Antihypertensive and Cardio-Protective Potentials of Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Mucuna Pruriens in Male Albino Rats

Hypertension is a risk factor for a variety of morbidities, especially stroke, myocardial infarction, and the development of congestive heart failure, as well as death. Several treatment options are used for treatment of hypertension; however, a lot of short comings have been associated with them. In order to proffer a possibly better and cheaper means of preventing hypertension, this study aims at investigating the antihypertensive and cardio-protective effects of the ethanolic leaf extract of Mucuna pruriens. Thirty-six male albino rats were used for the study. Oral administration of 8% salt diet was used to induce hypertension which significantly increased blood pressure and oxidative stress in the hypertensive animals compared to the control group. The phytochemical screening of the extract was carried out, the weight of the experimental animals was monitored, hematological indices was assessed, and systolic and diastolic rates were evaluated at different concentrations of the extract. The screening indicated the presence of tannin, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenols while reducing sugars, cardiac glycosides, glycoside, alkaloids and steroids were absent. The weight of the liver of rats given standard drug, 150 mg/ml of the extract, 250 mg/ml of the extract and untreated groups were significant lower (p<0.05) when compared with the control group while the group administered with 100 mg/ml was higher. The white blood count

Literature review on Real-time Location-Based Sentiment Analysis on Twitter

Sentiment analysis mainly supports sorting out the polarity and provides valuable information with the use of raw data in social media platforms. Many fields like health, business, and security require real-time data analysis for instant decision-making situations.Since Twitter is considered a popular social media platform to collect data easily, this paper is considering data analysis methods of Twitter data, real-time Twitter data analysis based on geo-location. Twitter data classification and analysis can be done with the use of diverse algorithms and deciding the most appropriate algorithm for data analysis, can be accomplished by implementing and testing these diverse algorithms.This paper is discussing the major description of sentiment analysis, data collection methods, data pre-processing, feature extraction, and sentiment analysis methods related to Twitter data. Real-time data analysis arises as a major method of analyzing the data available online and the real-time Twitter data analysis process is described throughout this paper. Several methods of classifying the polarized Twitter data are discussed within the paper while depicting a proposed method of Twitter data analyzing algorithm. Location-based Twitter data analysis is another crucial aspect of sentiment analyses, that enables data sorting according to geo-location, and this paper describes the way of analyzing Twitter data based on geo-location. Further, a comparison about several sentiment analysis algorithms used by previous researchers has been reported and finally, a conclusion has been provided.

Antioxidant Activity and Nutritional Properties of Freshly Tapped Palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) Sap

This study aims to analyze the antioxidant activity and the nutritional profile of the freshly tapped palmyra sap. Samples were collected in pre-sterile sample collection bottles from different parts of Jaffna peninsula and immediately transferred into an ice box. Pooled samples were centrifuged (1000rpm, 5 minutes) and the supernatant is stored at the refrigerator (4℃) for nutritional, and antioxidant analysis. The results exhibit that fresh sap consists of Na (15.3±0.14 mg/100g) and K (22.6±0.12 mg/100g), while the total ash content was 0.62±0.45 (g/100g). The total sugar content of the sap was 16.43±0.07(g/100g) and the reducing sugar and non-reducing sugar content were 2.16±0.32 (g/100g), 14.27±0.04 (g/100g) respectively. Sap exhibited a relatively low amount of fat 0.02±0.01 (mg/100g). DPPH scavenging activity with regard to IC 50 value was 1.36±0.35 mg/mL, and the total phenolic content and ascorbic acid content were recorded as 186±12.27(mg GAE/100g), 12.16±0.31 (mg/100g) respectively. It can be concluded that the fresh sap of palmyra is a good source of antioxidant properties and nutritional value.

Effect of Different Process Parameters on the formation of Silver Nanoparticles using Crude and Modified Neem (Azadirachta indica) Leaf Extracts

In recent times, the biosynthesis of nanoparticles, which has led to significant growth in the field of nanotechnology. The use of plant extracts has become an impetus in this field as it is a simple and eco-friendly method. This study was an attempt to study different parameters in biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Azadirachta indica (Neem) leaf extracts. Four different process parameters such as concentrations of neem leaf extract, types of neem leaf extract, mixing ratios and the reaction time period were investigated on the formation of silver nanoparticles. Initially, the formation of silver nanoparticles was detected by the visual observation. Then, the synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Visible spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The change of color from yellow to reddish brown color confirmed the formation of silver nanoparticles. The silver surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band obtained in the expected visible range of UV-Visible spectroscopy confirmed the synthesis of the nanoparticles. SEM images showed that silver nanoparticles are roughly spherical and of uniform particle size, and the average particle size is 100 nm. Further, the maximum absorbance of SPR band was considerably varied with different process parameters used in the present study. The UV-Visible spectra of 2.5 g/100 mL of crude neem leaf extract without any dilution showed maximum absorbance in the expected range with the mixing ratio of (Neem and AgNO3) 1:8. However, the maximum absorbance of modified neem leaf extracts (pH 10) resulted lower in value than the crude extracts in the 20 times diluted sample with the mixing ratio of 1:9. Moreover, modified extract with UV radiation exposure increased the absorbance in the expected visible range. It concludes that fine tuning of the bioprocess parameters would enhance nanoparticle synthesis.

Analysis The Potentials and Barriers of Applying Flexible Ridesharing Method in Southern Expressway in Sri Lanka

The ridesharing arrangement means the transportation of persons in a motor vehicle when such transportation is incidental to the principal purpose of the driver, which is to reach a destination and not to transport person for profit. Internet based ridesharing is the method that allows individuals in need of transportation to access a pool of drivers through a mobile app. The research aim is to find out the potential of applying internet based ridesharing in Sri Lanka under three main objectives; to ascertain the problems of the current transportation system available in Southern Expressway, to analyze the commuters’ perception towards the internet-based ridesharing concept and to examine the potential barriers and constraints of application of internet based the ridesharing system in Southern Expressway. Accordingly, data is collected using three samples representing 30 commuters from each group; the public bus users, personal vehicle users, and arranged hired vehicle users who are frequent commuters of the Southern Expressway. According to the research findings, the majority (90%) of the commuters use Southern Expressway to travel their work place and perceive travel cost as fair cost in contrast to time. The majority of the commuters’ view is the availability of buses in Southern Expressway is not at a satisfactory level. More than 90% said Southern Expressway is much comfortable to travel. The majority of the commuters (85%) willing to use the ridesharing if it is available for Southern Expressway. More than 90% have internet access and therefore the application is not much difficult to implement in Sri Lanka. Even though, people are willing to use ridesharing application, there are some barriers have identified through this study such as gender issues, social status and fear to travel with strangers. Anyhow, research findings have shed green light to implement the ridesharing methods in southern Expressway despite of the prevailing barriers

Using Fiber Optic Sensors for Bridge Monitoring

This paper presents the data obtained from monitoring a steel Struss bridge using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors before and after a proposed repair for a crack propagation in the end plates. This paper details the operating mechanism behind the FBG sensors and advantages of using FBG sensors over resistive foil strain gauges for bridge structural health monitoring and also details how cracks on the outer web’s end plate originated and then provides a step-by-step guide to the completed repair. This technology can be use in other practical applications where structural health monitoring is needed.

Novel Trends in Sensor Developments for Strategic Technologies in the Modern Era

Advanced trends of sensor technology are the key components within machine applications.

The Importance of Involving Community Organizations for Preventing Destructive Fishing Activities in Mannar, Sri Lanka

The irresponsible destructive fishing practices with respect to the ecosystem approach have remained a major concern since the elimination of these practices has not been easy despite efforts. There is an urgent need to identify the different types of destructive fishing methods and their threats to fisheries then, to assess how the different organizations/groups/individuals confront with these threats. This study was carried out in Pesalai, a fisheries village in the Mannar district of Northern Sri Lanka in the years 2016 and 2017. The methodology employed consists of a pre-tested structured questionnaire in the field survey with a random sample of 310 fishers and a focus group discussion was conducted where 20 fishers actively participated. The results revealed that trawling net fishing, dynamite fishing, brush pile fishing, and stake net were being used extensively by the fishers. However, the use of such gears have facilitated to catch more fish and earning a high income. Resultant, the major negative impacts were gearing damages, nets damages and net loss. It is apparently found that, the majority of fisheries (93%) had faith in fisher community organizations (fisheries co-op society, the church/father and women welfare society) in terms of resolving conflicts which were raised by destructive fisheries (wrangling, argument and dissension) while 7% of the respondents have faith in the state to resolve conflicts. The fisheries believed that, the government supports for fishing activities was not well required. Hence, it is strongly concluded that the Regulations should be enforced, as a joint effort between the department of fisheries and community organizations.

Identification of the Appropriate Curing Method for Sri Lankan Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) and Compare its Phytochemical Properties with an Indian Market Sample

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is an underground rhizome that is an essential ingredient in day-to-day life. India is the major turmeric production and exportation country in the world. However, since December 2019, Sri Lanka has banned the importation of turmeric from other countries like India. Curing is a significant step during the processing of turmeric, which can be described as cooking fresh turmeric rhizomes before going to the drying step. Curing helps to avoid the raw odor, to reduce the drying time, to distribute the pigment product uniformly, and facilitate uniform drying. This study was conducted to identify the best protocol for turmeric processing and compare the quality of local turmeric samples prepared by using different processing steps such as, uncured and dried as slices, water boiled and dried as slices, steamed and dried as slices with imported turmeric from India. All the samples were separately analyzed for phytochemical properties (moisture content, volatile oil content, curcumin content, oleoresin content, etc.). Curcumin is an important attribute when considering the quality of turmeric. Curcumin content is varied with the curing step. The lowest curcumin content was shown by the uncured and sliced sample (2.86 ± 0.13 %). Steamed and dried as slices sample showed the highest curcumin content (4.51 ± 0.02 %). Curing and Slicing also decreased the drying time. However, water boiled and sliced sample (T-2) showed a high yield (wet to dry ratio 5.41:1), volatile oil content 4.40 ± 0.00 %, and oleoresin content 14.81 ± 2.36 %. According to the results, among the locally produced turmeric, steamed and dried as slices sample (T-3) showed good quality especially for curcumin content.

The Role of MEMS in In-Vitro-Fertilization

The assisted reproduction has been considered a viable solution for the infertility of humankind for more than four decades. In-Vitro-Fertilization (IVF) is one of the most successful assisted reproduction techniques, where the reproductive cell of the female partner is fertilized outside of her body. Initially, the IVF process has been conducted manually by an experienced embryologist. However, even with a highly experienced individual, the operation had extremely lower success rates due to the limited control in environmental conditions and the requirement of precise movements. Therefore, to address this technological deficit, the feasibility of the mechatronics devices for IVF procedures has been investigated. Among the different mechatronics concepts, micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) technologies have been gradually attracted to the IVF process and improved its capabilities. The purpose of this paper is to present a brief overview of the role of MEMS technologies in IVF. The article classifies the MEMS technologies in IVF based on their application in order to emphasize its contribution. In addition, the article extensively discusses the state-of-the-art mechatronic techniques utilized in Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), one of the most popular techniques used in IVF. This review article expects to become extremely beneficial for the engineering researchers new to this field who seek critical information on IVF in simple terms with highlights on the possible advancements and challenges that may emerge in the future.