307 research outputs found
Bibliotheca: The Road to Wisdom
No full textThere is a path which takes any creative intellect from the world of information to that of wisdom through the world of knowledge. This path for creative realization is indeed resonant with the \u27Upanishadic\u27 method of spiritual realization, i.e. the transformative ideology of the East, consisting of the phases of \u27Sravana\u27, \u27Manana\u27, and \u27Nididhyasana\u27 in that order, with the outcome of the phases being Information, Knowledge and Wisdom respectively. This has been seen to be true in the case of legendary literary work and unparalleled epic of the East, \u27Mahabharata\u27, inspired the master writer of India, MT Vasudevan Nair in penning an equally legendary work \u27Randamoozham\u27 (Second Turn), in this comparatively limited linguistic realm and the role played by libraries in that creative endeavor. The literary creative route of \u27Randamoozham\u27 the author vindicating the hypothesis; \u27Library is the right fulgent path for transforming information through knowledge to wisdom.\u2
Spectropolarimetry of life: Airborne measurements from a hot air balloon
No full textDoes life exist outside our Solar System A first step towards searching for life outside our Solar System is detecting life on Earth by using remote sensing applications. One powerful and unambiguous biosignature is the circular polarization resulting from the homochirality of biotic molecules and systems. We aim to investigate the possibility of identifying and characterizing life on Earth by using airborne spectropolarimetric observations from a hot air balloon during our field campaign in Switzerland, May 2022. In this proceeding we present the optical-setup and the data obtained from aerial circular spectropolarimetric measurements of farmland, forests, lakes and urban sites. We make use of the well-calibrated FlyPol instrument that measures the fractionally induced circular polarization (V/I) of (reflected) light with a sensitivity of < 10-4. The instrument operates in the visible spectrum, ranging from 400 to 900 nm. We demonstrate the possibility to distinguish biotic from abiotic features using circular polarization spectra and additional broadband linear polarization information. We review the performance of our optical-setup and discuss potential improvements. This sets the requirements on how to perform future airborne spectropolarimetric measurements of the Earth's surface features from several elevations. Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Astrodynamics & Space Mission
Piracetam-induced neuroprotection in lipopolysaccharides-challenged EOC-20 cells and mouse brain via attenuating oxidative stress
No full textAbstract Therapeutically, piracetam has been used for decades as a cognitive enhancer for memory- related neuronal disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective potential of piracetam on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced neuronal deficit using both in-vitro and in-vivo experimental models. For the in-vitro analysis, EOC-20 murine microglial cells were induced with a neuronal toxicity of 100 µg/ml of LPS, and the formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) productions were determined. For in-vivo neuroprotective analysis, groups of mice were treated orally with two doses of piracetam (200 and 400 mg/kg) for 30 days. Neuronal toxicity was induced by four intraperitoneal injections of LPS (250 µg/kg/day). The malondialdehyde (MDA) level was measured for oxidative stress, and catalase reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GRD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were determined as the antioxidant parameters. The result of the cell viability study was that pre-treatment with piracetam significantly protected the LPS-induced cell loss, and attenuated the ROS generation and NO production in LPS-induced EOC-20 cells. Moreover, the treatment of piracetam significantly reduced the MDA levels and improved catalase, GSH, GRD, and SOD activities in LPS-induced mice brains. The overall results from this study supported the neuroprotective effects of piracetam against LPS-induced neuronal toxicity
Analyzing Support for U.S. Presidential Candidates in Twitter Polls
No full textPolls posted on social media can provide information about public opinion on a variety of issues from business decisions to support for presidential election candidates. However, it is largely unknown whether the information provided by social polls is useful or not. To enhance our understanding of social polls, we examine nearly two thousand Twitter polls gauging support for U.S. presidential candidates during the 2016 and 2020 election campaigns.
First, we describe the prevalence of social polls. Second, we characterize social polls in terms of the engagement they elicit and the response options they present. Third, leveraging machine learning models, we infer and describe several characteristics, including demographics and political leanings, of the users who author and interact with social polls. Finally, we study the relationship between social poll results, their attributes, and the characteristics of users interacting with them. Our findings suggest how and to what extent polling on Twitter is biased in terms of content, authorship, and audience. The 2016 and 2020 polls were predominantly crafted by older males and manifested a pronounced bias favoring candidate Donald Trump, whereas traditional surveys favored Democratic candidates. We further identify and explore the potential reasons for such biases and discuss their repercussions
Betahistine’s Neuroprotective Actions against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neurotoxicity: Insights from Experimental and Computational Studies
No full textHistamine H3 receptor (H3R) antagonists, such as betahistine (BHTE), have shown significant potential in treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders due to their neuroprotective properties. This study investigated BHTE’s effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neurotoxicity, which is associated with neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Rats were divided into groups and pre-treated with BHTE (5 or 10 mg/kg, p.o.) for 30 days, followed by LPS administration (1 mg/kg, i.p.) for 4 consecutive days to induce neurotoxicity. LPS exposure resulted in cognitive impairment, as evidenced by performance deficits in maze tests, and a significant reduction in brain acetylcholine (ACh) levels. Additionally, LPS led to increased neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis. Pre-treatment with BHTE effectively counteracted these effects, improving cognitive performance and restoring ACh levels. BHTE significantly reduced LPS-induced increases in pro-inflammatory markers (COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-6) while enhancing anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and TGF-β1). Furthermore, BHTE improved mitochondrial function by increasing enzyme levels (MRCC-I, II, and IV) and boosted anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) and antioxidant defenses (GSH and catalase). BHTE also reduced apoptosis markers, including pro-apoptotic protein caspase-3, and oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA). Molecular modeling studies revealed that BHTE effectively binds to key enzymes involved in neuroinflammation and apoptosis (AChE, COX-2, and caspase-3), with binding free energies between 4 and 5 kcal/mol, interacting with critical residues. These findings underscore BHTE’s multifaceted neuroprotective effects against LPS-induced neurotoxicity, offering potential therapeutic avenues for managing neuroinflammation and related neurodegenerative disorders
Effect of Anwala Churna (Emblica officinalis GAERTN.): an Ayurvedic Preparation on Memory Deficit Rats
No full textMemory-enhancing activity of Thespesia populnea in rats
No full textThespesia populnea Soland ex. Correa (Malvaceae) is a large tree found in the tropical regions and coastal forests of India. Various parts of Thespesia populnea are found to possess useful medicinal properties such as antifertility, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, purgative, and hepatoprotective activities. The current study was undertaken to investigate the effects of Thespesia popul-nea bark on memory in rats. Elevated plus-maze and Hebb-Williams maze served as the exteroceptive behavioral models for testing memory. Diazepam-, scopolamine-, and ageing-induced amnesia served as the interoceptive behavioral models. The ethanol extract of Thespesia populnea (TPE) was administered orally in three doses (100, 200, and 400mg=kg) for 7 successive days to different groups of young and aged rats. TPE (200 and 400mg=kg, p.o.) resulted in significant improvement in memory of young and aged rats. TPE also reversed the amnesia induced by scopolamine (0.4mg=kg, i.p.) and diazepam (1mg=kg, i.p.). Choles-terol-lowering, anticholinesterase, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties of Thespesia populnea may favorably contribute to its memory-enhancement effect. Therefore, Thespesia populnea bark appears to be a promising candidate for improving memory, and it would be worthwhile to explore the potential of this plant in the management of Alzheimer patients
Sertraline as a Multi-Target Modulator of AChE, COX-2, BACE-1, and GSK-3β: Computational and In Vivo Studies
No full textAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with the dysregulation of several key enzymes, including acetylcholinesterase (AChE), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β), β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE-1), and caspase-3. In this study, machine learning algorithms such as Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boost (GB), and Extreme Gradient Boost (XGB) were employed to screen US-FDA approved drugs from the ZINC15 database to identify potential dual inhibitors of COX-2 and AChE. The models were trained using molecules obtained from the ChEMBL database, with 5039 molecules for AChE and 3689 molecules for COX-2. Specifically, 1248 and 3791 molecules were classified as active and inactive for AChE, respectively, while 858 and 2831 molecules were classified as active and inactive for COX-2. The three machine learning models achieved prediction accuracies ranging from 92% to 95% for both AChE and COX-2. Virtual screening of US-FDA drugs from the ZINC15 database identified sertraline (SETL) as a potential dual inhibitor of AChE and COX-2. Further docking studies of SETL in the active sites of AChE and COX-2, as well as BACE-1, GSK-3β, and caspase-3, revealed strong binding affinities for all five proteins. In vivo validation was conducted using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat model pretreated with SETL for 30 days. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in the levels of AChE (p < 0.001), BACE-1 (p < 0.01), GSK-3β (p < 0.05), and COX-2 (p < 0.05). Additionally, the downstream effects were evaluated, showing significant decreases in the apoptosis marker caspase-3 (p < 0.05) and the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.001), indicating that SETL is clinically localized in its effectiveness, mitigating both enzymatic activity and the associated pathological changes of cognitive impairment and AD
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