Genotype and Haplotype Analysis of ABCB1 at 1236, 2677 and 3435 among Jordanian Population

Purpose: To determine the frequencies of important allelic variants and their haplotype frequencies of the gene among Jordanian population and to compare findings with those reported for other ethnic groups.Methods: Genotyping of ABCB1 (C1236T, G2677T/A and C3435T) was carried out on unrelated healthy Jordanian subjects. Different allelic variants were determined using polymerase chain reactionrestriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The haplotype frequencies of these three SNPs were analyzed and compared them with those of other reported populations. Haplotype frequencies were calculated using Golden Helix Tree software and Linkage disequilibrium was represented by D”.Results: ABCB1 C3435T allele frequencies for C allele and T allele were 0.57 and 0.43, respectively. For ABCB1 G2677T/A the allele frequencies for G allele, T allele, and A allele were 0.65, 0.32 and 0.0, respectively. As for ABCB C1236T, its allele frequencies were 0.65 for C allele and 0.35 for T allele. C1236T, G2677T/A, and C3435T SNPs were expected to be structured in 8 different haplotypes with GC- C (37.6.0 %), T-T-T (18.6 %), G-C-T (14.3 %) and T-T-C (12 %) that were most prominent. The haplotype frequency distribution of our study group was found to be significantly different from those of Chinese, Indian, Japanese, African and Caucasian (p < 0.0001) and resemble Ashkenazi Jewish and Slovenian populations (p > 0.05).Conclusion: In addition to earlier studies, the findings of the current study provide evidence that suggest the use of genetic polymorphisms of ABCB1 SNPs as markers for ethnicity and ancestral origin. The analysis of haplotype and genotype can be useful in identifying the relation between ABCB1 polymorphism, disease susceptibility and drug disposition.Keywords: Genotype, Allele, MDR1, ABCB1, Polymorphism, Haplotype frequencie

The Effect of surface topographical changes of two different surface treatments rotary instrument

One of the major innovations in endodontics has been the introduction of nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloy. This study evaluated the surface topographical changes of two different surface treatments rotary instrument after instrumentation and sterilization. 240 Extracted teeth were included in this study. 90 new AlphaKite and Revo-S NiTi rotary instruments were selected and divided into two groups (Group A 45 AlphaKite and group B 45 Revo-S). Each group were divided into three subgroups: (A1, B1) n=5 files were used as a control, (A2,B2) n=20 files were used to prepare three root canals using endodontic rotary motor then sterilized by autoclave for one cycle under 121°C at 15 psi for 30 minutes and (A3,B3) n=20 files were used to prepare nine root canals using the same rotary system then sterilized by autoclave for three cycles under 121°C at 15 psi for 30 minutes. Files were examined under scanning electron microscopy. On examining the AlphaKite, A1 revealed gross machining grooves on their surface with no pits, A2 showed disruption of cutting and A3 showed microcracks and deepening of the machining grooves. B1 showed a smoother surface with few machining grooves, B2 showed dulling and blunting of the cutting edges was predominant and B3 files showed plastic deformation in the form of unwinding of the flutes. The defects were less distributed along the electropolished Revo-S files than the physical vapor deposition AlphaKite

Effect of Steel Fiber on The Behavior of Deep Beams With and Without Web Opening

This study investigates experimentally the strengthening of reinforced concrete deep beams using steel fibers. The experimental work could be divided in two parts, the first part consists of casting and testing six deep beams without web opening and the second part consists of casting and testing six deep beams with web openings to show the effect of volume of steel fibers on the behavior of the deep beams with and without web opening on ultimate load, deflection, with various shear span to depth (a/d) ratios [variable of clear shear span].On the other hand, the effects of these parameters on the behavior and capability of deep beams with constant steel fiber – volume fraction are obtained by using three groups of beams having steel fiber– volume fractions of 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and studying the effect of the presence of steel fibers in deep beams with web openings. The results obtained from the experimental work [solid deep beams and deep beams with web openings], demonstrate that when the steel fiber volume- fraction is increased, the ultimate loads are also increased. The effect of steel fibers increases as the (a/d) ratio is decreased. In addition, the experimental work on deep beams without web opening showed that when the steel fiber volume-fraction is kept constant, the ultimate loads are increased as the (a/d) ratio is decreased. On the other hand, the percentages of increase in ultimate loads become higher as the steel fiber volumefraction is increased from 0.0% to 0.5% and 1.0%. However, the effect of decreasing the (a/d) ratio on the ultimate and cracking loads of the deep beams with web openings was not significant

Comparison Between The Efficacy of Different Medical Herbs on Cryptosporidium spp.

Objectives: The study was planned to show the effect of different medicinal plants extracts on Cryptosporidium spp. Materials and Methods: The experimental study was performed in laboratory mice to show the efficacy of different medical plants extracts (Achillea fragrantissima, Artemisea herba-alba, Cardaria draba, Mentha longifolia , Olea europea, Prosopis farcta, Punica granatum, Teucrium polium and Ziziphus spina-charisti on shedding of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts. Results: In a study on the effect of medical plant extracts on the shedding of oocysts in mice, it was found that different medical plants extracts decrease the shedding of Cryptosporidium oocysts in mice. Using 250 mg / kg B.W., route it was shown that the efficacy of Prosopis farcta (67.6 %) followed by Artemesia herba alba (57.7 %), Cardaria draba (35.9 %) and the lowest was Teucrium polium (12.7 "/o) but Mentha longifolia had no effect. It was also shown that the efficacy of medical plants extracts (500 mg / kg B.W.) was higher than (250 mg / kg B.W.) in shedding of the parasite oocysts. In a study of the effect of plant extracts on the development of oocysts of Cryptosporidium in the macrophage in Rpm medium, it was found that the efficacy of Punica granatum (75.9%) was highest, followed by Prosopis farcta (67.1%) and Artimesia herba- alba (55%). Conclusions: The medical plant extracts have an effect on Cryptosporidium spp. Infection in albino mice. The possibility of studying the therapeutic research on Cryptospridium spp. in RPM medium

Usefulness of routine pairing of anaerobic with aerobic blood culture bottles and decision making on antimicrobial therapy

ObjectivesTo evaluate the growth concordance in paired aerobic/anaerobic sets, and the impact of the anaerobic growth on patients' antimicrobial management.MethodThis is a prospective multicenter study which was conducted in three hospitals, with total beds of 750 beds and 52 ICU beds. Prospectively, laboratory blood cultures logbooks were daily reviewed and patients from whom blood cultures were ordered were followed, their chart were reviewed. Entries on antimicrobial therapeutic changes were noted for all paired sets. Clinicians were blinded to the study, though they were informed about culture results via the usual work protocol in each hospital.ResultsCollected Blood culture sets totaled 2492; 172 single sets were excluded, and 1160 paired sets were analyzed. 1046 were concordant; 79 sets had bacterial growth and 967 sets had no bacterial growth. 114 sets were discordant; 97 in aerobic bottles, 13 in anaerobic, and 4 in both.The proportion of agreement for the concordant paired growth sets was 90.2%.  The composite proportion of agreement for sets with any growth (N = 193, composite proportion of agreement = 56%, 95% C.I., 34% - 48%). Cohen kappa composite agreement, measured for the total analyzed paired-sets (N = 1160, K = .52, SE = .038. 95% C.I., .447 - .595). The odds of modifying antimicrobial regimen were for total and subgroups intent to treat odds, based on paired sets showed that one modification took place in one anaerobic growth set (N = 1160, Odds = 0.0008), the odds for all sets with any growth (N = 193, odds = .005), and based on any anaerobic sets (79 concordant, 13 anaerobic, and 4 discordant) with bacterial growth (N = 96: odds = 0.010).ConclusionThe study demonstrates that the proportion of agreement among paired sets were high, and needless to include anaerobic sets in routine blood culture collection. Also the decision-making of anti-infective treatment on patients based on anaerobic blood culture growth was not evident

Functionalized poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based microgels in tumor targeting and drug delivery

Over the past several decades, the development of engineered small particles as targeted and drug delivery systems (TDDS) has received great attention thanks to the possibility to overcome the limitations of classical cancer chemotherapy, including targeting incapability, nonspecific action and, consequently, systemic toxicity. Thus, this research aims at using a novel design of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) p(NIPAM)-based microgels to specifically target cancer cells and avoid the healthy ones, which is expected to decrease or eliminate the side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. Smart NIPAM-based microgels were functionalized with acrylic acid and coupled to folic acid (FA), targeting the folate receptors overexpressed by cancer cells and to the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (Dox). The successful conjugation of FA and Dox was demonstrated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV-VIS analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Furthermore, viability assay performed on cancer and healthy breast cells, suggested the microgels’ biocompatibility and the cytotoxic effect of the conjugated drug. On the other hand, the specific tumor targeting of synthetized microgels was demonstrated by a co-cultured (healthy and cancer cells) assay monitored using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Results suggest successful targeting of cancer cells and drug release. These data support the use of pNIPAM-based microgels as good candidates as TDDS

Transformers Improvement and Environment Conservation by Using Synthetic Esters in Egypt

Distribution transformer (DT) is a crucial component in power systems as it exchanges energies between different voltage levels or between utility grid and DC microgrids. Nevertheless, the operation of an oil-immersed DT is limited by the thermal and electrical capabilities of the internal insulating liquid. This paper aims to raise the efficiency of distribution transformers and preserve the environment by using a biodegradable insulating liquid instead of the conventional mineral insulating oil (MIO). This work examines the Egyptian case, where a real distribution network located in middle Egypt is selected as a pilot project. Study and analysis of the status que of the insulation system inside DTs are done with the aid of fault-tree analysis. The deficiency of the insulation system is confirmed by conducting an electronic survey of 100 expert participants. The most appropriate solution among three different alternatives is confirmed using the weighting and ranking method. The best choice suitable for the selected area is the substitution of MIO by synthetic ester (SE). The technical and environmental advantages achieved by the presented solution are discussed. The feasibility studies have proven that the solution is positively acceptable in all aspects. An execution plan is established for the application of proposed solution on the selected Egyptian distribution network.Science Foundation IrelandUCD Energy Institut

Breast-cancer detection using blood-based infrared molecular fingerprints

BACKGROUND Breast cancer screening is currently predominantly based on mammography, tainted with the occurrence of both false positivity and false negativity, urging for innovative strategies, as effective detection of early-stage breast cancer bears the potential to reduce mortality. Here we report the results of a prospective pilot study on breast cancer detection using blood plasma analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy - a rapid, cost-effective technique with minimal sample volume requirements and potential to aid biomedical diagnostics. FTIR has the capacity to probe health phenotypes via the investigation of the full repertoire of molecular species within a sample at once, within a single measurement in a high-throughput manner. In this study, we take advantage of cross-molecular fingerprinting to probe for breast cancer detection. METHODS We compare two groups: 26 patients diagnosed with breast cancer to a same-sized group of age-matched healthy, asymptomatic female participants. Training with support-vector machines (SVM), we derive classification models that we test in a repeated 10-fold cross-validation over 10 times. In addition, we investigate spectral information responsible for BC identification using statistical significance testing. RESULTS Our models to detect breast cancer achieve an average overall performance of 0.79 in terms of area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC). In addition, we uncover a relationship between the effect size of the measured infrared fingerprints and the tumor progression. CONCLUSION This pilot study provides the foundation for further extending and evaluating blood-based infrared probing approach as a possible cross-molecular fingerprinting modality to tackle breast cancer detection and thus possibly contribute to the future of cancer screening

Splitting Arabic Texts into Elementary Discourse Units

International audienceIn this article, we propose the first work that investigates the feasibility of Arabic discourse segmentation into elementary discourse units within the segmented discourse representation theory framework. We first describe our annotation scheme that defines a set of principles to guide the segmentation process. Two corpora have been annotated according to this scheme: elementary school textbooks and newspaper documents extracted from the syntactically annotated Arabic Treebank. Then, we propose a multiclass supervised learning approach that predicts nested units. Our approach uses a combination of punctuation, morphological, lexical, and shallow syntactic features. We investigate how each feature contributes to the learning process. We show that an extensive morphological analysis is crucial to achieve good results in both corpora. In addition, we show that adding chunks does not boost the performance of our system

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in dromedary camels: An outbreak investigation

Background: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes severe lower respiratory tract infection in people. Previous studies suggested dromedary camels were a reservoir for this virus. We tested for the presence of MERS-CoV in dromedary camels from a farm in Qatar linked to two human cases of the infection in October, 2013. Methods: We took nose swabs, rectal swabs, and blood samples from all camels on the Qatari farm. We tested swabs with RT-PCR, with amplification targeting the E gene (upE), nucleocapsid (N) gene, and open reading frame (ORF) 1a. PCR positive samples were tested by different MERS-CoV specific PCRs and obtained sequences were used for phylogentic analysis together with sequences from the linked human cases and other human cases. We tested serum samples from the camels for IgG immunofluorescence assay, protein microarray, and virus neutralisation assay. Findings: We obtained samples from 14 camels on Oct 17, 2013. We detected MERS-CoV in nose swabs from three camels by three independent RT-PCRs and sequencing. The nucleotide sequence of an ORF1a fragment (940 nucleotides) and a 4·2 kb concatenated fragment were very similar to the MERS-CoV from two human cases on the same farm and a MERS-CoV isolate from Hafr-Al-Batin. Eight additional camel nose swabs were positive on one or more RT-PCRs, but could not be confirmed by sequencing. All camels had MERS-CoV spike-binding antibodies that correlated well with the presence of neutralising antibodies to MERS-CoV. Interpretation: Our study provides virological confirmation of MERS-CoV in camels and suggests a recent outbreak affecting both human beings and camels. We cannot conclude whether the people on the farm were infected by the camels or vice versa, or if a third source was responsible. Funding: European Union projects EMPERIE (contract number 223498), ANTIGONE (contract number 278976), and the VIRGO consortium