• CELLMED
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.32.1-32.6
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• 2013

Plectranthus amboinicus Benth (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant native to India, and its leaves are widely used in several traditional medicinal preparations. The purpose of this study was to detect and quantify phenolics present in ethyl acetate and acetone extracts of P. amboinicus leaves, and evaluate their antioxidant, antibacterial, antimutagenic and anticancer activities. The HPLC chromatograms of crude leaf extracts indicated the presence of phenolics like caffeic acid, coumaric acid, rutin, quercetin and gallic acid, which were present in the range of 0.01 - 1.41 mg/g in ethyl acetate and 0.03 - 1.93 mg/g in the acetone extract. The acetone extract showed statistically (p < 0.05) higher antioxidant activity ($IC_{50}$, 99.59 ${\mu}g/ml$) than ethyl acetate extract ($IC_{50}$, 149.96 ${\mu}g/ml$). Statistically (p < 0.05) higher antimutagenicity was shown by acetone extract (46.16%) as compare to ethyl acetate extract (12.16%) at 500 ${\mu}g/plate$ concentration. The acetone extract showed higher antibacterial activity than ethyl acetate extract, and both the extracts showed highest activity against B. cereus (375 and 625 ${\mu}g/ml$, respectively) and lowest activity against Y. enterocolitica (1000 and 1125 ${\mu}g/ml$, respectively). Both the extracts also showed inhibitory effect on cancer cell lines HCT-15 and MCF-7. These results suggest that the leaves of P. amboinicus possess various biological activities, and validate the traditional use of the leaves of P. amboinicus against cold, infection and ulceration.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.209-217
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• 2017

In the enduring investigation of the bioactive microbes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain (referred to as CGK-KS-1 (ICTB-315)), isolated from Chumathang hot spring, Ladakh, and India, was identified to possess a major bioactive fraction with antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties. This bioactive metabolite was purified through bioactivity-guided fractionation. The chemical structure of this major compound was elucidated as phenazine-1-carboxamide (PCN) based on $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ NMR, FT-IR, EI-HR-MS and 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques. In the current study, PCN exhibited antimicrobial activity with MIC values ranging between $1.9-3.9{\mu}g/ml$ against various test human pathogens and Xanthomonas spp. PCN showed the anti-biofilm property with the $IC_{50}$ values ranging from 17.04 to $60.7{\mu}M$ against different test pathogens. The in silico docking studies showed PCN strongly interacted with various proteins of different Xanthomonas spp. with high binding energies. We report herein for the first time the anti-biofilm property and the docking studies of PCN. The extrolite from P. aeruginosa strain CGK-KS-1 showed promising bioactivities and may be considered as a potential candidate for application in various biocontrol strategies.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.248-260
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• 2004

Damage in brittle rock due to stress increase starts from initiation of microcracks, and then results in failure by forming macro failure planes due to propagation and coalescence of these discrete cracks. Conventionally, continuum approaches using macro-failure criteria or a number of elasto-plastic models have been major solution to implement rock damage and failure. However, actual brittle failure processes can be better described in phenomenological approach if initiation and propagation of discrete fractures are explicitly considered. This study presents damage and failure process of rock using a boundary element code, FRACOD, which has been developed to model fracturing process of rocks. Through a series of numerical uniaxial compressive tests, the feasibility of the developed model was verified, and realistic rock failure process was reproduced considering scale effects in rocks. In addition, the fracturing process and the corresponding rock damage in the vicinity of deep shaft in rock mass were presented as an application of this approach. This approach will be expected to contribute to finding better engineering solutions for the analysis of stability problems in brittle rock masses.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.3 no.5
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• pp.321-331
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• 2003

The paper presents the results of an experimental investigation conducted on welded tubular joints, that are employed in offshore platforms, to study the behaviour and strength of these joints under axial brace compression loading. The geometrical configuration of the joints tested were T and Y. The nominal diameter of the chord and brace members of the joint were 324 and 219 mm respectively. The chord thickness was 12 mm and the brace 8 mm. The tested joints are approximately quarter size when compared to the largest joints in the platforms built in a shallow water depth of 80 m in the Bombay High field. Some of the joints were actually fabricated by a leading offshore agency which firm is directly involved in the fabrication of prototype structures. Strength of the internally ring-stiffened joints was found to be almost twice that of the unstiffened joints of the same configuration and dimensions. Bending of the chord as a whole was observed to be the predominant mode of deformation of the internally ring-stiffened joints in contrast to ovaling and punching shear of the unstiffened joints. It was observed in this investigation that unstiffened joint was stiffer in ovaling mode than in bending and that midspan deflection of unstiffened joint was insignificant when compared to that of the internally ring stiffened joint. The measured midspan deflection of the unstiffened joint in this investigation and its relation with the applied axial load compares very well with that predicted for the brace axial displacement by energy method published in the literature. A comparison of the measured deflection and ovaling of the unstiffened joint was made with that published by the author elsewhere in which numerical prediction of both quantities have been made using ANSYS software package. The agreement was found to be quite good.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.403-411
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• 2019

In this work, the hydration process and cytotoxicity of lab-synthesized experimental Portland cements (EPCs) were investigated for dental applications. For this purpose, EPCs were prepared using laboratory-synthesized clinker constituents, tricalcium silicate (C₃S), dicalcium silicate (C₂S), and tricalcium aluminate (C₃A). C-A was prepared by the Pechini method, whereas C₃S and C₂S were synthesized by solid-state reactions. The phase compositions were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and the hydration process of the individual constituents and their combinations, with and without the addition of gypsum, was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Furthermore, four EPC compositions were prepared using the lab-synthesized C-A, C₃S, and C₂S, and their hydration processes were examined by EIS, and their cytotoxicity to HPC and HIPC cells were tested by performing an XTT assay. None of the EPCs exhibited any significant cytotoxicity for 7 days, and no significant difference was observed in the cell viabilities of ProRoot MTA and EPCs. The results indicated that all the EPCs are sufficiently biocompatible with human dental pulp cells and can be potential substitutes for commercial dental cements.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1789-1795
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• 2016

Background: Breast cancer is the commonest female cancer worldwide and its propensity to metastasize negatively impacts on therapeutic outcome. Several clinicopathological parameters with prognostic/predictive significance have been associated with metastatic suppressor expression levels. The role of metastatic suppressor gene (MSG) KiSS1 in breast cancer remains unclear. Our goal was to investigate the possible clinical significance of KiSS1 breast cancer. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 87 histologically proven cases of breast cancer and background normal tiisue. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to investigate KiSS1 at gene and protein levels, respectively, for correlation with several patient characteristics including age, family history, hormonal receptor status, stage, tumor size, nodal involvement and metastatic manifestation and finally with median overall survival (OS). Results: Our study revealed (i) KiSS1 levels were generally elevated in breast cancer vs normal tissue (P < 0.05). (ii) however, a statistically significant lower expression of KiSS1 was observed in metastatic vs non metastatic cases (P = 0.04). (iii) KiSS1 levels strongly correlated with T,N,M category, histological grade and advanced stage (p<0.001) but not other studied parameters. (iv) Lastly, a significant correlation between expression of KiSS1 and median OS was found (P = 0.04). Conclusions: Conclusively, less elevated KiSS1 expression is a negative prognostic factor for OS, advancing tumor stage, axillary lymph node status, metastatic propensity and advancing grade of the breast cancer patient. Patients with negative KiSS1 expression may require a more intensive therapeutic strategy.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.2131-2139
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• 2014

In this paper, a binary-coded physical-layer network coding (PNC) is considered when high-order modulation techniques are used at source nodes in wireless communication environments. In the conventional PNC schemes, tight power control and phase compensation are required at a relay node. However, they may not be feasible in practical wireless communication environments. Thus, we do not assume the pre-equalization in this paper, and we only utilize the channel state information at receiver (CSIR). We propose a signal detection method for the binary-coded PNC with high-order modulation, such as QPSK and 16QAM, at the source nodes, while the conventional scheme only consider the BPSK at source nodes. We also analyze the bit-error performance of the proposed technique in both uncoded and coded cases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2013

A Nodulisporium sp. (Hypoxylon sp.) has been isolated as an endophyte of Thelypteris angustifolia (Broadleaf Leaf Maiden Fern) in a rainforest region of Central America. It has been identified both on the basis of its morphological characteristics and by scanning electron microscopy as well as ITS sequence analysis. The endophyte produces volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that have both fuel (mycodiesel) and use for biological control of plant disease. When grown on potato dextrose agar, the organism uniquely produces a series of ketones, including acetone; 2-pentanone; 3-hexanone, 4-methyl; 3-hexanone, 2,4-dimethyl; 2-hexanone, 4-methyl, and 5-hepten, 2-one and these account for about 25% of the total VOCs. The most abundant identified VOC was 1,8 cineole, which is commonly detected in this group of organisms. Other prominent VOCs produced by this endophyte include 1-butanol, 2-methyl, and phenylethanol alcohol. Moreover, of interest was the presence of cyclohexane, propyl, which is a common ingredient of diesel fuel. Furthermore, the VOCs of this isolate of Nodulisporium sp. were selectively active against a number of plant pathogens, and upon a 24 h exposure caused death to Phytophthora palmivora, Rhizoctonia solani, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and 100% inhibition to Phytophthora cinnamomi with only slight to no inhibition of the other pathogens that were tested. From this work, it is becoming increasingly apparent that each isolate of this endophytic Nodulisporium spp., including the Daldina sp. and Hypoxylon spp. teleomorphs, seems to produce its own unique set of VOCs.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.221-232
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• 2019

Material non-linearity of Reinforced Concrete (RC) framed structures is studied by modelling concrete using the Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) theory. The stress-strain data of concrete in compression is modelled using the Hsu model. The structures are analyzed using a finite element approach by modelling them in ABAQUS / CAE. Single bay single storey RC frames, designed according to Indian Standard (IS):456:2000 and IS:13920:2016 are considered for assessing their maximum load carrying capacity and failure behavior under the influence of gravity loads and lateral loads. It is found that the CDP model is effective in predicting the failure behaviors of RC frame structures. Under the influence of the lateral load, the structure designed according to IS:13920 had a higher load carrying capacity when compared with the structure designed according to IS:456. Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) strip is used for strengthening the columns and beam column joints of the RC frame individually against lateral loads. 10mm and 20mm thick strips are adopted for the numerical simulation of RC column and beam-column joint. Results obtained from the study indicated that UHPFRC with two different thickness strips acts as a very good strengthening material in increasing the load carrying capacity of columns and beam-column joint by more than 5%. UHPFRC also improved the performance of the RC frames against lateral loads with an increase of more than 3.5% with the two different strips adopted. 20 mm thick strip is found to be an ideal size to enhance the load carrying capacity of the columns and beam-column joints. Among the strengthening locations adopted in the study, column strengthening is found to be more efficient when compared with the beam column joint strengthening.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2021

Male infertility has a complex etiopathology, which mostly remains elusive. Although research has claimed that oxidative stress (OS) is the most likely underlying mechanism of idiopathic male infertility, the specific treatment of OS-mediated male infertility requires further investigation. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a vitamin-like substance, has been found in measurable levels in human semen. It exhibits essential metabolic and antioxidant functions, as well as playing a vital role in mitochondrial bioenergetics. Thus, CoQ10 may be a key player in the maintenance of biological redox balance. CoQ10 concentrations in seminal plasma directly correlate with semen parameters, especially sperm count and sperm motility. Seminal CoQ10 concentrations have been shown to be altered in various male infertility states, such as varicocele, asthenozoospermia, and medical or surgical regimens used to treat male infertility. These observations imply that CoQ10 plays an important physiological role in the maintenance and amelioration of semen quality. The present article thereby aimed to review the possible mechanisms through which CoQ10 plays a role in the regulation of male reproductive function, and to concisely discuss its efficacy as an ameliorative agent in restoring semen parameters in male infertility, as well as its impact on OS markers, sperm DNA fragmentation, pregnancy, and assisted reproductive technology outcomes.