University of Pharmacy Yangon

Mitrephora sirikitiae Weeras., Chalermglin & R.M.K. Saunders has been reported as a rich source of lignans that contribute to biological activities and health benefits. However, cellular anti-inflammatory effects of M. sirikitiae leaves and their lignan compounds have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory activities of methanol extract of M. sirikitiae leaves and their lignan constituents on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells. Treatment of RAW 264.7 cells with the methanol extract of M. sirikitiae leaves and its isolated lignans, including (−)-phylligenin (2) and 3′,4-O-dimethylcedrusin (6) significantly decreased LPS-induced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and nitric oxide (NO) productions. These inhibitory effects of the extract and isolated lignans on LPS-induced upregulation of PGE2 and NO productions were derived from the suppression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) production, respectively. In addition, treatment with 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-6-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane (3) and mitrephoran (5) was able to suppress LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion and synthesis in RAW 264.7 cells. These results demonstrated that M. sirikitiae leaves and some isolated lignans exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity through the inhibition of secretion and synthesis of PGE2, NO, and TNF-α.

Small bug-fix release: Fix a regression in the <code>plot()</code> method when visualizing with a JenksCaspallSampled or FisherJenksSampled scheme (#1486). Fix spurious warning in <code>GeoDataFrame.to_postgis</code> (#1497). Fix the un-pickling with <code>pd.read_pickle</code> of files written with older GeoPandas versions (#1511). Thanks to Ian Rose, Joris Van den Bossche and Martin Fleischmann for their contributions!

Herein, for the first time, it is successfully demonstrated that radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtered SnO2 can be a qualified alternative electron transport layer (ETL) for a high‐efficiency PbS quantum dot (QD) solar cell. The highest performing device using such a SnO2 ETL obtains an efficiency of 8.4%, which is comparable to the sol–gel ZnO‐based one (8.8%). The excellent performance mainly results from the improved current density, which is attributed to the superior properties of the SnO2 ETL, such as high electron mobility and excellent optical transmittance. However, it is also found that the sputtered SnO2‐based devices show smaller voltage and fill factor due to the unsatisfied surface morphology and energy level alignment. By combining a thin (around 10 nm) sol–gel ZnO film on top of a sputtered SnO2 film to form the double ETL, the best efficiency of 10.1% is obtained, which is the highest efficiency using SnO2 ETL in a PbS QD solar cell. The work not only provides a new avenue to improve the efficiency of PbS QD solar cells but also offers the possibility to use an industry compatible sputtering technique for PbS QD solar cells.

scikit-learn: machine learning in Python

Abstract: Objective: Ginkgo biloba is a potent antioxidant dietary source for human health. Oxidative stress through generation of free radicals damages the myocardium in different experimental condition. The present research was designed to evaluate the cardio protective role of chronic oral administration of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract against Isoproterenol induced myocardial injury. Material and methods: Male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 6) and treated as per treatment protocol with three different dose of Ginkgo biloba extract (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg b.w.) orally for thirty days. At the end of the treatment all the rats (except control rats) were administered with Isoproterenol (85 mg/kg) two consecutive days and subjected to biochemical and histopathological estimation. Results: Isoproterenol (group II) induced the oxidative myocardial damage via alteration in the endogenous antioxidant enzymes and myocardial marker enzymes. Ginkgo biloba extract in all three dose (group III, IV and V) shows protective mechanism via decreasing thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and enhancing the endogenous antioxidant enzymes (reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase). The extract effect was compared with the reference standard α‑tocopherol which also offered similar protection in biochemical and histopathological changes. Conclusion: Thus, the study shows that Ginkgo biloba extract exhibits significant antioxidant activity and protect the heart from free radical mediated toxicity of Isoproterenol. Key words: Antioxidant, Cardiotoxicity, Ginkgo biloba, Isoproterenol, Wistar albino rats, α-tochopherol.

Abstract At an elephant camp in central Myanmar (Burma), we interviewed mahouts and veterinarians to describe the diet of Asian elephants ( Elephas maximus ) in a mixed‐deciduous forest. Elephants showed a broad dietary breadth (103 plant species from 42 families); consumed mostly browse (94% of plant species); and were very selective about plant parts [e.g., many trees were eaten exclusively for their bark (22%) or fruits (14%)]. The fruits from 29 plant species were recorded to be eaten by elephants. Several of these were found as fruit remains, seeds, or seedlings in elephant dung, suggesting a role of Asian elephants in seed dispersal. Work elephants and their mahouts prove to be a rich source of information to understand wild elephant ecology.