The role of inflammatory biomarkers in the arterial hypertension

Studies on both humans and animals have found evidence of a link between inflammation and hypertension (HTN). A lower serum calprotectin level was found to be independently related to HTN. The elevated ferritin–HTN link could be mediated by fatty liver disease and insulin resistance (IR). Similarly, fibrinogen was engaged in several processes that may increase the risk of HTN which including hemostasis, coagulation, and the proliferation of smooth muscle cells in the artery wall, and others. Procalcitonin monitoring could be a useful biomarker in inflammation related to atherosclerosis and early-stage HTN. Plasminogen activator 1 (PAI-1) was not just a result of HTN but also contributes to its development. Also, the positive correlation between monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) levels with blood pressure were found among smokers. The high level of pentraxin 3 (PTX3) was one of the factors of increased blood pressure. Galectin 3 (Gal-3) may contribute to the onset and progression of diastolic dysfunction-complicated HTN. Increased intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM)/vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) ligand expression, along with a drop in soluble cell adhesion molecules (sCAMs) and endocan, points to endothelium deactivation with lower blood pressure, which reduces the adherence of circulatory leukocytes to endothelium and, as a result, lowers the probability of atherosclerosis developing. The circulating levels of soluble VCAM-1 were substantially connected with left ventricular mass indexes (LVMIs) and were higher in uncomplicated essential hypertension (EH) patients with left ventricle (LV) hypertrophy than in those without LV hypertrophy.

An Evaluation of Interchangeability of Implant Components Among Dentists

With the advent of implants in dentistry several different systems are successfully launched and there is evidence that a few of the systems are interchangeable. The equivalence provided by the Branemark implant system and the tolerance of the design parameters has allowed several recently commercialized dental implant systems, the provision of interchangeability. On one hand, abutment interchangeability allows a flexible working resource when implant fixtures of other systems are to be restored. However, the extent to which such a practice can be adopted should be a subject of critical analysis. It has been shown that a micro-gap at the implant-abutment interface can potentially act as a gateway for bacteria to colonize the interstice, potentially leading to bone loss around the implant. In order to further investigate this, a question was distributed to the teaching hospitals in Islamabad to be filled out by dentists and surgeons who are currently placing implants. The data was gathered and results were accumulated. This study takes a look at the prevalence of implant interchangeability amongst dentists and the factors that lead to it

The Smart Future; Innovations in Materials

With the advent and innovation in the fields of nanotechnology and biomedicine new and promising frontiers are being introduced regularly, these aim for improved efficiency and reliability by inculcating the use of smart materials and structures. Biomedical applications of smart materials include their use in tissue engineering, cell culture, biomimetic actuators etc. Smart materials have revolutionized many areas of dentistry including orthodontic wires, coils and springs. Cercon smart ceramics, Resin modified glass ionomer cements (RMGIC), Smart composites. These offer natural esthetics coupled with excellent durability and biocompatibility. These innovations in material science have already marked the beginning of the smart future of dentistry. This review provides a selective summary of smart materials in dentistry

Efficacy of mannan-oligosaccharide and live yeast feed additives on performance, rumen morphology, serum biochemical parameters and muscle morphometric characteristics in buffalo calves

The objective of the current study was to assess the effect of dietary supplementations of mannan-oligosaccharide, live yeast, and a combination of these two additives on growth performance, histo-morphology of the rumen, and muscle morphometric attributes in buffalo calves. A total of twenty buffalo calves (average weight of 25 kg) having 3 months of age were distributed according to a complete randomized design. All animals were individually stalled in the shed and were fed ad-libitum. Experimental animals were divided into four groups for 67 days: Control group(without the inclusion of dietary supplementation); MOS group (Mannan oligosaccharide 5 g/clave/day; Yeast group (Live yeast 2g/calve/day) and Mixed group (MOS + Live Yeast 2.5g + 1g )/calve/day. Experimental results revealed that combined supplementation of MOS and Yeast and MOS alone resulted in an increased number of short-chain fatty acids in the rumen as well as ruminal pH (P<0.05). Results showed a significant improvement in average daily gain and FCR of MOS and Mixed supplemented groups (P<0.05). Histomorphological evaluation of rumen mucosal epithelium showed a significant improvement in the mixed-supplemented group (P<0.05) as compared to the yeast-supplemented and control groups. Muscle quality parameters such as meat texture showed significant improvement in MOS and mix-supplemented groups. Histological examination of longissimus dorsi muscle cross-section showed a significantly higher(P<0.05) muscle fiber and muscle fascicle diameter in both MOS and mix-supplemented calves groups. In conclusion, the results of this experiment revealed that the dietary addition of MOS, Live yeast, and their combination have positive effects on growth performance, rumen histology indices, and muscle morphometric features in buffalo calves.Comment: Pages 13, 4 figure

Morphological Identification and Resistance Profile of Antibiotic and Heavy Metals-Resistant Bacteria in Hospital Sewage of Peshawar

Background: Increased resistance of microorganisms to commonly prescribed antibiotics has emerged as a significant hurdle in contemporary medical practice. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared antibiotic resistance as a " major threat to public health.". In the present study, bacterial isolates were selected based on high antibiotic and heavy metal tolerance from a water sample taken from hospital sewage.Methods: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were isolated through the disk diffusion method. Gram staining was done for morphological identification. For molecular identification, the 16s rDNA PCR amplification was done with universal primers. Results: The strain BC1 was found resistant to ampicillin (10μg/ml), and cefixime (5μg/ml). While, susceptible to kanamycin (30μg/ml), azithromycin (15μg/ml) and intermediate in response to amoxicillin (30μg/ml). The strain BC2 was resistant to ampicillin (10μg/ml), cefixime (5μg/ml) and kanamycin (30μg/ml). While, Susceptible to amoxicillin (30μg/ml), and intermediate in response to azithromycin (15μg/ml). The strains were also found resistant to heavy metals.Conclusion: The recent investigation on bacterial strains from hospital effluent found interesting candidates for understanding the AMR bacteria and developing novel active biomolecules to combat the antibiotics problem. The isolated strains could be a source of novel resistant genes however; a comprehensive molecular analysis is needed for advanced studies

Effects of Fertilizers on Copper and Nickel Accumulation and Human Health Risk Assessment of Vegetables and Food Crops

Despite the fact that fertilizers have been used for millennia for sustainable crop production, this high and considerable dependence on fertilizers heightens environmental concerns with the indirect human exposure due to accumulation of toxins in food chain via soil contamination. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the application of fertilizers to the soil and their effect on the accumulation of copper and nickel in spinach (Spinacia oleracea), garlic (Allium sativum), wheat (Triticum aestivum), maize (Zea mays), and barley (Hordeum vulgare); as well as potential health concerns associated with consuming vegetables cultivated on this contaminated land. Samples of available soil, food crops, and human blood were collected from three different Tehsils: Bhalwal, Sahiwal, and Silanwali and were regarded as site 1, site 2 and site 3 respectively. Urea, farmyard manure, and potassium chloride were delivered to Site 1; urea phosphate, manure, and ammonium sulphate were delivered to Site 2; and superphosphate, ammonium phosphate, and nitrate phosphate were delivered to Site 3. Data was subjected to statistical analysis for computing out ANOVA and correlation. Analysis revealed that minimum copper concentration was found in the soil of T. aestivum grown at Site-1 while the inhabitants of Site 3 had the highest concentration of Cu in their blood. The highest level of HIR was found in the human beings that ate the S. oleracea grown at Site 3. It is strongly advised that fertilizers be used sparingly, as their excessive use can cause human health risks

Publication dynamics: What can be done to eliminate barriers to publishing full manuscripts by the postgraduate trainees of a low-middle income country?

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the publication rate of free paper abstracts presented by the postgraduate (PG) trainees and determine the reasons for non-publication. A mixed methods study was conducted. PG trainees presenting free papers at the at the Pakistan Society of Chemical Pathologist conferences from 2012 to 2018 were included. Three databases were searched to identify if the abstracts were published or not. The PG trainee authors of abstracts not published as full manuscript, were surveyed to determine the barriers and challenges in publishing a manuscript.Results: The average rate of full manuscript publication was 51.8% (n = 93/177) for the abstracts presented by the PG trainees. Publication rate was higher for oral (n = 73/119, 61.3%) compared to poster presentation (n = 20/58, 34.5%). Most of the manuscripts were published after two years of abstract presentation. The survey showed that the main challenges to publishing an abstract were lack of time, limited scientific writing or submission skills, lack of funding for publication fee, and negative or statistically non-significant results. This reflects a need to arrange workshops/symposia for the PG trainees of low-middle income country (LMIC) to enhance their writing and time management skills and improve the full manuscript publication rate from LMICs

Evaluation of Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn Concentrations in Water, Soil, and Fruit Samples in Sargodha District, Pakistan

This study aimed to assess the concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in the edible parts of grapefruit and kinnow fruit irrigated with sewage water (SW), tube-well water (TW), and canal water (CW). Preparation of the samples used in the study for metal analysis was carried out via the wet acid digestion method. Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was used for metal determination. According to the results, Cu concentration ranged from 0.152 to 0.754 mg/L in water, 5.254 to 41.659 mg/kg in soil, and 0.128 to 0.864 mg/kg in fruit samples. Zn concentration varied from 0.574 to 2.723 mg/L in water, 17.812 to 112.954 mg/kg in soil, and 2.658 to 42.642 mg/kg in fruit samples. Fe concentration ranged from 0.254 to 1.245 mg/L in water, 10.635 to 48.638 mg/kg in soil, and 1.062 to 7.584 mg/kg in fruit samples. Mn concentration ranged from 0.154 to 0.638 mg/L in water, 51.283 to 183.865 mg/kg in soil, and 0.136 to 1.464 mg/kg in fruit samples. The Pollution Load Index (PLI) indicated that Cu and Mn exceeded a PLI value of one, and Zn had a PLI > 1 only in sewage water-irrigated sites. Bioconcentration Factor (BCF), Enrichment Factor (EF), Daily Intake of Metal (DIM), and Health Risk Index (HRI) values for all metals were within permissible limits, indicating no immediate health risks associated with consuming these fruits