Rapidly Progressive IgA Nephropathy in One of a Pair of Identical Twins

Introduction: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common cause of primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. It was considered a benign condition for many years but long term follow up showed that it might progress to end stage renal disease (ESRD). The cause of primary IgAN is unknown and no consistent genetic abnormalities that predict the development or progression of IgAN have been identified. A variety of observations suggest an as-sociation to an unknown environmental antigen, familial clustering, or infectious agent. The patient presented here is the first report of a child with IgAN in Sudan. Case report: a seven years old boy was referred to our center for further evaluation and management of sudden onset macroscopic hematuria and renal impairment. He was born after an uneventful pregnancy and breast fed. He developed normally and was healthy before this illness. He had eight siblings who were all healthy, including his identical twin brother. Physical examination and laboratory tests led to the diagnosis of IgAN. The patient was treated with peritoneal dialysis and pulses of methylprednisolone for three consecutive days. He showed a remarkable response and regained normal renal function. He was then kept on alternate day’s steroids, ACE inhibitors, and Azathioprine. The other twin is being closely monitored. Conclusion: This report provides an indirect support for the hypothesis that environmental factors play a role in the pathogenesis of IgAN. However, follow up of the currently healthy twin is necessary, since affection with the disease may be expressed at a later time. Key words: IgA nephropathy, identical twins, macroscopic hematuri

Effects of short term feeding of some marine microalgae on the microbial profile associated with Dicentrarchus labrax post larvae

AbstractThis study investigates the microbial profile and antimicrobial activity of four marine microalgae species, Tetraselmis chuii, Nannochloropsis salina, Isochrysis galbana and Chlorella salina used in aquaculture of Dicentrarchus labrax in the post larval stage to estimate which was the best algal species that could be used as a green water technique and achieving the maximum rate of growth and survival of D. labrax post larvae. The results represented a significant increase in the length and width of D. labrax at p<0.05 recorded in the case of enrichment with I. galbana followed by N. salina, and the most weight was recorded in the case of N. salina as compared with the control. Significant increase in percentage of survival of D. labrax was recorded in the case of C. salina and T. chuii (70% and 60.1%, respectively) as compared with the control (22%). The antibacterial activity (AU) of the different microalgal ethanolic extracts against fish indicator pathogens was determined. The results indicated that the ethanolic extracts of C. salina and T. chuii have the most positive records against the fish indicator pathogens (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio damsela, Vibrio fluvialis and Aeromonas hydrophila). The current study was extended to determine the GC–MS of ethanolic extract of C. salina and T. chuii. The main constituents detected in the ethanolic extract were organic acids like hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, and an acyclic diterpene alcohol like phytol

Solar Disinfection of Drinking Water with Polyethylene Terephthalate Bottles Coated with Nano-Titanium Dioxide

Water disinfection processes in the presence of titanium dioxide as a photo-catalyst material provide an interesting route to destroy contaminants, being operational in the UV-A domain with a potential use of solar radiation. In recent years, advanced oxidation processes (AOP) have been developed to meet the increasing need of an effective wastewater treatment. AOP generates powerful oxidizing agent hydroxyl radicals which completely destroy the pollutants in waste water. Solar disinfection of drinking water with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles coated with photo-catalyst TiO2 has been shown to be very effective. The study is based on comparison between three systems for treating contaminated water samples using PET bottles. First system was a PET untreated bottle, the second system was a PET bottle coated with black paint on its outer surface. Finally the third system was a PET bottle coated also with a black coat on its outer surface and its inner part was treated with citric acid solution to enable np-TiO2 to cover the surface later on, then 0.2 g of np-TiO2 powder (of particle size &lt;25 nm, Sigma-Aldrich) was added. The total bacterial accounts were determined to monitor the effect in the three systems. The experimental results have shown that disinfecting water with merely UV was less effective than combining the bottle with heat effect, and adding TiO2 film was further more benefited. This work can be applied in rural areas, with no technical support or need for expensive/dangerous chemicals for drinking safe water even if is stored for two days

Evaluation of Side Effects of Anti-Seizure Drugs Among Sudanese Children with Epilepsy in Wad Medani Pediatric Teaching Hospital

Abstract: Background: Treatment of epilepsy with anti-seizure drugs (ASDs) for 2-5 years is important to control epileptic seizures.  Side effects of ASDs are well recognised and affect treatment outcomes if ASDs are severe. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive hospital-based study was conducted on 67 children with epilepsy on follow-up visits at a neurology referral clinic in Wad Medani Pediatric Teaching Hospital, Central Sudan, from February 2022 to July 2022.  Side effects of ASDs were measured using the Pediatric Epilepsy Side Effects Scale (PESQs).  Data were entered into the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20, and descriptive analysis was done to calculate frequencies and percentages and chi-square test for association.  The P-value of &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Gender assessment showed that 36 (53.7%) of study patients were male.  43(64.2%) of participants had low severity of side effects, 14(20.9%) had low–moderate severity, and 8(11.9%) had no side effects. Significant associations were found between age and cognitive side effects (P-value .008); epilepsy type and cognitive side effects (P-value .026); seizure frequency and behavioural side effects (P-value .018); Type of ASD and behavioural side effects (P-value .000) and; type of ASD and neurological side effects (P-value .004)

GREEN VORTEX-ASSISTED IONIC LIQUID-BASED DISPERSIVE LIQUID-LIQUID MICROEXTRACTION FOR ENRICHMENT AND DETERMINATION OF CADMIUM AND LEAD IN WATER, VEGETABLES AND TOBACCO SAMPLES

Objective: An eco-friendly, simple and sensitive vortex-assisted ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method (VA-IL-DLLµE) has been proposed to enrich and determine trace levels of cadmium (Cd2+ ) and lead (Pb2+ ) ions in water, vegetables and tobacco samples, prior to its FAAS determination. Methods: The proposed method based on utilization of ionic liquid (IL) (1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate [HMIM][FAP]) as an extraction solvent for both ions after the complexation with 4,5-dihydroxy-3-phenylazo-2,7-naphthalenedisulfonic acid, disodium salt (Chromotrope 2R) at pH 6.5. The impact of different analytical parameters on microextraction efficiency was optimized. Results: In the ranges of 1.0–300 and 2.0-400 μg/ml, the calibration graphs were linear. The limits of detection were 0.3 and 0.6 μg/ml for Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions, respectively. The preconcentration factor was 100. The relative standard deviation (RSD %)&lt;3.0%, which indicates the proposed method has high precision. Conclusion: The proposed VA-IL-DLLµE method was developed and applied for the estimation of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ion content in various water, vegetables and tobacco samples, and satisfactory results were obtained. The obtained recovery values showed good agreement with the certified values

Crocin mitigates carbon tetrachloride-induced liver toxicity in rats

AbstractObjectivesCarbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is one of the most dangerous hepatotoxic environmental pollutants thus this study aimed at investigating the potential preventive effect and mechanism of crocin against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity.MethodsForty Male rats were allocated for two weeks treatment with; corn oil, CCl4 in corn oil, crocin (100mg/kg), or crocin plus CCl4. At time of euthanasia liver was removed, weighted and processed for histopathological evaluation and estimation of liver contents of active caspase3, lipid peroxidation (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH). We also evaluated antioxidant enzymes activities [superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT)], phase I metabolizing enzyme [cytochrome P450 sub family 2E1 (CYP2E1)] an Phase II metabolizing enzyme, [glutathione-S-transferase (GST)] in liver tissue. Blood samples were used for evaluation of liver function tests and inflammatory cytokines [interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)].ResultsCCl4 induced significant (p < 0.001), increase in: relative liver weight to body weight, liver MDA content, liver active caspase-3 and plasma levels of IL-6 and TNF-α. In addition, CCl4 disturbed liver histology, liver metabolizing enzymes (CYP2E1 and GST), and liver function tests (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase). CCl4 induced significant decrease in activities of SOD, CAT, GSH-Px and GSH content. Administration of crocin with CCl4 mitigated all CCl4-disturbed parameters and preserved liver histology close to normal.ConclusionCrocin ameliorated CCl4-induced liver injury via inhibition of inflammatory cytokines, caspase3 and oxidative stress along with modulation of liver metabolizing enzymes favoring elimination of CCl4 toxic metabolite

Molecular Systematic Study Of The Genus Fagonia L. In Libya

Molecular analyses of ten Fagonia species grown widely in the Libyan Desert have been carried to investigate the taxonomic relationship between them and to evaluate the genetic distances among them. To achieve our aim RAPD technique carried out through six arbitrary primers. Comparing with ladder DNA marker, the obtained data were computerized and analyzed using SYSTAT program. The studied species are F. arabica L., F. bruguieri&nbsp;&nbsp; DC, F. cretica L., F.glutinosa Delile, F. indica Burm., F. microphylla Pomel, F. sinaica Boiss, F. schweinfurthii Hadidi, F. tenuifolia Steud. and F.thebaica Boiss. The genetic variability among the ten Fagonia species estimated using the DNA protein sequencing obtained from primer 1, indicates that F. indica and F. glutinosa are very closely related while F.cretica, F.microphylla&nbsp; and F.arabica related to each other and gathered together in another group. The dendrograms of the six primers via UPGMA method according to RAPD finger printing gave two clusters with homology percentage 9%. The first one has F.microphylla and F.schweinfurthii at 50% similarity index. The second cluster divided into two sub-clusters. The first one included three Fagonia species (F.cretica; F.indica and F.glutinosa). The second sub-cluster subdivided into two other sub-clusters. The first one contained F.arabica and F.bruguieri at 50% similarity index. The other sub-cluster gathered F.sinaica and F.thebaica and, both species in genetic relationship with F.tenuifolia.Molecular analyses of ten Fagonia species grown widely in the Libyan Desert have been carried to investigate the taxonomic relationship between them and to evaluate the genetic distances among them. To achieve our aim RAPD technique carried out through six arbitrary primers. Comparing with ladder DNA marker, the obtained data were computerized and analyzed using SYSTAT program. The studied species are F. arabica L., F. bruguieri&nbsp;&nbsp; DC, F. cretica L., F.glutinosa Delile, F. indica Burm., F. microphylla Pomel, F. sinaica Boiss, F. schweinfurthii Hadidi, F. tenuifolia Steud. and F.thebaica Boiss. The genetic variability among the ten Fagonia species estimated using the DNA protein sequencing obtained from primer 1, indicates that F. indica and F. glutinosa are very closely related while F.cretica, F.microphylla&nbsp; and F.arabica related to each other and gathered together in another group. The dendrograms of the six primers via UPGMA method according to RAPD finger printing gave two clusters with homology percentage 9%. The first one has F.microphylla and F.schweinfurthii at 50% similarity index. The second cluster divided into two sub-clusters. The first one included three Fagonia species (F.cretica; F.indica and F.glutinosa). The second sub-cluster subdivided into two other sub-clusters. The first one contained F.arabica and F.bruguieri at 50% similarity index. The other sub-cluster gathered F.sinaica and F.thebaica and, both species in genetic relationship with F.tenuifolia

Homogenization of dislocation dynamics

In this paper we consider the dynamics of dislocations with the same Burgers vector, contained in the same glide plane, and moving in a material with periodic obstacles. We study two cases: i) the particular case of parallel straight dislocations and ii) the general case of curved dislocations. In each case, we perform rigorously the homogenization of the dynamics and predict the corresponding effective macroscopic elasto-visco-plastic flow rule

Influence de l'échelle de rugosité sur le frottement dans les contacts lubrifiés

La réduction du frottement, de la consommation d'huile et la limitation des émissions de gaz à effet de serre sont les principaux objectifs de l'industrie automobile afin d'améliorer l'efficacité environnementale des moteurs de véhicules. Cette efficience énergétique passe par une fonctionnalisation de la surface de la chemise du tribosystème segment piston chemise, responsable d’environ 45% des pertes par frottement dans le moteur. La surface rodée et le segment du piston constituent donc un système tribologique qui influe sur la longévité du moteur. En général, la surface rodée est obtenue par une succession de procédé d’abrasion (rectification, rodage, polissage…) permettant de répondre aux fonctionnalités requises relatives à leur durabilité et leur fiabilité. Ces procédés utilisent des grains abrasifs de différentes tailles allant du plus grossier au plus fin générant ainsi une texture de surface multi-échelle. La texture ainsi générée affecte de manière significative la performance du triplet piston segment chemise (SPC), bien que les effets de la topographie n’est pas clairement comprise. Dans cette étude, une caractérisation avancée de la surface est utilisée pour étudier les effets d’échelle de rugosité dans les contacts lubrifiés. La topographie de surface est basée sur la décomposition de la surface en deux éléments: la rugosité superficielle (reliée au frottement et à l’usure) et les vallées (servant de réservoirs). Les résultats montrent une dépendance entre l’exposant d’Hölder et le frottement ainsi qu’une échelle critique inversant l’influence de la profondeur des vallées sur le frottement