Sensitive and selective electrochemical detection of bisphenol A based on SBA-15 like Cu-PMO modified glassy carbon electrode

This work reports the electrochemical detection of bisphenol A (BPA) using a novel and sensitive electrochemical sensor based on the Cu functionalized SBA-15 like periodic mesoporous organosilica-ionic liquid composite modified glassy carbon electrode (Cu@TU-PMO/IL/GCE). The structural morphology of Cu@TU-PMO is characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). The catalytic activity of the modified electrode toward oxidation of BPA was interrogated with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0) using the fabricated sensor. The electrochemical detection of the analyte was carried out at a neutral pH and the scan rate studies revealed that the sensor was stable. Under the optimal conditions, a linear range from 5.0 nM to 2.0 mu M and 4.0 to 500 mu M for detecting BPA was observed with a detection limit of 1.5 nM (S/N = 3). The sensor was applied to detect BPA in tap and seawater samples, and the accuracy of the results was validated by high-performance l

Efficacy of 25% Glucose in Pain Alleviation During Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) Screening: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) remains a painful examination, despite the common application of local anesthetic eye drops. This study aimed at examining the analgesic effects of 25% glucose in a premature infant pain profile (PIPP) in the first eye examination of infants with ROP. This three-group, randomized clinical trial was conducted from March to February 2017. One oral dose of 25% glucose solution (1 cc/kg) was administered one minute before the first examination of ROP. Mydriatic and anesthetic eye drops were locally instilled in the eyes before the examination for each group. Then, comparisons were made with the control group, which did not receive oral glucose (B), as well as the group which received 1 ml/kg of distilled water (C). The main investigator, who was blinded to the groups, evaluated pain using PIPP at one minute before, during, and one and five minutes after the procedure (ethics code: IR.TUMS.MEDICINE.REC.1396.3130). The baseline characteristics were comparable between the groups. During the procedure, the group receiving oral 20% glucose showed significantly lower PIPP scores (13.8±1.39) compared to the other groups (group B: 15.95±1.27 and group C: 15.10±1.19) (P=0.001). The positive effects persisted for five minutes in this group after the procedure (7.6±1.26), compared to the other groups (P=0.034). During and after ROP screening, oral 25% glucose in combination with local anesthetic eye drops can cause a significant reduction in pain

The Epidemiology of Tuberculosis in Tabriz, Iran: A Five Year Retrospective Study

Background: Tuberculosis is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Approximately 10-20% of tuberculosis is Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB), which is much higher (50%) in patients suffering from immunity defects such as AIDS. EPTB diagnosis is difficult mostly because of various clinical manifestations and aggressive procedures needed for its diagnosis. The main goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of EPTB in the north west of Iran and also to investigate the different clinical characteristics of the studied population, the various clinical manifestations and organ involvement of EPTB, as well.Methods: This study was carried out retrospectively using the data from Tabriz Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Research Center from 2007 through 2011. Questionnaires were designed to extract relevant information to describe characteristics of EPTB affected population and also various clinical manifestations and organ involvement of the disease among the patients.Results: The study included 203 EPTB cases notified from 2007 through 2011 including, 91 (44.83%) males and 112 (55.17%) females. The mean age of the patients was 46.55 ± 18.3. The main extra pulmonary involvements of the studied population were lymphadenitis (9.35%), pleural (7.39%) and spinal (5.42%) among males and lymphadenitis (17.24%), ocular (7.88%), pleural (6.40%) and spinal (5.91%) among females, respectively.Conclusion: Since EPTB diagnosis is a challenging and time sparing attempt even by the expert physicians, there is a need to perform further researches in order to identify the main clinical manifestations and organ involvement of EPTB in patients