Urinary N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes A & B in workers exposed to cadmium at cadmium plating

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>The present study was carried out to determine the effect of cadmium exposure on Urinary N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes A and B in workers exposed at cadmium plating.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>50 subjects using cadmium during cadmium plating formed the study group. An equal number of age-sex matched subjects working in administrative section formed the control group. Urinary cadmium levels were determined by using a flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Urinary N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes A and B were determined by using spectrophotmetric method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A significant increase of urinary total N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes A and B profiles were noted in study as compared to controls. The levels of urinary N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes A and B profiles were positively and significantly correlated with cadmium levels in urine. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the effect of urinary cadmium or life style confounding factors (age, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption) on urinary N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes A and B. The analysis showed that the study subjects who had urine cadmium levels greater than 5 μg/g of creatinine, work duration >15 years, smoking and body mass index variables were significantly associated with urinary total N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase but not on isoenzymes A&B.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results presented in this study shows that the increased levels of urinary N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase observed in cadmium-exposed workers could be used as biomarkers for suggesting preventive measure.</p

Characterization Of Epoxy Composites Reinforced With Short Palmyra Fibers

Usually a new composite material’s performance is often determined by its response under various mechanical, physical, tribological and thermal conditions as it gets very much essential for selecting materials of appropriate composition for application in a particular area. Subsequently, in the present examination, a wealth of property data has been accommodated an arrangement of epoxy-SPF composites by preparing them through hand-lay-up system and via doing different physical, mechanical, tribological, acoustic and warm tests on them under controlled research center conditions. It is watched that by fortifying short palmyra filaments into the flawless epoxy sap, its belongings, as wanted are accomplished as improved mechanical, physical, tribological, warm and acoustic properties. At the point when the centralization of SPF in the slick epoxy is expanded, the particular wear rate diminished slowly and in the meantime a decrease in the compelling warm conductivity is likewise seen as palmyra fiber is insulative in nature. This is joined by increment in both elastic and flexural quality. Further, the sound assimilation coefficient additionally expanded by a tremendous edge as the SPF fixation in the perfect epoxy expanded. The impacts of SPF content on the coefficient of warm development and glass change temperature of the composites are additionally observed to be critical. With a direct quality, diminished wear rate, high coefficient of sound assimilation and brought down warm conductivity, these epoxy-SPF composites can be effectively utilized for applications, for example, building protection material, sustenance compartments, inside of cars, inside mass of lobbies where sound retention in required, canteen flagons, bundling ventures, rollers of transport lines, brake cushions, and so forth

Estimation of incoming global solar radiation and its diffuse component at the surface in Paraiba state (NE Brazil)

Results of a study on the estimation of mean monthly values of incoming global solar radiation and its diffuse component at some stations in Paraiba state (NE Brazil) are presented in this paper. Radiation data at four stations is used. ˚Angstr¨om-type equations are derived for the estimation of global radiation and the diffuse fraction of global radiation is expressed in terms of the clearness index and the sunshine ratio. The applicability of previously reported equations for stations in this region is investigated

CIRCULATORY AUTOANTIBODIES AGAINST HYALURONIC ACID BINDING PROTEINS: A NOVEL SERUM BIOMARKER

Background: Circulating autoantibodies have been extensively investigated as possible markers for early diagnosis of cancer. The present study was carried out to investigate whether anti-HABPs autoantibodies could be classified as a serum biomarker for malignant tumors. Methods: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blot was used to detect anti-HABPs autoantibodies in sera from 99 patients with various types of cancers and 50 healthy subjects matched by age and gender. Result: Our results clearly indicated that patients with cancer have significant higher circulating levels of anti-HABPs antibodies as compared to control subjects (𑃠&lt; 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic plot test has exhibited 91.9% sensitivity and 76.3% specificity. Conclusion: anti-HABPs autoantibodies are promising biomarker for malignant tumors and could play a role in the development of multimarker assay for the early detection of cance

Circulatory autoantibodies against hyaluronic acid binding proteins: A novel serum biomarker

Objective: Circulating autoantibodies have been extensively investigated as possible markers for early diagnosis of cancer. The present study was carried out to investigate whether anti-HABPs autoantibodies could be classified as a serum biomarker for malignant tumors. Methods: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blot was used to detect anti-HABPs autoantibodies in sera from 99 patients with various types of cancers and 50 healthy subjects matched by age and gender. Result: Our results clearly indicated that patients with cancer have significant higher circulating levels of anti-HABPs antibodies as compared to control subjects (\textless 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic plot test has exhibited 91.9% sensitivity and 76.3% specificity. Conclusion: anti-HABPs autoantibodies are promising biomarker for malignant tumors and could play a role in the development of multimarker assay for the early detection of cancer. Abbreviations: HABPs, hyaluronic acid binding proteins; ELISA, enzyme linked immune sorbent assay; AAbs, autoantibodies; BSA, bovine serum albumin; HA, hyaluronic acid; bHA, biotinlyted hyaluronic acid; ROC, receiver operating characteristics; AUC, area under curve; TAA, tumor associated antigen; ABTS, 2,2'azino bis (3ethylbenzothiazoline 6 sulphonic acid); MES buffer, 2 (N morpholino) ethanesulfonic acid; EDC,1 Ethyl 3 (3 dimethylamino propyl) carbodiimide; DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide; PVDF, polyvinylidene fluoride; ECL, enhanced chemiluminescence

Crop Growing Periods and Irrigation Needs in Bahia State North Eastern Brazil

Results of a climatological study of soil moisture in the state of Bahia, Brazil were reported in this study. The study was based on the estimation of daily values of available soil moisture content at 26 stations selected from different parts of the state. Thornthwaite&rsquo;s water balance procedure was used for the estimation of soil moisture content. Markov chain probabilities of days with dry and wet soil were computed for each decade of the year. Soil moisture averages and probabilities were used to determine the optimum crop growing periods at the stations. The amounts of supplementary irrigation necessary to maintain the soil moisture above selected levels during the growing seasons were determined. &nbsp; Keywords: Soil moisture, Markov chain probabilities, crop growing periods, irrigation need

A record on benthic foraminiferal abundance and distribution in Gosthani estuary, Bheemunipatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

425-429A total of 482 Benthic foraminifera belonging to 23 species have been identified in the sediment samples of Gosthani estuary. The Ammonia beccarii, Anomalina sp., Asterorotalia dentata, Ammonia tepida, Quinquloculina seminulum, Asterorotalia trispinosa, and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> Elphidium crispum are abundant<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">. Anomalina sp., represent the shelf environment and it is a good indication of flooding or marine water incursion into the estuary. Q-mode cluster analysis revealed that the foraminifera could be grouped into 6 clusters. Occurrence and distribution of foraminiferal assemblages studied in the Gosthani estuary sediments, infers that these sediments were deposited in marine environment. </span