Heavy metal speciation and their accumulation in sediments of Lake Burullus, Egypt

Several sediment samples in Lake Burullus have been affected by the discharges of heavy metals through different drains. The study aimed to analyze the chemical speciation of these metals. In particular, the chemical forms of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn in sediments collected in spring season were studied using a sequential chemical extraction method. In general, all the elements recorded highest concentrations in the area near the discharge point. The data indicated that, the sediments were under a wide variety of environmental conditions ranging from oxic to fully anoxic conditions. Owing a wide variety of grain sizes and organic matter, these metals showed the order of abundance: Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Cd > Pb. Significant correlations between iron with clay, organic carbon and manganese concentrations were calculated as (r=0.685, 0.581 and 0.610, P= 0.05), respectively. This gives an idea about association of iron and manganese as main compositions of clays. In the mean time, it showed insignificant relation with total carbonate and all phosphorus forms. The metal speciation characterizes the degree to which they are potentially labile or bioavailability. It gives different fraction ratios depending on binding and sediment origin.Key words: Heavy metals, chemical speciation, sediments, Burullus, Lake

Peran Koperasi Persusuan Terhadap Usaha Peternakan Sapi Perah (Studi Kasus di Desa Gunung Sari, Kecamatan Bumiaji, Kota Batu”.

Dusun Brau merupakan salah satu dusun terpencil yang terletak di wilayah Desa Gunungsari, Kecamatan Bumiaji, Kota Batu, Jawa Timur. Dusun Brau berlokasi di lereng Gunung Banyak Desa Gunung Sari, Kecamatan Bumiaji. Dusun Brau terbagi menjadi tiga wilayah, yaitu Brau Atas, Brau Tengah, dan Brau Bawah. Luas wilayah Desa Gunung Sari adalah 318,833 ha, dengan ketinggian lokasi diatas 1000 mdpl, suhu udara rata rata 18-250C, serta curah hujan rata-rata pertahun adalah 30 mm. Dusun Brau merupakan dusun yang mayoritas penduduknya peternak sapi perah dengan rata-rata jumlah sapi perah 5 ekor dengan produksi susunya yang tinggi. Serta pemberian pakan yang berkualitas bagus dengan manajemen pemeliharaan yang baik. Dusun ini terdapat 2 kelompok ternak yaitu kelompok bapak Suliyanto dibawah naungan KUD Batu dan kelompok bapak munir dibawah naungan Koperasi Margo Makmur Mandiri. Kedua kelompok itu memiliki sasaran pemasaran yang vii berbeda serta harga jual yang berbeda. Serta disetiap kelompok ternak memberikan tiap anggota fasilitas berupa pinjaman serta memberikan pelayanan kesehatan terhadap ternaknya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk Untuk mengkaji peran Koperasi Unit Desa (KUD) Batu dan Koperasi Serba Usaha (KSU) Margo Makmur Mandiri terhadap keberhasilan usaha peternakan sapi perah di Dusun Brau Kota Batu. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian survey populasi pada penelitian ini adalah anggota kelompok dari KUD Batu dan KSU Margo Makmur Mandiri di Dusun Brau Kota Batu. Teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan purposive sampling dengan jumlah sampel sebanyak 30 orang dari KUD Batu dan 30 orang dari KSU Margo Makmur Mandiri. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan kuesioner yang telah di uji validitas dan reliabilitasnya. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah analisis deskriptif yang bersifat eksploratif, korelasi, dan uji parsial t untuk mengetahui perbandingan peran dari masing – masing koperasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan pada variabel karakteristik peternak sebanyak 53,33% usia peternak KUD Batu dan KSU Margo Makmur Mandiri di Dusun Brau tergolong produktif sedang, namun tingkat pendidikan formal masih tergolong rendah karena jenjang pendidikan peternak dari KUD Batu 43,33% dan KSU Margo Makmur Mandiri 46,67% lulus SD/Sederajat, lama beternak peternak KUD Batu sebanyak 63,33% dan KSU Margo Makmur Mandiri sebanyak 46,67% tergolong sedang atau lama yaitu dengan skor 16 – 25 tahun, jumlah kepemilikan ternak pada KUD Batu sebanyak 66,67% dan KSU Margo Makmur Mandiri 73,33% serta produksi susu dari masing – masing viii koperasi KUD Batu sebesar dan KSU Margo Makmur Mandiri sebesar 46,67%. Berdasarkan hasil uji parsial t pada KUD Batu menunjukkan bahwa seluruh variabel independen memiliki pengaruh secara parsial terhadap variabel dependen, dengan demikian variabel independen penyuluhan (3,120), pelayanan kesehatan ternak (3,890), pelayanan inseminasi buatan (IB) (3,149), penyediaan kredit modal (3,411) dan penyediaan pakan ternak (3,699), berdasarkan hasil uji simultan f pada KUD Batu menunjukkan bahwa variabel independent memiliki pengaruh secara simultan terhadapat variabel dependen, dengan jumlah (28,518). Sedangkan hasil uji parsial t pada KSU Margo Makmur Mandiri menunjukkan bahwa seluruh variabel independen memiliki pengaruh parsial terhadap variabel dependen, dengan demikian variabel independen penyuluhan (3,077), pelayanan kesehatan ternak (3,656), pelayanan inseminasi buatan (IB) (3,115), penyediaan kredit modal (3,326) dan penyediaan pakan ternak (3,021), berdasarkan hasil uji simultan f pada KSU Margo Makmur Mandiri menunjukkan bahwa variabel independent memiliki pengaruh secara simultan terhadapat variabel dependen, dengan jumlah (24,914). Berdasarkan hasil kontribusi pada KUD Batu memiliki tingkat kontribusi pada penyuluhan sebesar 25,8%, pelayanan kesehatan ternak sebesar 35,1%, pelayanan inseminasi buatan (IB) sebesar 26,2%, penyediaan kredit modal sebesar 29,3%, dan penyediaan pakan ternak sebesar 32,8%, berdasarkan tingkat peran keseluruhan KUD Batu memiliki tingkat kontribusi sebesar 85,6% dalam menjalankan program peran koperasi. Sedangkan hasilkontribusi pada KSU Margo Makmur Mandiri memiliki tingkat kontribusi pada penyuluhan sebesar 25,3%, pelayanan kesehatan ternak sebesar 32,3%, pelayanan inseminasi buatan (IB) sebesar 25,7%, penyediaan kredit modal sebesar 28,3%, dan penyediaan pakan ternak sebesar 24,6%, berdasarkan tingkat peran keseluruhan KSU Margo Makmur Mandiri memiliki tingkat kontribusi sebesar 83,8% dalam menjalankan program peran koperasi

Ligand-Dependent Conformations and Dynamics of the Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor Determine Its Activation and Membrane-Driven Oligomerization Properties

From computational simulations of a serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) model complexed with pharmacologically and structurally diverse ligands we identify different conformational states and dynamics adopted by the receptor bound to the full agonist 5-HT, the partial agonist LSD, and the inverse agonist Ketanserin. The results from the unbiased all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations show that the three ligands affect differently the known GPCR activation elements including the toggle switch at W6.48, the changes in the ionic lock between E6.30 and R3.50 of the DRY motif in TM3, and the dynamics of the NPxxY motif in TM7. The computational results uncover a sequence of steps connecting these experimentally-identified elements of GPCR activation. The differences among the properties of the receptor molecule interacting with the ligands correlate with their distinct pharmacological properties. Combining these results with quantitative analysis of membrane deformation obtained with our new method (Mondal et al, Biophysical Journal 2011), we show that distinct conformational rearrangements produced by the three ligands also elicit different responses in the surrounding membrane. The differential reorganization of the receptor environment is reflected in (i)-the involvement of cholesterol in the activation of the 5-HT2AR, and (ii)-different extents and patterns of membrane deformations. These findings are discussed in the context of their likely functional consequences and a predicted mechanism of ligand-specific GPCR oligomerization

Human Cytomegalovirus IE1 Protein Elicits a Type II Interferon-Like Host Cell Response That Depends on Activated STAT1 but Not Interferon-γ

Human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) is a highly prevalent pathogen that, upon primary infection, establishes life-long persistence in all infected individuals. Acute hCMV infections cause a variety of diseases in humans with developmental or acquired immune deficits. In addition, persistent hCMV infection may contribute to various chronic disease conditions even in immunologically normal people. The pathogenesis of hCMV disease has been frequently linked to inflammatory host immune responses triggered by virus-infected cells. Moreover, hCMV infection activates numerous host genes many of which encode pro-inflammatory proteins. However, little is known about the relative contributions of individual viral gene products to these changes in cellular transcription. We systematically analyzed the effects of the hCMV 72-kDa immediate-early 1 (IE1) protein, a major transcriptional activator and antagonist of type I interferon (IFN) signaling, on the human transcriptome. Following expression under conditions closely mimicking the situation during productive infection, IE1 elicits a global type II IFN-like host cell response. This response is dominated by the selective up-regulation of immune stimulatory genes normally controlled by IFN-γ and includes the synthesis and secretion of pro-inflammatory chemokines. IE1-mediated induction of IFN-stimulated genes strictly depends on tyrosine-phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and correlates with the nuclear accumulation and sequence-specific binding of STAT1 to IFN-γ-responsive promoters. However, neither synthesis nor secretion of IFN-γ or other IFNs seems to be required for the IE1-dependent effects on cellular gene expression. Our results demonstrate that a single hCMV protein can trigger a pro-inflammatory host transcriptional response via an unexpected STAT1-dependent but IFN-independent mechanism and identify IE1 as a candidate determinant of hCMV pathogenicity

Consanguinity and reproductive health among Arabs

Consanguineous marriages have been practiced since the early existence of modern humans. Until now consanguinity is widely practiced in several global communities with variable rates depending on religion, culture, and geography. Arab populations have a long tradition of consanguinity due to socio-cultural factors. Many Arab countries display some of the highest rates of consanguineous marriages in the world, and specifically first cousin marriages which may reach 25-30% of all marriages. In some countries like Qatar, Yemen, and UAE, consanguinity rates are increasing in the current generation. Research among Arabs and worldwide has indicated that consanguinity could have an effect on some reproductive health parameters such as postnatal mortality and rates of congenital malformations. The association of consanguinity with other reproductive health parameters, such as fertility and fetal wastage, is controversial. The main impact of consanguinity, however, is an increase in the rate of homozygotes for autosomal recessive genetic disorders. Worldwide, known dominant disorders are more numerous than known recessive disorders. However, data on genetic disorders in Arab populations as extracted from the Catalogue of Transmission Genetics in Arabs (CTGA) database indicate a relative abundance of recessive disorders in the region that is clearly associated with the practice of consanguinity

Laparoscopy in management of appendicitis in high-, middle-, and low-income countries: a multicenter, prospective, cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency worldwide. Differences between high- and low-income settings in the availability of laparoscopic appendectomy, alternative management choices, and outcomes are poorly described. The aim was to identify variation in surgical management and outcomes of appendicitis within low-, middle-, and high-Human Development Index (HDI) countries worldwide. METHODS: This is a multicenter, international prospective cohort study. Consecutive sampling of patients undergoing emergency appendectomy over 6 months was conducted. Follow-up lasted 30 days. RESULTS: 4546 patients from 52 countries underwent appendectomy (2499 high-, 1540 middle-, and 507 low-HDI groups). Surgical site infection (SSI) rates were higher in low-HDI (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.33-4.99, p = 0.005) but not middle-HDI countries (OR 1.38, 95% CI 0.76-2.52, p = 0.291), compared with high-HDI countries after adjustment. A laparoscopic approach was common in high-HDI countries (1693/2499, 67.7%), but infrequent in low-HDI (41/507, 8.1%) and middle-HDI (132/1540, 8.6%) groups. After accounting for case-mix, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.42-0.71, p < 0.001) and SSIs (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.14-0.33, p < 0.001). In propensity-score matched groups within low-/middle-HDI countries, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.23 95% CI 0.11-0.44) and SSI (OR 0.21 95% CI 0.09-0.45). CONCLUSION: A laparoscopic approach is associated with better outcomes and availability appears to differ by country HDI. Despite the profound clinical, operational, and financial barriers to its widespread introduction, laparoscopy could significantly improve outcomes for patients in low-resource environments. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02179112

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe

Evaluation of appendicitis risk prediction models in adults with suspected appendicitis

Background Appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide, but its diagnosis remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine whether existing risk prediction models can reliably identify patients presenting to hospital in the UK with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain who are at low risk of appendicitis. Methods A systematic search was completed to identify all existing appendicitis risk prediction models. Models were validated using UK data from an international prospective cohort study that captured consecutive patients aged 16–45 years presenting to hospital with acute RIF in March to June 2017. The main outcome was best achievable model specificity (proportion of patients who did not have appendicitis correctly classified as low risk) whilst maintaining a failure rate below 5 per cent (proportion of patients identified as low risk who actually had appendicitis). Results Some 5345 patients across 154 UK hospitals were identified, of which two‐thirds (3613 of 5345, 67·6 per cent) were women. Women were more than twice as likely to undergo surgery with removal of a histologically normal appendix (272 of 964, 28·2 per cent) than men (120 of 993, 12·1 per cent) (relative risk 2·33, 95 per cent c.i. 1·92 to 2·84; P < 0·001). Of 15 validated risk prediction models, the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best (cut‐off score 8 or less, specificity 63·1 per cent, failure rate 3·7 per cent). The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score performed best for men (cut‐off score 2 or less, specificity 24·7 per cent, failure rate 2·4 per cent). Conclusion Women in the UK had a disproportionate risk of admission without surgical intervention and had high rates of normal appendicectomy. Risk prediction models to support shared decision‐making by identifying adults in the UK at low risk of appendicitis were identified