Purification and properties of a new dehalogenase enzyme from Pseudomonas sp. B6P grow in 3- chloropropionate (3CP)

Halogenated compounds are widely used in agriculture and industries and have been associated with environmental pollution. Degradation of 3-chloropropionate (3CP) by microorganism has been established and this enzyme could only remove halogen atom at the â- position of 3-carbon alkanoic acids. Pseudomonas sp. B6P was originally isolated from paddy field which was able to degrade 3CP therefore, suggesting it may have some desirable properties. The enzyme was purified from cell-free extracts having a monomer of 56,000 Da. It was found to be stable between pH 5 to 8 and its optimal pH was 8. Its activity was not affected by metal ions such as Mn2+, Fe3+ and Mg2+, but was inhibited by Hg2+ and Ag2+. The enzyme is specific for 3CP, and the Km value (0.20 mM ± 0.05).Key words: Biodegradation, 3-chloropropionic acid, dehalogenase,  bioremediation, haloalkanoic acid, Pseudomonas sp.B6P

Impact of truncation error and numerical scheme on the simulation of the early time growth of viscous fingering

The truncation error associated with different numerical schemes (first order finite volume, second order finite difference, control volume finite element) and meshes (fixed Cartesian, fixed structured triangular, fixed unstructured triangular and dynamically adapting unstructured triangular) is quantified in terms of apparent longitudinal and transverse diffusivity in tracer displacements and in terms of the early time growth rate of immiscible viscous fingers. The change in apparent numerical longitudinal diffusivity with element size agrees well with the predictions of Taylor series analysis of truncation error but the apparent, numerical transverse diffusivity is much lower than the longitudinal diffusivity in all cases. Truncation error reduces the growth rate of immiscible viscous fingers for wavenumbers greater than 1 in all cases but does not affect the growth rate of higher wavenumber fingers as much as would be seen if capillary pressure were present. The dynamically adapting mesh in the control volume finite element model gave similar levels of truncation error to much more computationally intensive fine resolution fixed meshes, confirming that these approaches have the potential to significantly reduce the computational effort required to model viscous fingering

Targeted Therapy for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

In the past 10 years, recent development of targeted therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) has provided a new hope and significantly enhanced the prognosis of the disease. Three class of targeted therapy were developed, including multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex-1 kinase inhibitors, and the humanized antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monoclonal antibody. Hence, the objective of this article was to critically examine the current evidence of targeted therapy treatment for patients with mRCC. In the majority of trials evaluating targeted therapy, patients were stratified according to Memorial Sloan Kattering Cancer Center (MSKCC) risk model and the recommendation of targeted treatment based on risk features. In first-line setting (no previous treatment), sunitinib, pazopanib, or bevacizumab plus IFN-α were recommended as treatment options for patient with favorable- or intermediate- risk features and clear cell histology. Patients who progressed after previous cytokine therapy would have sorafenib or axitinib as treatment options. Clear-cell mRCC with favorable- or intermediate- risk features and failure with first-line TKI therapy might be treated with sorafenib, everolimus, temsirolimus or axitinib. However, the current evidence did not show the best treatment sequencing after first-line TKI failure. In patients with poor-risk clear-cell and non-clear cell mRCC, temsirolimus was the treatment option supported by phase III clinical trial. In addition, several new drugs, nowadays, are still being investigated and waiting for the result of phase II or III clinical trial, and this might change the standard therapy for mRCC in the future

Analytical solution of polymer slug injection with viscous fingering

We present an analytical solution to estimate the minimum polymer slug size needed to ensure that viscous fingering of chase water does not cause its breakdown during secondary oil recovery. Polymer flooding is typically used to improve oil recovery from more viscous oil reservoirs. The polymer is injected as a slug followed by chase water to reduce costs; however, the water is less viscous than the oil. This can result in miscible viscous fingering of the water into the polymer, breaking down the slug and reducing recovery. The solution assumes that the average effect of fingering can be represented by the empirical Todd and Longstaff model. The analytical calculation of minimum slug size is compared against numerical solutions using the Todd and Longstaff model as well as high resolution first contact miscible simulation of the fingering. The ability to rapidly determine the minimum polymer slug size is potentially very useful during enhanced oil recovery (EOR) screening studies

The Risk Factors of Prostate Cancer and Its Prevention: A Literature Review

This is a literature review study. Data was obtained from several literature reviews and journal resources that have correlation with the risk factors involved in PCa including age, ethnicity, family history, insulin-Like growth factor, sexually transmitted disease, obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, vasectomy, and diet, and the prevention of PCa including soy, lycopene, green tea, supplementation, and exercise.Numerous epidemiologic studies have linked PCa risk to various factors, i.e. age, ethnicity, family history, insulin like-growth factors, lifestyle, diet, environmental and occupational exposures. The results of epidemiological, In vivo, in vitro, and early clinical studies suggested that selected dietary products and supplementation may play a role in PCa prevention. More studies are still needed to explore and find the risk factors and preventive methods of PCa development. It is important for clinician to ellaborate these informations for education to lower PCa risks and prevent PCa

Prevalence of Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamases (ESBL) Producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Tuberculosis Patients in Kano, Nigeria

Resistance to broad spectrum β lactams, mediated by extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESβL) is an increasing problem worldwide. Production of these enzymes in clinical infections can result in treatment failure if one of the second or third generation cephalosporins is used. This study investigates the incidence of ESBL among E. coli and K. pneumoniae which were isolated from tuberculosis patients with secondary opportunistic bacterial infection attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano and Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Kano. A total of 37 E. coli and 33 K. pneumoniae obtained from their sputum were screened for ESBL production by Double disk synergy test method (DDST). Prevalence of 37.3% (14/37) and 36.4% (12/33) was recorded for Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae respectively. Furthermore, a slight high prevalence of 39.4% (13/33) was recorded with the female tuberculosis patients when compared with their male counterpart 35.1% (13/37). Escherichia coli harboring ESBL were more encountered among the elderly patients aged 31-50 (13/51 or 25.5%) when compared with K. pneumoniae with (9/51 or 17.6%). The study shows alarming rise in ESBL production among Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli among immunocompromised patients raising fear of possible emergence of multiple drug resistant bacteria that will be hard to treat. Thereby early detection of ESBL in these patients is recommended to curb the spread. Keywords: Extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBLs), Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Tuberculosis

Evaluation of early changes of cartilage biomarkers following arthroscopic meniscectomy in young Egyptian adults

Background: The metabolic imbalance in the articular cartilage following meniscectomy includes an increase in cartilage degradation with an insufficient reparative or anabolic response resulting in structural, biochemical and mechanical changes that can progress from pre-clinical, to pre-radiographic, to radiographic damage of the joint.Purpose: To evaluate combinations of imaging and biochemical biomarkers for cartilage breakdown, synthesis and quantity in the early period of post-arthroscopic meniscectomy.Subjects and methods: Twenty young adults (three of them were females) who underwent unilateral arthroscopic partial meniscectomy were evaluated. The patients had a mean age of 32.5 years (range, 24–39), mean BMI of 28.5 kg/m2 (range, 24–34). Preoperative and six months postoperative US and MRI-based  markers (cartilage thickness and volume, respectively) were quantified for media  and lateral tibio-femoral compartments for both knees. Preoperative, three and six months postoperative biochemical markers serum assays were measured; COMP and Col II (cartilage matrix breakdown) and PIICP (cartilage synthesis). These three markers were measured in an age, sex and BMI matched twenty healthy subjects for comparison.Results: The meniscectomized knees had significantly lower total knee cartilage volume, P < 0.05 but non-significant mean thickness than the intact contralateral knees. Among the individual biochemical markers, PIICP had the highest significant diagnostic accuracy quantified as the area under the receiver-operator  characteristics curve (AUC) of 0.75 (95% confidence interval: 0.509– 0.912) higher than all others, P < 0.05 to distinguish subjects with progressive cartilage loss from non-progressors. Diagnostically, ratio of COMP and Col II to PIICP scored AUC of 0.90 (0.69– 0.98, higher than PIICP: P = 0.0001). For prediction of cartilage loss, none of the individual markers could be used.Conclusion: Cartilage volume loss by MRI combined with changes in cartilage matrix turnover detected by molecular biomarkers may reflect the initial changes associated with cartilage degeneration that account for early OA.

Urologic cancer in Indonesia

Non-communicable diseases, including cancer, start to become more common in Indonesia. According to the government statement, incidence of malignant diseases increased annually up to 8% in the last decade and these diseases become the seventh leading cause of death in Indonesia. On the basis of the latest Globocan report on cancer incidence in Indonesia, prostate cancer ranks sixth; followed by bladder (12th) and kidney (18th). More than half of patients with kidney cancer are diagnosed in the advanced stage. Besides renal cell carcinoma, there are significant number of people affected with squamous cell and transitional cell carcinoma because of kidney stones. Radical nephrectomy or cytoreductive nephrectomy was the primary treatment, mostly done as an open procedure. Transitional cell carcinoma is the commonest histology type in bladder cancer cases followed by squamous cell carcinoma, which almost always related to bladder stones. Unfortunately, >70% of our cases were diagnosed with muscle invasive bladder cancer, and ∼60% of these patients refused further radical treatment. Incidence of prostate cancer is increasing rapidly and it becomes the third most common cancer in men. However, most of our patients are diagnosed in the advanced stage. Radical prostatectomy or external beam radiotherapy is the treatment of choice in localized disease. Nearly 40% of the elderly patients are treated with primary androgen deprivation therapy. Therefore, it requires more research by the Indonesian urologists and other healthcare providers to diagnose these cancers in earlier stage as well as community education for prevention

Effect of magnesium sulphate added to lidocaine on inferior alveolar nerve block success in patients with symptoms of irreversible pulpitis: a prospective, randomized clinical trial

AIM: To investigate the effect of magnesium sulphate used as an adjuvant to lidocaine with epinephrine local anaesthetic on the success of inferior alveolar nerve blocks (IANB) in patients with irreversible pulpitis undergoing root canal treatment. METHODOLOGY: In a double-blind clinical trial, following power calculation, 124 patients with symptoms of irreversible pulpitis in mandibular molar teeth were selected and initial pain data was collected using a Heft-Parker (Heft & Parker 1984) visual analogue scale. The first group (control) received IANB with 1.8 mL of a local anaesthetic solution containing 1.8% lidocaine with 1:88,000 epinephrine whist the second group (test) received IANB with 1.8 mL of an anaesthetic solution containing 1% magnesium sulphate, and 1.8% lidocaine with 1:88,000 epinephrine. Pain data was collected after access cavity and penetration of files in the canals using a Heft-Parker visual analog scale. Two patients were not included in the study as they did not consent and a further 54 patients were excluded as they did not report lip numbness within 15 minutes after IANB administration, thus the data presented in this study is related to 68 patients. The data were analyzed using chi-square and t- test (α=0.05). RESULTS: The success of pulpal anaesthesia with IANB was 82% for the magnesium sulphate group and 53% for the control group. There was a significant difference in the effectiveness of the IANB between the 2 groups (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the magnesium sulphate and control groups regarding gender (P =0.598) or age (P = 0.208) or initial pain scores (P = 0.431). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of 1% magnesium sulphate to 1.8% lidocaine with 1:88,000 epinephrine resulted in a positive impact for the success of IANB in patients with a diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis related to mandibular molar teeth undergoing root canal treatment. Thus magnesium sulphate may be used as adjuvant for achieving profound pulpal anaesthesia in challenging cases. However, more studies with larger sample size and different concentration doses must be carried out to establish an appropriate conclusion before its routine clinical use

Weighted Fisher Discriminant Analysis in the Input and Feature Spaces

Fisher Discriminant Analysis (FDA) is a subspace learning method which minimizes and maximizes the intra- and inter-class scatters of data, respectively. Although, in FDA, all the pairs of classes are treated the same way, some classes are closer than the others. Weighted FDA assigns weights to the pairs of classes to address this shortcoming of FDA. In this paper, we propose a cosine-weighted FDA as well as an automatically weighted FDA in which weights are found automatically. We also propose a weighted FDA in the feature space to establish a weighted kernel FDA for both existing and newly proposed weights. Our experiments on the ORL face recognition dataset show the effectiveness of the proposed weighting schemes.Comment: Accepted (to appear) in International Conference on Image Analysis and Recognition (ICIAR) 2020, Springe