. Ce qui fait le succès de cet ouvrage de grammaire: Une organisation claire : la leçon de grammaire sur la page de gauche, les exercices d'entraînement sur la page de droite 52 chapitres présentant les points généralement abordés aux niveaux A2 et B1 du Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues Un apprentissage progressif : il suit la progression naturelle des méthodes de français Un usage souple : pour la classe ou en auto-apprentissage Une préparation adaptée aux certifications : un entraînement efficace pour mieux réussir aux examens NOUVEAU!​ Appli-Web de la Grammaire progressive du français Pour s'entraîner et s'évaluer en ligne en sollicitant toutes les compétences écrites et orales: près de 300 exercices interactifs avec dialogues, instructions, exemples et corri...

Fragments of a Forgotten Aiōn. An Outline of a Gnostic Myth

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Ezio Albrile

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Gnostics regard the cosmos as the result of an «error» or of a hybris begotten in the transcendent world. Reality is perceived as a great dream intentionally moulded by the Demiurge in order to forget the Light concealed in the creations. By consequence, the power of the Demiurge consists precisely in being the creator and keeper of a level of existence limited in space and time. Gnostic imagination plastically depicts the homicide and ignorant Demiurge with the features of an abnormous creature with the head of a lion and wings, enveloped in the coils of a snake. Thus, Gnostics reinterpreted a key figure in the syncretic pantheon of late Hellenism, i. e. Aiōn, the god of endless eternity, the Saeculum, the Iranic  Zurwān, the Jewish ‘Olām. This means that Aiōn involved contacts with two different visions: the Aiōnes are the creations that populate the gnostic plērōma, immortal and eternal entities, and outside the plērōma the demiurgic Aiōn arises as the result of a divine «fault», a monstrous being whose somatic features can be found in the Orphic and Mithriac iconography.

Exploring AI Language Assistants with Primary EFL Students

Science.gov (United States)

Underwood, Joshua

2017-01-01

The main objective of this study was to identify ways to incorporate voice-driven Artificial Intelligence (AI) effectively in classroom language learning. This nine month teacher-led design research study employed technology probes (Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, Google voice search) and co-design methods with a class of primary age English as a…

PERFORMATIVITAS DALAM MANGA SHONEN-AI: SEKAIICHI HATSUKOI, HENSHIN DEKINAI DAN HIMANANODE HAJIMETE MIMASHITA

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