Water Absorption Enhancement Of Sodium Poly Acrylate And Poly(2-Acrylamido-2-Methylpropane Sulphonic Acid) Based Hydrogel Mixtures

Introduction: Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymers which are cross-linked to form three-dimensional structures, which can absorb, swell and retain huge amounts of water or aqueous fluids. Objective: This paper reports the preparation and characterization of Poly (2-Acrylamido-2-Methylpropane Sulphonic Acid) (PAMPS) hydrogel with different crosslinking intensities. Methodology: 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) monomer was purchased from Alfa Aesar Company as reagent grade. It was used as received (\u3e98% purity) without any further purification. PAMPS hydrogel was prepared by free radical crosslinking solution polymerization of AMPS in water at room temperature under a nitrogen blanket in cylindrical glass tubes. The characteristics of the obtained PAMPS hydrogel were compared with those of commercial sodium polyacrylates hydrogel. Results: It was found that decreasing the crosslinker weight improved the absorbance capacity but to a limit. The suggested reasons were discussed. The mixture showed higher absorbance rate than PAMPS, and bigger absorbance capacity than sodium polyacrylates. Conclusion: This paper investigates the effect of crosslinker ratio on the swelling capacity of PAMPS. It was found that as the crosslinking ratio decreases, the porosity of the hydrogel increases, thus improving the swelling capacity

Laparoscopic and bacteriologic evidence of bacterial vaginosis in unexplained infertility

Background: Aim of current study was to estimate the prevalence of Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) among women with Unexplained Infertility (UI) and to describe laparoscopic appearances in positive cases.Methods: Design: Prospective randomized comparative diagnostic trial. Setting: Tertiary care referral facility and University hospital. Patients: One hundred and fifty women divided into UI study group A (120 cases) and a control group B (30 cases). Intervention(s): Vaginal and endouterine swabs form two subgroups of the UI group (60 cases each) and vaginal swabs from control group (30 cases). All swabs were tested using Amsel's criteria then cultured. Thereafter, UI group (60 cases) was subjected to diagnostic laparoscopy. Main outcome measure(s):  the prevalence of BV among women with UI and laparoscopic findings among positive cases.Results: In the study group, the number of positive cases of BV confirmed by culture was 51 cases (42.5%) while it was diagnosed in three cases (10%) in group B (P = 0.0001). In group A, BV was diagnosed in 24 and 27 infertile cases with periods of infertility less than and more than 3 years respectively and in 39 patients (32.5%) with recurrent vaginitis without statistically significant difference. There was an insignificant difference in diagnosis of BV whether the site of sample was the posterior fornix of the vagina or the endometrial cavity. Positive laparoscopic findings were reported in 77 patients (64.2%). The most common laparoscopic abnormalities were hyperemic uterus and chronic salpingitis.   Conclusions: BV is frequently implicated in female infertility and it is probably an underestimated cause of UI. There is no extra benefit from using culture instead of Amsel’s criteria for the diagnosis of BV.  No difference in the site of sample taking in diagnosis of BV from posterior vaginal fornix or endometrial cavity.  Laparoscopy is very beneficial in explaining the effect of BV on the upper genital tract

Kinetin Ameliorates Cisplatin‐Induced Hepatotoxicity and Lymphotoxicity via Attenuating Oxidative Damage, Cell Apoptosis and Inflammation in Rats

Though several previous studies reported the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant effect of kinetin (Kn), details on its action in cisplatin‐induced toxicity are still scarce. In this study we eval-uated, for the first time, the effects of kinetin in cisplatin (cp)‐ induced liver and lymphocyte toxicity in rats. Wistar male albino rats were divided into nine groups: (i) the control (C), (ii) groups 2,3 and 4, which received 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg kinetin for 10 days; (iii) the cisplatin (cp) group, which received a single intraperitoneal injection of CP (7.0 mg/kg); and (iv) groups 6, 7, 8 and 9, which received, for 10 days, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg kinetin or 200 mg/kg vitamin C, respectively, and Cp on the fourth day. CP‐injected rats showed a significant impairment in biochemical, oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters in hepatic tissue and lymphocytes. PCR showed a profound increase in caspase‐3, and a significant decline in AKT gene expression. Intriguingly, Kn treatment restored the biochemical, redox status and inflammatory parameters. Hepatic AKT and caspase‐3 expression as well as CD95 levels in lymphocytes were also restored. In conclusion, Kn mitigated oxidative imbalance, inflammation and apoptosis in CP‐induced liver and lymphocyte toxicity; therefore, it can be considered as a promising therapy

Development of (4-Phenylamino)quinazoline Alkylthiourea Derivatives as Novel NF-κB Inhibitors

For many inflammatory diseases, new effective drugs with fewer side effects are needed. While it appears promising to target the activation of the central pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB, many previously discovered agents suffered from cytotoxicity. In this study, new alkylthiourea quinazoline derivatives were developed that selectively inhibit the activation of NF-κB in macrophage-like THP−1 cells while showing low general cytotoxicity. One of the best com pounds, 19, strongly inhibited the production of IL-6 (IC50 = 0.84 µM) and, less potently, of TNFα (IC50 = 4.0 µM); in comparison, the reference compound, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), showed IC50s of 1.1 and 11.4 µM, respectively. Interestingly, 19 was found to block the translocation of the NF-κB dimer to the nucleus, although its release from the IκB complex was unaffected. Furthermore, 19 suppressed the phosphorylation of NF-κB-p65 at Ser468 but not at Ser536; however, 19 did not inhibit any kinase involved in NF-κB activation. The only partial suppression of p65 phosphorylation might be associated with fewer side effects. Since several compounds selectively induced cell death in activated macrophage-like THP−1 cells, they might be particularly effective in various inflam matory diseases that are exacerbated by excess activated macrophages, such as arteriosclerosis and autoimmune diseases

A validated stability-indicating HPLC method for determination of varenicline in its bulk and tablets

A simple, sensitive and accurate stability-indicating HPLC method has been developed and validated for determination of varenicline (VRC) in its bulk form and pharmaceutical tablets. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C8 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm i.d., particle size 5 μm, maintained at ambient temperature) by a mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 50 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (10:90, v/v) with apparent pH of 3.5 ± 0.1 and a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The detection wavelength was set at 235 nm. VRC was subjected to different accelerated stress conditions. The degradation products, when any, were well resolved from the pure drug with significantly different retention time values. The method was linear (r = 0.9998) at a concentration range of 2 - 14 μg/ml. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 0.38 and 1.11 μg/ml, respectively. The intra- and inter-assay precisions were satisfactory; the relative standard deviations did not exceed 2%. The accuracy of the method was proved; the mean recovery of VRC was 100.10 ± 1.08%. The proposed method has high throughput as the analysis involved short run-time (~ 6 min). The method met the ICH/FDA regulatory requirements. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of VRC in bulk and tablets with acceptable accuracy and precisions; the label claim percentages were 99.65 ± 0.32%. The results demonstrated that the method would have a great value when applied in quality control and stability studies for VRC

Analysis of IL28B Variants in an Egyptian Population Defines the 20 Kilobases Minimal Region Involved in Spontaneous Clearance of Hepatitis C Virus

Spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) occurs in ∼30% of acute infections. Host genetics play a major role in HCV clearance, with a strong effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IL28B gene already found in different populations, mostly infected with viral genotypes 1 and 3. Egypt has the highest prevalence of HCV infection in the world, which is mostly due to viral genotype 4. We investigated the role of several IL28B SNPs in HCV spontaneous clearance in an Egyptian population. We selected nine SNPs within the IL28B genomic region covering the linkage disequilibrium (LD) block known to be associated with HCV clearance in European populations. These SNPs were genotyped in 261 HCV-infected Egyptian subjects (130 with spontaneous clearance and 131 with chronic infection). The most associated SNPs were rs12979860 (P = 1.6×10−7) and the non-synonymous IL28B SNP, rs8103142 (P = 1.6×10−7). Interestingly, three SNPs at the two bounds of the region were monomorphic, reducing the size of the LD block in which the causal variants are potentially located to ∼20 kilobases. HCV clearance in Egypt was associated with a region of IL28B smaller than that identified in European populations, and involved the non-synonymous IL28B SNP, rs8103142

Structure, Morphology and Electrical/Magnetic Properties of Ni-Mg Nano-Ferrites from a New Perspective

Using the auto combustion flash method, Ni1−x+2 Mg+2xFe+32O4 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.6, 0.8 and 1) nano-ferrites were synthesized. All samples were thermally treated at 973 K for 3 h. The structural analysis for the synthesized samples was performed using XRD, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and FTIR. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was undertaken to explore the surface morphology of all the samples. The thermal stability of these samples was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). XRD data show the presence of a single spinel phase for all the prepared samples. The intensity of the principal peak of the spinel phase decreases as Mg content increases, showing that Mg delays crystallinity. The Mg content raised the average grain size (D) from 0.084 µm to 0.1365 µm. TGA shows two stages of weight loss variation. The vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurement shows that magnetic parameters, such as initial permeability (µi) and saturation magnetization (Ms), decay with rising Mg content. The permeability and magnetic anisotropy at different frequencies and temperatures were studied to show the samples’ magnetic behavior and determine the Curie temperature (TC), which depends on the internal structure. The electrical resistivity behavior shows the semi-conductivity trend of the samples. Finally, the dielectric constant increases sharply at high temperatures, explained by the increased mobility of charge carriers, and decreases with increasing frequency. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, PNU: PNURSP2022R28The authors express their gratitude to Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project number (PNURSP2022R28), Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Assessment of human cytomegalovirus co-infection in Egyptian chronic HCV patients

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common cause of severe morbidity and mortality in immune- compromised individuals. This study was conducted to determine the incidence of HCMV infection in HCV patients who either spontaneously cleared the virus or progressed to chronic HCV infection. The study included a total of eighty four cases (48 females and 36 males) that were referred to blood banks for blood donation with an age range of 18-64 years (mean age 37.62 ± 10.03 years). Hepatitis C virus RNA and HCMV DNA were detected in sera by RT-nested PCR and nested PCR respectively in all subjects. Immunoglobulin G levels for HCV and HCMV were determined. Besides, IgM antibodies for HCMV infection were also determined in subjects' sera. Fifty three out of 84 cases (63%) were positive for HCV-RNA while 31 (37%) cases had negative HCV RNA. Forty six (87%) and 13 (25%) cases out of 53 HCV RNA positive patients were positive for HCMV IgG and IgM antibodies respectively. While 20 of 53 cases (38%) had detectable HCMV DNA. To examine the role of HCMV infection in HCV spontaneous resolution, two groups of HCV patients, group 1) chronic HCV infection (positive HCV RNA and positive IgG antibodies) vs group 2) spontaneous resolution (negative HCV RNA and positive IgG antibodies) were compared. The percentages of positive CMV IgG and IgM results is higher in chronic HCV patient than those in spontaneously cleared HCV patients and the difference is highly statistically significant (P value < 0.001). Also, there is a general trend towards elevated levels of CMV IgG antibodies in HCV chronic patients than those in spontaneously cleared HCV patients (P value < 0.02). HCMV DNA detection in group 1 was more than twice the value observed in group 2 (38% vs 14.3%, P value < 0.001). Moreover, levels of liver enzymes were significantly higher in HCV RNA positive cases co-infected with HCMV DNA than HCMV negative cases (P value < 0.001). The results indicate the role of HCMV in the liver pathogenesis. We conclude that chronic HCV patients co-infected with HCMV infection can be regarded as high risk groups for liver disease progression where they should be monitored for the long term outcome of the disease

Soluble egg antigen of Schistosoma Haematobium induces HCV replication in PBMC from patients with chronic HCV infection

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to examine, in vitro , the effect of soluble egg antigen (SEA) of S. haematobium on intracellular HCV RNA load in peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC) as well as on cell proliferation in patients with chronic HCV infection. METHODS: PBMC from 26 patients with chronic HCV infection were cultured for 72 hours in presence and absence of 50 μg SEA/ml medium. Intracellular HCV RNA quantification of plus and minus strands was assessed before and after stimulation. PBMC from five healthy subjects were cultured for 7 days, flow cytometric analysis of DNA content was used to assess the mitogenic effect of SEA on PBMC proliferation compared to phytoheamaglutinine (PHA). RESULTS: Quantification of the intracellular viral load showed increased copy number/cell of both or either viral strands after induction with SEA in 18 of 26 patients (69.2%) thus indicating stimulation of viral replication. Flow cytometric analysis showed that mean ± S.D. of percent values of cell proliferation was induced from 3.2 ± 1.5% in un-stimulated cells to 16.7 ± 2.5 % and 16.84 ± 1.7 % in cells stimulated with PHA and SEA respectively. CONCLUSION: the present study supports earlier reports on SEA proliferative activity on PBMC and provides a strong evidence that the higher morbidity observed in patients co-infected with schistosomiasis and HCV is related, at least in part, to direct stimulation of viral replication by SEA

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London