Microalbuminuria and glycated hemoglobin in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Diabetic nephropathy (DNP) is a microvascular complication that occurs in 20–40% of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The main modifiable DNP initiation and progression factors in susceptible individuals may be sustained hyperglycemia and hypertension. The aim of the present work was to study glycemic control in children with T1D and the risk of microalbuminuria (MA) expressed as the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR).Subjects and methods: Forty children with T1D attending the diabetes clinic at the Alexandria University Children’s Hospital with a duration of diabetes of 3 years or more were included in the study and twenty apparently normal children were taken as controls. Clinical examination and blood pressure measurements were performed for all cases. Urine samples were collected within a 3–6 month period. The ACR in 2 of 3 specimens should be >30 mg/g before considering a patient to have microalbuminuria. HbA1c was measured and the mean of the last 4 readings was calculated.Results: 77.5% of patients had ACR >30 mg/g in two different samples. 88.8% of patients with poor glycemic control had MA compared to 53.8% with accepted glycemic control. The difference was more statistically significant among the adolescent age group (P = 0.001). MA was found in 77.2% of children with duration of T1D less than 5 years but the highest proportion was found when the disease duration was more than 10 years. There was no significant difference in systolic and diastolic blood pressure among diabetic children with and without MA (P = 0.556 and 0.781).Conclusion: Microalbuminuria in children with T1 DM is not limited to those with diseaseduration of 5 years or more and it may occur earlier. MA is significantly associated with poor glycemic control especially in adolescents. Other factors that may contribute to MA are not yet fully understood, further research is needed to clarify these factors

Supercritical carbondioxide extraction of cypermethrin in different fresh vegetables using anhydrous sodium sulfate for sample preparation and extraction

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is a promising method of extraction for pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables. A rapid and high percetage of recoveries extraction of cypermethrin insecticides from fresh yardlong bean, carrot and eggplant vegetables matrixs using drying agent and SC-CO2 was developed in this study. In vegetable samples, which typically contain 80 - 95% water, but samples dry with Na2SO4 showed 96 - 105% recoveries in SFE. Moreover, the performance of drying agents (Na2SO4)and their combination such as Na2SO4 –H2O (6.7 + 1), Na2SO4 – H2O (2 + 1) and Na2SO4 – H2O (1 + 1) were evaluated. Na2SO4-H2O (1 + 1) was shown moisture conveyanced by SFE/mg highest (93) performance. Cypermethrin recovered from yardlong bean and carrot with critical pressure, PC at 20 Ibs and critical temperature, TC 40°C. On the other hand, the recovery rate of similar insecticides from egg plant was 96% with PC at 31.5 Ibs and 45°C in TC. The recovery rate in yardlong bean matrices was 100%; 105% was in carrot matrix. The retention time (tR) was 49.6 min of cypermethrin standard and similar tR was found in formulated. The lowest detectable limit (LDL) of cypermethrin insecticides was 0.02 ìg/mL with gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD). GC-ECD temperature was of injection port and detector 280 and 300°C, respectively, with split less. However, the method is useful torecover non-polar insecticides from the fresh vegetable; thus, further research could be continued with co-solvents and different drying agents to recover the polar residues from different types of fresh vegetables

Plasmonic-enhanced photocatalysis reactions using gold nanostructured films

This work shows the enhancement of the visible photocatalytic activity of TiO2 NPs film using the localized surface plasmonic resonance of Au nanostructures. We adopted a simple yet effective surface treatment to tune the size distribution, and plasmonic resonance spectrum of Au nanostructured films on glass substrates, by hot plate annealing in air at low temperatures. A hybrid photocatalytic film of TiO2:Au is utilized to catalyse a selective photodegradation reaction of Methylene Blue in solution. Irradiation at the plasmonic resonance wavelength of the Au nanostructures provides more effective photodegradation compared to broadband artificial sunlight of significantly higher intensity. This improvement is attributed to the active contribution of the plasmonic hot electrons injected into the TiO2. The broadband source initiates competing photoreactions in the photocatalyst, so that carrier transfer from the catalyst surface to the solution is less efficient. The proposed hybrid photocatalyst can be integrated with a variety of device architectures and designs, which makes it highly attractive for low-cost photocatalysis applications

Antibacterial activity of extracts of marine algae from the Red Sea of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

In the present study, marine algae were collected from the southern coast of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during summer and autumn 2009. The antibacterial activities of petroleum ether, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and  methanol extracts of marine algae belonging to the Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta were studied. Their crude extracts were tested against different types of Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis,  Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus aureu) and Gram-negative bacteria  (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). All marine algae extracts tested  exhibited a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. The maximum inhibition activities were shown for  extracts of Padina pavonica and Turbinaria triquetra. The growth inhibitions of bacteria by Sargassum  portieriatum extracts were higher in samples collected during autumn than that investigated in summer. The  maximum inhibitory effect of Gracilaria multipartita was observed in the petroleum ether extract against B.  subtilis and E. coli. The ethyl acetate and petroleum ether extract of Enteromorpha prolifera and Ulva reticulata  showed strong activity against the tested bacteria. The tested microorganisms that were susceptible to the most effective extracts were further tested for the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).  The MIC of the tested microorganisms was between 0.5 and 1.25 µg/ml. The results of the present study confirmed the potential use of marine algae as a good source of antibacterial agent.Key words: Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta, Rhodphyta, gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria,  solvent extract, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)

Effect of vitamin C on N,N′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium dichloride-induced hepatic and renal toxicity in Swiss albino mice

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin C on paraquat-induced hepatic and renal toxicity in Swiss albino mice.Methods: Three groups of Swiss albino mice (n = 10), i.e., control, paraquat (15 mg/kg) and paraquat (15 mg/kg) + vitamin C (20 mg/kg) were used in the study. The drugs were administered intraperitoneally for four days. Blood samples were collected on day 5 for determination of serum levels of liver and renal biomarkers. Thereafter, the animals were sacrificed; liver and kidney were excised and preserved in neutral formalin for histopathological analysis.Results: The paraquat-treated animals showed higher levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), serum urea and creatinine, relative to values for control. Histopathological examination of the paraquat-treated animals showed cytoplasmic vacuolar degeneration and congestion of central vein in the liver, and glomerular necrosis in the kidneys. Control and vitamin C-treated mice showed normal architecture of liver and kidney.Conclusion: These results indicate that vitamin C modulated the paraquat-induced liver and renal abnormalities in the experimental animals. Thus vitamin C exerts hepatoprotective and renoprotective effects against paraquat poisoning.Keywords: Paraquat poisoning, Liver, Kidney, Vitamin C, Toxicity, Histopatholog

Inhibition of the development of pathogenic fungi by extracts of some marine algae from the red sea of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

In this study, the predominant marine algae were collected from three different sites in the coastal area of Al-Kumrah at south of the Red sea of Jeddah, during summer and autumn 2009. The different marine algae belonged to Chlorophyta (Enteromorpha prolifera and Ulva reticulata), Phaeophyta (Cystoseira myrica, Padina pavonica, Sargassum portieriatum and Turbinaria triquetra) and Rhodophyta (Gracilaria multipartita). Algal extraction was achieved successively by using petroleum ether, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and methanol. The algae extracts were tested in vitro for antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger and the yeast Candida albicans, by using agar-well diffusion method. The crude extracts of the tested algae revealed differences in their bioactivities. The maximum growth inhibition for fungi was recorded in ethyl acetate extract of T. triquetra against C. albicans (30 mm), methanol extract of E. prolifera (29 mm) and ethyl acetate extract of Padina pavonica (28 mm) against A. fumigatus. The results clarified that Chlorophyta and Phaeophyta exhibited the highest biological activity against the tested fungi, whereas the lowest was achieved in Rhodophyta. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the crude extracts of the tested algae ranged from 0.5 to 3.0 μg/ml. The results confirmed the potential of seaweed extracts as a natural source of antimicrobial compounds. The antifungal activity of different extracts of marine algae which belongs to Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta were examined against A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger and the yeast C. albicans. The algae belonging to Chlorophyta and Phaeophyta exhibited the highest inhibitory effect against the test pathogenic fungi. The different extracts showed different activities against fungi. The antimicrobial activity depended on both algal species and the efficiency of solvents in the extraction of bioactive substances.Keywords: Green algae, brown algae, red algae, solvent extracts, antifungal activity, minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs

Interleukin-1 polymorphisms associated with increased risk of gastric cancer

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with a variety of clinical outcomes including gastric cancer and duodenal ulcer disease. The reasons for this variation are not clear, but the gastric physiological response is influenced by the severity and anatomical distribution of gastritis induced by H. pylori. Thus, individuals with gastritis predominantly localized to the antrum retain normal (or even high) acid secretion, whereas individuals with extensive corpus gastritis develop hypochlorhydria and gastric atrophy, which are presumptive precursors of gastric cancer. Here we report that interleukin-1 gene cluster polymorphisms suspected of enhancing production of interleukin-1-beta are associated with an increased risk of both hypochlorhydria induced by H. pylori and gastric cancer. Two of these polymorphism are in near-complete linkage disequilibrium and one is a TATA-box polymorphism that markedly affects DNA-protein interactions in vitro. The association with disease may be explained by the biological properties of interleukin-1-beta, which is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine and a powerful inhibitor of gastric acid secretion. Host genetic factors that affect interleukin-1-beta may determine why some individuals infected with H. pylori develop gastric cancer while others do no

A novel Ph-sensitive liposome to trigger delivery of afatinib to cancer cells: Impact on lung cancer therapy

A novel drug delivery system based on cationic (CL) and pH-sensitive liposomes (PSL) for tyrosine kinase inhibitor afatinib (AFT) were developed to enhance tumor-targetability against NSCLC cells and therapeutic effect. Optimal lipid to drug ratio was selected to prepare AFT-loaded PSL and CL with desirable physiochemical properties based on particle size, drug encapsulation efficiency (EE%), stability and release profiles. Moreover, antitumor activity was performed in vitro on human lung cancer cells (H-1975) using a WST-1 assay and Annexin-V apoptosis assay. The mean particle size of the liposomes was less than 100 nm, and EE% was more than 50% with lipid to drug ratio of 1:0.5. Stability data showed that PSL and CL were physically stable for 1 months at 4 and 25oC. In vitro drug release study demonstrated the sustained release of AFT at pH 7.5; while PSL exhibited fast drug release in pH 5.5. This effect revealed that PSL showed pH-sensitive release behaviors. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity study was employed for AFT-loaded PSL due to optimal characterizations. Thus, in vitro anticancer activity revealed that AFT loaded-PSL triggered apoptosis in H-1975 cells. In addition, the inhibitory effect towards H-1975 and HCC-827 was observed, indicating, which indicated high antitumor activity of AFT-loaded PSL. Then, PSL might potentially create practical clinical strategies for better targetability and delivery of AFT for treatment of lung cancer

Measuring the Total Quality Management in the Indonesian Universities: From the Perspectives of Faculty Members

The purpose of this study was to develop a tool to measure the degree of meeting the principles of Total Quality Management in higher education institutions, and included this tool or measure being distributed to the four core areas in Total Quality Management. The study population included all faculty members holding doctorates and master's Universities in Indonesia. The study sample was stratified random sample was selected to suit the size and the way identified with the requirements of scientific methodology. Statistical references have been identified by the sample size (100). The 95% confidence level, has been distributing a number of forms to each faculty commensurate with the number of faculty members, where with the total number of faculty members in universities. Researchers distributed a questionnaire to the various faculties of universities has recovered 100 form. The results obtained showed that: Variables are jointly independent (dimension of the field of organizational culture; dimension of the academic field; dimension of the area of professional growth, and dimension of the field of university relationship with the local community) significant influence on the dependent variable (total quality management)

Circulating leukocyte telomere length is highly heritable among families of Arab descent

Background Telomere length, an indicator of ageing and longevity, has been correlated with several biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease in both Arab children and adults. It is not known, however, whether or not telomere length is a highly conserved inheritable trait in this homogeneous cohort, where age-related diseases are highly prevalent. As such, the aim of this study was to address the inheritability of telomere length in Saudi families and the impact of cardiometabolic disease biomarkers on telomere length. Methods A total of 119 randomly selected Saudi families (123 adults and 131 children) were included in this cross-sectional study. Anthropometrics were obtained and fasting blood samples were taken for routine analyses of fasting glucose and lipid profile. Leukocyte telomere length was determined using quantitative real time PCR. Results Telomere length was highly heritable as assessed by a parent-offspring regression [h2 = 0.64 (p = 0.0006)]. Telomere length was modestly associated with BMI (R2 0.07; p-value 0.0087), total cholesterol (R2 0.08; p-value 0.0033), and LDL-cholesterol (R2 0.15; p-value 3 x 10-5) after adjustments for gender, age and age within generation. Conclusion The high heritability of telomere length in Arab families, and the associations of telomere length with various cardiometabolic parameters suggest heritable genetic fetal and/or epigenetic influences on the early predisposition of Arab children to age-related diseases and accelerated ageing