19684 research outputs found
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Tell The Trees (Listen to the Trees)
No full textA print submitted as part of World Book Night organised by University of West of England for an exhibition in Bristol and China
Unlocking Curcumin's potential:Nano-encapsulation in mPEG-chitosan/hyaluronic acid complexes for enhanced therapeutic impact in colon cancer
No full textIt is known that the instability of curcumin (CUR) and its low solubility restricts its medical application. It is therefore pivotal to improve its chemical stability and solubility. To this end, an attempt was made to manufacture nanoparticles (NPs) containing hyaluronic acid, chitosan, and methoxy polyethylene glycol using the electrostatic complexation method. The shape and morphology of the nanoparticles were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The interaction between the carrier and CUR was evaluated using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The NPs containing CUR (NPs-CUR) exhibited a round shape with a typical diameter of 164 nm and a zeta potential of −33.9 mV. An encapsulation efficiency of 90.1 % and a drug loading of 7.1 % were achieved. FTIR and DSC analysis showed that CUR was adsorbed on the surface of the NPs. Additionally, the in-vitro release exhibited a sustained release behavior for the CUR-NPs, where 90.34 % of the drug was released within 72 h, in comparison to free CUR, which had a release of 84.75 % within 12 h in simulated colonic fluid (pH 7.4). CUR-NPs at a concentration of 60 μg/mL showed 3 times more potency in the cytotoxicity of Caco-2 cells and demonstrated a greater performance in the uptake efficiency of Caco-2 cells. The results of the real-time PCR indicated that the nano-delivery of CUR remarkably enhanced the expression of genes related to apoptosis while concurrently suppressing genes associated with proliferation in Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, NPs-CUR treatment increased apoptosis as indicated by annexin V staining.</p
Analysis of nonlinear harmonics and transient phenomena in a standing wave thermoacoustic engine
No full textThis study experimentally investigates development of nonlinear harmonics in a half-wavelength standing wave thermoacoustic engine, focusing on the influence of relative stack position and resonator length. Variational Mode Decomposition, Fast Fourier Transform, and spectrogram analysis are used to analyze the system. Results show that a drive ratio as low as 2.5 % can excite higher oscillation modes. The highest heat-to-acoustic energy conversion occurs when the stack is positioned at 6 % of resonator length, though at the cost of a significantly higher temperature difference at transient stage. An optimal resonator length (1070 mm) is identified, beyond which increased thermal penetration depth enhances boundary layer merging, leading to the development of a second oscillation mode. It is demonstrated that the engine operation at the transitional stage is linearly related to the onset conditions, allowing the output at transition to be interpreted similarly to onset behaviour. The dominancy of the second mode is notable in the region between the 1/3 and 2/3 of the resonator tube length, where the pressure amplitude is supposed to reach its maximum value. Utilizing the VMD method reveals a skewed peak in the longitudinal distribution of the pressure amplitude along the resonator tube for the second mode of oscillation
Wegrauke- und Spitzwegerichextrakte sind wirksam bei der Senkung des Bradykinin-induzierten erhöhten intrazellulären Ca2+-Spiegels in menschlichen Bronchialepithelzellen
No full textWegkrauke (Sisymbrium officinale) und Spitzwegerich (Plantago lanceolata) werden in der traditionellen Medizin zur Behandlung von Symptomen von Infektionen der oberen Atemwege, wie z. B. Husten, eingesetzt. In dieser Studie untersuchten wir einen Blattextrakt aus Sisymbrium officinale (TA Linnaeus Scopoli (SO)), Pastillen mit Sisymbrium officinale Blattextrakt (SOP), einen Blattextrakt aus Plantago lanceolata (PL) (TA: Linnaeus) und einen Sirup mit Plantago lanceolata Blattextrakt (PLS) in einem in vitro Hustenmodell, das Bradykinin-induzierte erhöhte intrazelluläre Ca2+-Spiegel in humanen Bronchialepithelzellen (BEAS-2B) verwendete. Kultivierte BEAS-2B-Zellen wurden mit SO (50 μg/ml), SOP (50 μg/ml), PL (50 μg/ml) und PLS (0,5 % v/v) behandelt, gefolgt von einer Stimulation mit Bradykinin (10 μM) für 24 Stunden. Capsazepin (10 μM) wurde als Positivkontrolle verwendet. Intrazelluläre Ca2+-Konzentrationen wurden dann mit dem Screen Quest™ Calbryte-520 Probenecid-Free and Wash-Free Calcium Assay Kit nachgewiesen, gefolgt von einer konfokalen Bildgebung. Diese Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass Wegrauke- und Spitzwegerichextrakt eine signifikante Wirkung bei der Blockade von Kalziumkanälen haben, und so eine Symptomlinderung bei Atemwegsinfektionen wie Husten bieten
Computational Measures of Gaze Behavior Using the Concept of Situational Awareness
Get PDFEye gaze is fundamental to common sensorimotor activities. It directly indicates attention and its allocation, making it a critical human factor that reflects cognitive behavior. Data-driven measurements of gaze behavior quantitatively evaluate the allocation of visual attention, indicating the mental and physical activity status of individuals. Situational awareness provides a solid and semantically rich basis for gaze behavior during sensorimotor activities. However, few attempts have been made so far to measure eye gaze data from the perspective of situational awareness. In this paper, we propose four new computational measures of gaze behavior that align with the fundamental concept of situational awareness, effectively measuring the efficiency of visual scanning and sensorimotor activity. Our results have clearly shown that the proposed measures are effective and perform satisfactorily compared to the closely related methods. This work offers a new data-driven approach for biomarker discovery and behavioral biometrics using eye gaze data.</p
Destructive Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets:Causes and Consequences
No full textThe book investigates the intricate world of entrepreneurship, examining its dual nature as a force for constructive societal change as well as a potential source of destructive consequences. To examine these two facets in detail, the book scrutinizes the interplay between individual actions and institutional frameworks, showing how entrepreneurship can drive economic and social progress or hinder it through rent-seeking behaviors and exploitation of institutional gaps. By analyzing various settings, from capitalist to state-controlled economies, the book highlights the role of the 'rules of the game' in determining whether entrepreneurial activities contribute positively to society or perpetuate inequality and inefficiency. As such, in the context of emerging markets, this book addresses the question of when are entrepreneurial activities constructive and when are they destructive? Through a nuanced examination of diverse economic settings and institutional environments, the book illuminates how entrepreneurship can foster innovation and social value while also perpetuating corruption and inefficiency. By integrating theoretical frameworks with empirical evidence, it provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing both productive and destructive entrepreneurial behaviors. The aim is to deepen readers' understanding of how entrepreneurship interacts with various contexts and to advocate for ethical and socially responsible practices, ultimately inviting contemplation on the challenges and opportunities that arise in the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship. As such, this book is a valuable resource for scholars studying these phenomena but also practitioners, and policymakers alike.</p
The role of metamaterials in future electromagnetic technologies
No full textSince the start of the twenty-first century, research into metamaterials has grown at a frantic pace, with researchers proposing new materials with increasingly more exotic properties and proposed applications. In this chapter, we aim to present an overview of the field, advantages, and exotic properties these materials can offer, and emerging application areas for these materials. The potential applications for metamaterials are diverse and promising. They have been proposed as candidates for optical filtering, medical devices, remote aerospace operations, sensor detectors, solar power management, crowd control, radomes, antenna lenses, and many more. Ultimately, this is a very broad and rich area, which, in this chapter, we can only hope to give the reader an overview of, with the hopes this inspires the reader to explore aspects presented in greater depth. From optical to RF wavelengths, the propagation and interaction of electromagnetic (EM) waves are governed by Maxwell's equations. Where at the microscopic level, these fields couple to the material they are incident on and propagate through by inducing polarization and magnetization of the atoms in the material. In Maxwell's equations, the coupling between materials and the electric/magnetic fields is described by two abstract material parameters: the permittivity e and the permeability μ. For over a hundred years, scientists have synthesized molecular materials to give tailored e and μ, determined by the movement of the light-mass negatively charged electrons surrounding the relatively large-mass positively charged nucleus of atoms in response to an EM wave forming a dipole. However, this interaction can only offer a limited range of e and μ due to the fundamental properties (charge, mass) and the chemical bonds formed by the atoms of the material. This limitation has led scientists and engineers to consider a range of artificial composite structures with periodic sub-wavelength functional inclusions. Although these inclusions are many orders of magnitude larger than the molecules of the constitutive materials, they are still much smaller than the incident EM wavelength, meaning these inclusions respond no differently than giant molecules with very large polarizability. Enabling the interactions between wave and the collective structures to be described in terms of the 'homogenized' abstracted bulk material parameters permittivity and permeability. Treating the collective periodic structures as an 'effective' material. This approach in theory allows engineers and scientists to fabricate artificial materials with specific electromagnetic properties, most notable of which is the creation of materials with simultaneously negative e and μ. There are of course still restrictions on engineered properties; for example, it is impossible to engineer a material where the group velocity of an electromagnetic EM wave is greater than the speed of light in a vacuum.</p
Algorithms for computing the set of acceptable arguments
No full textWe investigate the computational problem of determining the set of acceptable arguments in abstract argumentation wrt. credulous and skeptical reasoning under grounded, complete, stable, and preferred semantics. In particular, we investigate the computational complexity of that problem and its verification variant, and develop several algorithms for all problem variants, including two baseline approaches based on iterative acceptability queries and extension enumeration, and some optimised versions. We experimentally compare the runtime performance of these algorithms: our results show that our newly optimised algorithms significantly outperform the baseline algorithms in most cases
Analysing Mutual Surveillance Practices During Long-Term Kidnapping Situations:The Case of Jungle Kidnapping Camps in Colombia
No full textKidnapping as a crime of (im)mobility can be understood as a social act of mutuality and reciprocity, where the interaction between kidnappers and kidnappees shapes a broader system of connected activities of surveillance, intimacy, control, and consent. This article argues that during situations of long-term kidnapping, novel forms of social interaction emerge as a result of mutual surveillance practices between surveillance agents (kidnappers) and surveillance objects (kidnappees). It focuses on analysing how members of The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) (the kidnappers) and Colombian politicians, police, and army personnel (the kidnappees) conducted mutual practices and activities of surveillance during their lengthy cohabitation inside jungle kidnapping camps. It presents the results of thirty-three semi-structured interviews with victims of long-term kidnapping in Colombia and eleven structured interviews with FARC ex-combatants who were involved in kidnapping operations. The article demonstrates that the senses of mutuality, reciprocity, and intimacy were crucial to creating an unconventional surveillance regime inside jungle kidnapping camps in Colombia
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