MTT

ทฤษฎีการทดสอบในปัจจุบันสามารถแบ่งออกเป็น 2 ประเภทหลักๆ คือ ประเภทแรก ได้แก่ ทฤษฎีการทดสอบแบบดั้งเดิม (Classical Test Theory: CTT) มีแนวคิดว่าคะแนนสอบที่สังเกตได้ (X) นั้นเป็นผลรวมมาจากโมเดลเชิงเส้นของผลรวมคะแนนจริง (T) และความคลาดเคลื่อน (e) โดความคลาดเคลื่อนนั้นมีลักษณะเป็นหนึ่งเดียวที่ไม่สามารถแบ่งแยกได้ (unique error) ส่วนทฤษฎีประเภทที่สองของทฤษฎีการทดสอบในปัจจุบัน ได้แก่ ทฤษฎีการทดสอบแนวใหม่ (Modern Test Theory) ปัจจุบันที่ใช้กันอย่างแพร่หลายมีอยู่ด้วยกัน 2 ทฤษฎี คือ ทฤษฎีการสรุปอ้างอิงความน่าเชื่อถือของผลการวัด (Generalizability Theory: GT) และทฤษฎีการตอบสนองข้อสอบ (Item Response Theory: IRT)

The paper discusses syntactic constructions with a zero subject, with focus on data from 3 languages – Russian, Ukrainian and Modern Icelandic. Zero subjects are defined in the paper according to the Meaning-Text-Theory (MTT) tradition as symbolic objects with an empty signifier and non-empty signified. Zero subject lexemes have role-and-reference semantics of their own and their meaning is not equivalent to the meaning of any non-zero signs in the same language. Zero subjects share some syntactic properties with overt sentence elements taking the subject position in the same language, notably they act as agreement controllers on the verb and can be case-marked in languages where overt grammatical subjects are case-marked and control verbal agreement. The working hypothesis raised in the present paper is that zero subjects in Russian, Ukrainian and Icelandic are always specified as non-referential Agents {+ Agent,-referential} while the specification of zero subjects as '+Human' or '-Human' as well as their agreement morphology (singular, plural form) can vary across languages. Transitive impersonals in Russian, Ukrainian and Icelandic can be accounted for in terms of Mel'čuk's zero lexemes. An alternative analysis resorting to Burzio's Generalization fails to make correct predictions. The distribution of impersonals in Russian and Ukrainian has nothing to do with the intransitive split into unaccusatives vs unergatives. Most Russian verbs labeled 'psych' in the previous research are semantic causatives or agentive verbs with an external argument and valency grid <Agent, Patient>.

Context: Premature aging usually occurred due to free radicals reducing the skins' physiological functions. Muntingia calabura, a plant containing rich antioxidants, has the potential to overcome this problem. Aims: To evaluate the antioxidant capacity of M. calabura in inhibiting the premature aging process, to be potentially developed into an antiaging active ingredient. Methods: The samples were extracted using ethanol 96%, and processed into n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol fractions, respectively. Total phenolic content was determined, followed by the evaluation of antioxidant capacity through DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS assay. Further, anti-elastase was conducted using human neutrophil elastase as a skin degradation enzyme, followed by an anti-collagenase test. Finally, normal cell proliferation was also evaluated via the MTT method measuring cell viability on HDFa cells. Results: As the results, ethanol extract, ethyl acetate fraction, and ethanol fraction showed a strong antioxidant effect, having great capacity reducing DPPH, ABTS radicals, and also iron reduction, in contrast to n-hexane fraction that exhibited only weak activity. The antioxidant trend capacities were found directly correlated to total phenolic contents. Furthermore, the ethyl acetate fraction was found to have optimum activity in inhibiting elastase and collagenase enzymes, showing a similar impact on cell viability. Conclusions: The ethyl acetate fraction from M. calabura exhibits the prospect for further development to support its effectiveness as an active ingredient in antiaging cosmetics.

Over the recent past, significant attention has been focused on the use of multiple sensors for target tracking over a large geographic area, as using a single sensor with a very large range is highly impractical. In addition, data from multiple sensors can be combined to provide improved estimation. Such Multi Sensor Data Fusion (MSDF) is similar to how humans and animals use multiple senses for perception. Probabilistic Data Association algorithms for Multiple Target Tracking (MTT), such as PDA and JPDA, use the statistical knowledge of the target dynamics and sensor measurement to obtain improved tracking. In this work, Probabilistic Data Association filters (i.e., both PDA and JPDA filters) for Complete Object Refinement have been designed, developed and studied. The designed PDA algorithms have been developed using a Track Oriented approach. For JPDA, association matrices are determined at each scan based on the current targets and measurements; from this the set of event matrices are formed which is observed to be the most computationally intensive part of the JPDA. A radar simulator for generating synthetic 3D target measurements along with false measurements is developed. The system has been developed using an Object Oriented Development scheme and implemented as a plug-in architecture in which new features can be added. The developed PDA and JPDA filters are extensively tested using synthetic track measurement data produced using the radar simulator. It was observed from the test results that PDA has lesser computation load in comparison to JPDA, but fails in the case of multiple interfering targets in a dense clutter. JPDA is successful in tracking such interfering targets due its joint association between targets and measurements. Due to JPDA's computation load only about 10 targets could be tracked, hence, clustering has to be used to decrease the computational load. PDA on the other hand is able to track more than 150 targets per scan. The work carried out can be used as a foundation for further development of target tracking systems with complex tracking needs.

Although the immunomodulatory effects of vitamins, minerals, and many herbs per se have been extensively studied, while research related to possible immunomodulatory effects of a combined formulation is relatively scarce. Here, the potential immunomodulatory effects of the combination of eight components viz. zinc chloride, ferrous sulfate, sodium selenate, nanocurcumin, copper chloride, magnesium gluconate, vitamin C, and vitamin D3 were investigated. These components are widely used in therapeutic, cosmetics and dietary supplements. The current study investigated the in vitro immunomodulatory effect of a Consciousness Energy Healing (The Trivedi Effect®) Treated nanocurcumin-based test formulation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced natural killer (NK) cells activity in splenocytes cell-line co-incubated with mouse lymphoma cell line (Yac-1). The formulation was divided into two parts, in which one part of the formulation was received the Biofield Treatment by a renowned Biofield Energy Healer, Mr. Mahendra Kumar Trivedi and was defined as the Biofield Energy Treated sample, while the other part was denoted as the untreated test sample. Cell viability using MTT assay in mouse splenocytes showed more than 98% cells were viable upto 10.4 µg/mL of the tested concentrations, indicating that the test formulation was safe and nontoxic. The NK cells activity was measured in cell supernatants using ELISA. The NK cells activity was significantly altered by 26.73%, 11.82%, 7.64%, 0.36% and 36.36% in the untreated formulation group at 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5.2, and 10.4 µg/mL, respectively compared to the vehicle control (VC) group. Further, Biofield Energy Treated test formulation exhibited 39.64%, 8.18%, 17.27%, 51.93% and 42.55% alteration of the NK cells activity at the concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5.2, and 10.4 µg/mL, respectively compared to the VC group. Moreover, the cell viability of the test formulation was assessed in RAW 264.7 (Mouse Macrophage Cell Line) for phagocytosis activity was safe upto 13.3 µg/mL with >90% on cell viability. The phagocytosis assay data showed that at two concentrations (1.3 and 7.6 µg/mL) the Biofield Energy Treated test formulation improved extent of phagocytosis by 6.31% and 5.91%, respectively compared to the untreated test formulation group. In summary, the Biofield Energy Treated test formulation may have indeed immunomodulatory effect by enhanced NK cells activity and extent of phagocytosis responses. These observations indicated that the Biofield Energy Treated test formulation has the potential effects through modulating the expression of NK cells function and phagocytosis and might be developed as a useful anti-inflammatory product for various inflammatory disorders.

The EU directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (Directive 2009/28/EC) sets a mandatory minimum target for the use of fuels produced using renewable energy sources of 10% of total petrol and diesel consumption in the transport sector by the year 2020. In addition, it states that production of renewable fuels should be consistent with sustainable development and must not endanger biodiversity. In the INTERREG IVA Southern Finland – Estonia Sub-programme, efforts towards finding solutions to the tasks set by the EU were undertaken in co-operation with Finnish and Estonian researchers. The purpose of the ”From Waste to Traffic Fuel” (W-Fuel) project was to promote the sustainable production and use of biogas using locally-sourced biodegradable waste materials from the food and beverage industry and the agricultural and municipal sectors. The ultimate aim of the project was to upgrade the biogas (produced based on anaerobic digestion of biodegradable wastes...

The BRAF gene encodes for a serine/threonine protein kinase that participates in the MAPK/ERK signalling pathway and plays a vital role in cancers and developmental syndromes (RASopathies). The current review discusses the clinical significance of the BRAF gene and other members of RAS/RAF cascade in human cancers and RAS/MAPK syndromes, and focuses the molecular basis and clinical genetics of BRAF to better understand its parallel involvement in both tumourigenesis and RAS/MAPK syndromes––Noonan syndrome, cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome and LEOPARD syndrome. ª 2014 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models are expected to play a crucial role in reducing the number of animals to be used for toxicity testing resulting from the adoption of the new European Union chemical control system called Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH). The objective of the present study was to generate in vitro acute toxicity data that could be used to develop a QSAR model to describe acute in vivo toxicity of chlorinated alkanes. Cytotoxicity of a series of chlorinated alkanes to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was observed at concentrations similar to those that have been shown previously to be toxic to fish. Strong correlations exist between the acute in vitro toxicity of the chlorinated alkanes and (i) hydrophobicity [modeled by the calculated log K ow (octanol-water partition coefficient); r (2) = 0.883 and r int (2) = 0.854] and (ii) in vivo acute toxicity to fish ( r (2) = 0.758). A QSAR model has been developed to predict in vivo acute toxicity to fish, based on the in vitro data and even on in silico log K ow data only. The developed QSAR model is applicable to chlorinated alkanes with up to 10 carbon atoms, up to eight chlorine atoms, and log K ow values lying within the range from 1.71 to 5.70. Out of the 100204 compounds on the European Inventory of Existing Chemicals (EINECS), our QSAR model covers 77 (0.1%) of them. Our findings demonstrate that in vitro experiments and even in silico calculations can replace animal experiments in the prediction of the acute toxicity of chlorinated alkanes.

Background: Cell viability and apoptosis are two crucial factors that may determine cell fate. There are several factors, such as hypoxia, which may be effective in cell processes. Because of its unique features, such as its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptosis mechanisms, kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) extract may be used in the amelioration of cell viability and a decrease in cell apoptosis. In this study, we evaluate the effect of kohlrabi extract on the viability and apoptosis of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs). Materials and Methods: In this study, extract from kohlrabi and mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue were isolated in a laboratory under sterile conditions. Expression of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) surface markers, including CD44, CD90, and CD105 was evaluated by flow cytometry method. Besides, CD34 was used as a negative marker. MTT assay was carried out to determine the cell viability. Evaluation of BCL2 and BAX expression levels was performed by real-time PCR. Results: MSC surface markers were verified by flow cytometry. The obtained results demonstrated a significant difference between the cell viability of the kohlrabi-extract treated and control group over time (P=0.03). In addition, the real-time PCR analysis showed that expression levels of BCL2 significantly increased in hypoxic condition after treatment with leaf extract (P=0.019). However, there was no significant expression change in the BAX gene. Conclusion: Our study illustrates that kohlrabi extract may have positive effects on cell survival while having inhibitory effects on apoptosis.

Availability of reliable and reproducible assay methods that uses simple tools will facilitate research especially in resource-poor settings.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate colorimetric resazurin reduction assay (CRA) as a possible tool in respiratory mucosal cell irritation
and toxicity screening. It compared CRA with another well-accepted colorimetric cell viability assay method (3-[4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,
5-diphenyl tetrazolinium bromide {MTT} assay). Cell viability results of treated cells were obtained using both assay methods and used to
determine Z′ factor, signal-to-background (S/B) ratio and IC50 values. The results show all the Z ‘ values obtained were positive except values
from CRA for cells treated with triton-X 100 incubated for 30min and 2h. All the Z ‘ values for MTT shows the method is optimized (0.5<
Z′<1.0) while most values for CRA were outside acceptable range (Z′<0, Z′>1). MTT demonstrated large S/B ratio at both 30min and 2h for
all the compounds. The range of values obtained for the S/B ratio is 12-57 for MTT and 1-3 for CRA. Furthermore, CRA failed to estimate
IC50 for some of the compounds (BKC, 2h; SDS, 2h; BKC, 30min). The values obtained for Z′ factor, S/B ratio and IC50 for both assays were at
variance. This result demonstrates that CRA performed below acceptable assay standard and therefore may not be an appropriate method for human respiratory cell viability studies. Consequently, we conclude that CRA is not useful in human respiratory mucosal irritation and toxicity studies.

Evaluating Cytotoxic Potential of the Fruit and the Leaf Extracts of Sambucus ebulus (L.) on MCF7 and AGS Cell Lines Background: Breast and stomach cancers are the most common malignancies in Iranian females and males, respectively. Enriching with phytochemicals that have antioxidant and cytotoxic activities, extracts from dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus L.) holds promises to be used for alternative medication. Materials and Methods: We investigated the cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities of the leaf and the fruit ethyl-acetate (EA), as well as the methanolic (MeOH) extracts of dwarf elder upon treatment of the MCF-7 and AGS cells. Twenty-seven concentration series ranging from 10 to 2000 µg/mL were administered to the cells, and their growth inhibitory potential was assessed using MTT assay. The potential anticancer compounds of the extracts were quantified applying an improved highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: All extracts showed positive dose-dependent cy...

Evaluating Cytotoxic Potential of the Fruit and the Leaf Extracts of Sambucus ebulus (L.) on MCF7 and AGS Cell Lines Background: Breast and stomach cancers are the most common malignancies in Iranian females and males, respectively. Enriching with phytochemicals that have antioxidant and cytotoxic activities, extracts from dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus L.) holds promises to be used for alternative medication. Materials and Methods: We investigated the cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities of the leaf and the fruit ethyl-acetate (EA), as well as the methanolic (MeOH) extracts of dwarf elder upon treatment of the MCF-7 and AGS cells. Twenty-seven concentration series ranging from 10 to 2000 µg/mL were administered to the cells, and their growth inhibitory potential was assessed using MTT assay. The potential anticancer compounds of the extracts were quantified applying an improved highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: All extracts showed positive dose-dependent cytotoxic activities on both cell lines. The EA extracts demonstrated more cytotoxicity compared to those of the MeOH ones (P<0.0001). The leaf EA extract showed IC50 values of 65 and 50 µg/mL, while those of the fruit were estimated as 58 and 50 µg/mL on the MCF-7 and AGS cells, respectively. The AGS cell line showed more susceptibility to all extracts tested compared to the MCF-7. MeOH extracts caused only a maximum of ~20% reduction in cell viability at 2000 μg/mL concentration. According to the HPLC analysis, leaf extracts contained phenolic compounds, including p-coumaric acid (0.10 mg per g powder), rutin (0.07 mg per g powder), and quercetin (0.02 mg per g powder). Conclusion: EA extract of the fruit shows the highest cytotoxicity: reducing 35.3% viability of the AGS cells with 10 µg/mL concentration. It can be considered a potential chemopreventive agent for cancer therapies. However, MeOH extracts with far low cytotoxicity or non-cytotoxic at some concentrations would be an appropriate candidate for preventing tumor growth without affecting neighboring normal cells.

Introduction: Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease affecting older individuals with signs of motor disability and cognitive impairment. Epicatechin (EC) and edaravone have neuroprotective effects most probably due to their antioxidant activity; however, a limited number of studies have considered their role in PD. This research aimed at investigating the neuroprotective effect of EC and edaravone in a neurotoxin-induced model of PD. Methods: An in vitro model of PD was made by subjecting SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells to neurotoxin: 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) 100 µM/well. The cytoprotective effect of EC and edaravone in five concentrations on cell viability was tested using the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) assay. The apoptotic assay was done by annexin V and propidium iodide method using flow cytometry. Results: According to the MTT assay analysis, EC and edaravone had protective effects against 6-OH DA-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells that were much more significant for edaravone and also a relative synergistic effect between EC and edaravone was observed. The apoptotic analysis showed that edaravone alone could decrease early and late apoptosis, whereas EC diminished early apoptosis, but enhanced late apoptosis and necrosis. Besides, co-treatment of edaravone and EC had a synergistic effect on decreasing apoptosis and increasing cell viability. Conclusion: The protective effect of edaravone on apoptosis and cytotoxicity was demonstrated clearly and EC had a synergistic effect with edaravone.

4H-SiC RF BJTs on a semi-insulating (>105 Ω-cm) substrate were designed and fabricated for the first time using an n-p-n triple mesa-etch and interdigitated emitter-base finger design. On-wafer small signal S-parameter measurements were performed on a 4-finger device with 3 μm emitter stripe width and 150 μm finger length. Both, the current gain and unilateral power gain, were calculated from the measured S-parameters, yielding an fT of 7 GHz and an fMAX of 5.2 GHz biased in common-emitter configuration at JE = 10.6 kA/cm2 and VCE = 20 V. These are the highest RF figures of merit reported to date for any SiC bipolar transistor. The calculated maximum available power gain (GMAX) is 18.6-dB at 500 MHz and 12.4-dB at 1 GHz, demonstrating the potential of 4H-SiC BJTs for both UHF and L-band applications.