Metal organic frameworks with carbon black for the enhanced electrochemical detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene

The sensing of explosives such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) directly at an explosion site requires a fast, simple and sensitive detection method, to which electrochemical techniques are well suited. Herein, we report an electrochemical sensor material for TNT based on an ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) sensitized zinc-1,4–benzenedicarboxylate Zn(BDC) metal organic framework (MOF) mixed with carbon black on a glassy carbon electrode. In the solvent modulation mechanism, by merely changing the concentration of NH4OH during synthesis, two Zn(BDC) MOFs with novel morphologies were fabricated via a hydrothermal approach. The as-prepared MOFs were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-resolution field emission electron microscopy (FESEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The different morphologies of the MOFs, and their impact on the performance of the modified electrodes towards the electrochemical detection of TNT was investigated. Under optimum conditions, 0.7–Zn(BDC) demonstrated the best electrochemical response for TNT detection using square wave voltammetry (SWV) with a linear calibration response in the range of 0.3–1.0 M, a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.042 M, a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.14 M and a high rate of repeatability. Atomic-scale simulations based on density functional theory authenticated the efficient sensing properties of Zn(BDC) MOF towards TNT. Furthermore, the promising response of the sensors in real sample matrices (tap water and wastewater) was demonstrated, opening new avenues towards the real-time detection of TNT in real environmental samples

Iron Deficiency Anaemia In Reproductive Age Women Attending Obstetrics And Gynecology Outpatient Of University Health Centre In Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Background: Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder in the world. The aim of this questionnaire based survey study was to determine the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in reproductive age women, and their relation to variables such as age, marital status, education with those attending obstetrics and gynecology outpatient of King Faisal University Health Centre in Al-Ahsa in eastern region of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Materials and Methods: This study was conducted for the period of 6 month staring from September 2012 to February 2013. The questionnaire had three sections on personal information: their educational indicators, gynecological clinical history, and hematological indices.Results: The average age was 25.97±7.17 years. According to the  gynecological clinical history of the respondents, 15 (48.4%) respondents were pregnant while 16 (51.6%) were not pregnant. There was significant effect of pregnancy status on Hb level. Majority of the anemic respondents 15/17 were married. Moreover 14/17 anemic women were experiencing severe menstrual bleeding, 11/17 respondents were pregnant. 54.8% of respondents were hemoglobin deficient while 77.4% were found to have low Hct. In 87.1 % of the respondents, transferrin saturation was found to be abnormal.Conclusion: In this study iron deficiency anemia is quite prevalent in the university community especially among pregnant women. The fetus’s and newborn infant’s iron status depends on the iron status of the pregnant woman and therefore, iron deficiency in the mother-to-be means that growing fetus probably will be iron deficient as well. Thus iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy in well-educated set up needs more attention by the concerned authorities.Keywords: Iron deficiency Anemia (IDA), Hemoglobin, Female, Reproductive Age

Prognostic significance of TRAIL death receptors in Middle Eastern colorectal carcinomas and their correlation to oncogenic KRAS alterations

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the tumour necrosis factor cytokine family that induces apoptosis upon binding to its death domain containing receptors, TRAIL receptor 1 (DR4) and TRAIL receptor 2 (DR5). Expression of TRAIL receptors is higher in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) as compared to normal colorectal mucosa and targeted therapy with TRAIL leads to preferential killing of tumor cells sparing normal cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We investigated the expression of TRAIL and its receptors in a tissue microarray cohort of 448 Middle Eastern CRC. We also studied the correlation between TRAIL receptors and various clinico-pathological features including key molecular alterations and overall survival.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>CRC subset with TRAIL-R1 expression was associated with a less aggressive phenotype characterized by early stage (p = 0.0251) and a histology subtype of adenocarcinomas (p = 0.0355). Similarly CRC subset with TRAIL-R2 expression was associated with a well-differentiated tumors (p < 0.0001), histology subtype of adenocarcinomas (p = 0.0010) and tumors in left colon (p = 0.0009). Over expression of pro apoptotic markers: p27^KIP1and KRAS4A isoforms was significantly higher in CRC subset with TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 expression; TRAIL-R1 expression was also associated with cleaved caspase-3(p = 0.0011). Interestingly, TRAIL-R2 expression was associated with a microsatellite stable (MS--S/L) phenotype (p = 0.0003) and with absence of KRAS mutations (p = 0.0481).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>TRAIL-R1 expression was an independent prognostic marker for better survival in all CRC samples and even in the CRC group that received adjuvant therapy. The biological effects of TRAIL in CRC models, its enhancement of chemosensitivity towards standard chemotherapeutic agents and the effect of endogenous TRAIL receptor levels on survival make TRAIL an extremely attractive therapeutic target.</p

The Potential Role of Renin Angiotensin System (RAS) and Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP-4) in COVID-19: Navigating the Uncharted

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) led to infected pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute kidney injury (AKI). The entry-point receptor for COVID-19 is angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) at lung, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) is a receptor for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). There is 80% similarity between MERS-CoV and COVID-19. This study was planned to review the potential link between the incidence and severity of COVID-19 regarding the modulation of DPP-4 and ACE2 by DPP-4 and renin angiotensin system (RAS). In COVID-19, SARS-CoV2 binds ACE2 which is highly expressed by the epithelial cells of the blood vessel, intestine, and lung. However, pulmonary ACE2 seems to be a protective defense pathway during ARDS. DPP-4 is not concerned with the entry of COVID-19 but mediates the inflammatory reactions and cytokine storm that induced ARDS and AKI by COVID-19. The interaction between DPP4i and RAS inhibitors seem to augment the expression of AT2 receptor and ACE2 which are under extensive researches to find the pathophysiological pathway of COVID-19 infection. This beneficial interaction between DPP4i and RAS shed light for possible attenuation of COVID-19-induced ARDS and AKI mainly in critically ill patients with systemic hypertension

Resveratrol Suppresses Constitutive Activation of AKT via Generation of ROS and Induces Apoptosis in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma Cell Lines

BACKGROUND: We have recently shown that deregulation PI3-kinase/AKT survival pathway plays an important role in pathogenesis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). In an attempt to identify newer therapeutic agents, we investigated the role of Resveratrol (trans-3,4', 5-trihydroxystilbene), a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound on a panel of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cells in causing inhibition of cell viability and inducing apoptosis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated the action of Resveratrol on DLBCL cells and found that Resveratrol inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis by inhibition of constitutively activated AKT and its downstream targets via generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Simultaneously, Resveratrol treatment of DLBCL cell lines also caused ROS dependent upregulation of DR5; and interestingly, co-treatment of DLBCL with sub-toxic doses of TRAIL and Resveratrol synergistically induced apoptosis via utilizing DR5, on the other hand, gene silencing of DR5 abolished this effect. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Altogether, these data suggest that Resveratrol acts as a suppressor of AKT/PKB pathway leading to apoptosis via generation of ROS and at the same time primes DLBCL cells via up-regulation of DR5 to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. These data raise the possibility that Resveratrol may have a future therapeutic role in DLBCL and possibly other malignancies with constitutive activation of the AKT/PKB pathway

Pomegranate peels waste hydrolyzate optimization by response surface methodology for bioethanol production

Unwanted agricultural waste is largely comprised of lignocellulosic substrate which could be transformed into sugars. The production of bioethanol from garbage manifested an agreeable proposal towards waste management as well as energy causation. The goal of this work is to optimize parameters for generation of bioethanol through fermentation by different yeast strains while Saccharomyces cerevisiae used as standard strain. The low cost fermentable sugars from pomegranate peels waste (PPW) were obtained by hydrolysis with HNO3 (1 to 5%). The optimum levels of hydrolysis time and temperature were elucidated via RSM (CCD) ranging from 30 to 60 min and 50 to 100 °C respectively. The result shows that optimum values (g/L) for reducing sugars was 61.45 ± 0.01 while for total carbohydrates was 236 ± 0.01. These values were found when PPW was hydrolyzed with 3% HNO3, at 75 °C for one hour. The hydrolyzates obtained from the dilute HNO3 pretreated PPW yielded a maximum of 0.43 ± 0.04, 0.41 ± 0.03 g ethanol per g of reducing sugars by both Metchnikowia sp. Y31 and M. cibodasensis Y34 at day 7 of ethanologenic experiment. The current study exhibited that by fermentation of dilute HNO3 hydrolyzates of PPW could develop copious amount of ethanol by optimized conditions

Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 provides a rules-based synthesis of the available evidence on levels and trends in health outcomes, a diverse set of risk factors, and health system responses. GBD 2019 covered 204 countries and territories, as well as first administrative level disaggregations for 22 countries, from 1990 to 2019. Because GBD is highly standardised and comprehensive, spanning both fatal and non-fatal outcomes, and uses a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of hierarchical disease and injury causes, the study provides a powerful basis for detailed and broad insights on global health trends and emerging challenges. GBD 2019 incorporates data from 281 586 sources and provides more than 3.5 billion estimates of health outcome and health system measures of interest for global, national, and subnational policy dialogue. All GBD estimates are publicly available and adhere to the Guidelines on Accurate and Transparent Health Estimate Reporting. From this vast amount of information, five key insights that are important for health, social, and economic development strategies have been distilled. These insights are subject to the many limitations outlined in each of the component GBD capstone papers.Peer reviewe