Snakebite and its socio-economic impact on the rural population of Tamil Nadu, India

BACKGROUND: Snakebite represents a significant health issue worldwide, affecting several million people each year with as many as 95,000 deaths. India is considered to be the country most affected, but much remains unknown about snakebite incidence in this country, its socio-economic impact and how snakebite management could be improved. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a study within rural villages in Tamil Nadu, India, which combines a household survey (28,494 people) of snakebite incidence with a more detailed survey of victims in order to understand the health and socio-economic effects of the bite, the treatments obtained and their views about future improvements. Our survey suggests that snakebite incidence is higher than previously reported. 3.9% of those surveyed had suffered from snakebite and the number of deaths corresponds to 0.45% of the population. The socio-economic impact of this is very considerable in terms of the treatment costs and the long-term effects on the health and ability of survivors to work. To reduce this, the victims recommended improvements to the accessibility and affordability of antivenom treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Snakebite has a considerable and disproportionate impact on rural populations, particularly in South Asia. This study provides an incentive for researchers and the public to work together to reduce the incidence and improve the outcomes for snake bite victims and their families

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Application Of A Novel Nahs-Na2S2 Desulfurization Process

A NaHS-Na2S2 red-ox system can be applied as a novel desulfurization process that consists of two steps: (I). Hydrogen production via photooxidation of aqueous NaHS solution; (II). Sulfur precipitation and NaHS generation via H2S scrubbing using Na2S2. High H2 production rates have been demonstrated via photolysis of aqueous NaHS solutions. The H2S scrubbing results indicated that sulfur precipitation requires [H2S] greater than 5.0 vol.% to lower Na2S2 solution pH below 7.65. Therefore, an H2S concentration step is needed prior to H2S scrubbing. In addition, H2S re-circulation may be required when the pH of Na2S2 solution is below 8.5 due to reduced scrubbing efficiencies. The results indicate that this process can potentially be utilized for the removal of H2S from a diesel pre-reforming stream or from a natural gas stream

Conversion of syngas-derived C 2 + mixed oxygenates to C 3 –C 5 olefins over Zn x Zr y O z mixed oxide catalysts

International audienceIn this study we report on a ZnxZryOz mixed oxide type catalyst capable of converting a syngas-derived C2+ mixed oxygenate feedstock to isobutene-rich olefins. Aqueous model feed comprising of ethanol, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, ethyl acetate, methanol, and propanol was used as representative liquid product derived from a Rh-based mixed oxygenate synthesis catalyst. Greater than 50% carbon yield to C3–C5 mixed olefins was demonstrated when operating at 400–450 °C and 1 atm. In order to rationalize formation of the products observed feed components were individually evaluated. Major constituents of the feed mixture (ethanol, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, and ethyl acetate) were found to produce isobutene-rich olefins. C–C coupling was also demonstrated for propanol feedstock – a minor constituent of the mixed oxygenate feed – producing branched C6 olefins, revealing scalability to alcohols higher than ethanol following an analogous reaction pathway. Using ethanol and propanol feed mixtures, cross-coupling reactions produced mixtures of C4, C5, and C6 branched olefins. The presence of H2 in the feed was found to facilitate hydrogenation of the ketone intermediates, thus producing straight chain olefins as byproducts. While activity loss from coking is observed complete catalyst regeneration is achieved by employing mild oxidation. For conversion of the mixed oxygenate feed a Zr/Zn ratio of 2.5 and a reaction temperature of 450 °C provides the best balance of stability, activity, and selectivity. X-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals the presence of primarily cubic phase ZrO2 and a minor amount of the monoclinic phase, with ZnO being highly dispersed in the lattice. The presence of ZnO appears to stabilize the cubic phase resulting in less monoclinic phase as the ZnO concentration increases. Infrared spectroscopy shows the mixed oxide acid sites are characterized as primarily Lewis type acidity. The direct relationship between isobutene production and the ratio of basic/acidic sites was demonstrated. An optimized balance of active sites for isobutene production from acetone was obtained with a basic/acidic site ratio of ∼2. This technology for the conversion of aqueous mixtures of C2+ mixed oxygenates provides significant advantages over other presently studied catalysts in that its unique properties permit the utilization of a variety of feeds in a consistently selective manner

Pt-Ru-NiTiO3 Nanoparticles Dispersed on Vulcan as High Performance Electrocatalysts for the Methanol Oxidation Reaction (MOR)

We propose a high performance electrocatalyst based on Pt-Ru-NiTiO3 nanoparticles supported on Vulcan carbon (Pt-Ru-NiTiO3/C) for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in acid medium. The electrocatalyst is prepared from a two-step procedure using a wet chemical method. The morphological studies from TEM indicate that Pt-Ru-NiTiO3 nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on Vulcan carbon. The XRD shows the fcc structure of Pt nanomaterials, while the chemical composition examined using XPS indicates the presence of large fractions of Pt-0 and Ru-0 species (i.e., metallic state), OH- and O2- species are also formed on the surface of the catalyst. The Pt-Ru-NiTiO3/C electrocatalyst exhibits a higher catalytic activity compared to a PtRu/C alloy. Pt-NiTiO3/C is also more active than the alloy. Therefore, on one side, the addition of Ru enhances the MOR through the formation of oxygenated adsorbed species on Ru, which thereby promotes the oxidation of CO to CO2 at more negative potentials (i.e., the bifunctional mechanism). On the other hand, the superior electrocatalytic performance of Pt-Ru-NiTiO3/C is attributed also to the synergistic effects of NiTiO3, which promotes the reaction increasing the current density and shifting the onset potential to even more negative values, suggesting that it also participates in the bifunctional mechanism along with Ru. From the results shown here, Pt-Ru-NiTiO3/C can be a promising anode nanomaterial for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs)

SKping cell cycle regulation: role of ubiquitin ligase SKP2 in hematological malignancies

SKP2 (S-phase kinase-associated protein 2) is a member of the F-box family of substrate-recognition subunits in the SCF ubiquitin-protein ligase complexes. It is associated with ubiquitin-mediated degradation in the mammalian cell cycle components and other target proteins involved in cell cycle progression, signal transduction, and transcription. Being an oncogene in solid tumors and hematological malignancies, it is frequently associated with drug resistance and poor disease outcomes. In the current review, we discussed the novel role of SKP2 in different hematological malignancies. Further, we performed a limited in-silico analysis to establish the involvement of SKP2 in a few publicly available cancer datasets. Interestingly, our study identified Skp2 expression to be altered in a cancer-specific manner. While it was found to be overexpressed in several cancer types, few cancer showed a down-regulation in SKP2. Our review provides evidence for developing novel SKP2 inhibitors in hematological malignancies. We also investigated the effect of SKP2 status on survival and disease progression. In addition, the role of miRNA and its associated families in regulating Skp2 expression was explored. Subsequently, we predicted common miRNAs against Skp2 genes by using miRNA-predication tools. Finally, we discussed current approaches and future prospective approaches to target the Skp2 gene by using different drugs and miRNA-based therapeutics applications in translational research