EmPHasis-10 health-related quality of life score predicts outcomes in patients with idiopathic and connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension: results from a UK multi-centre study

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores assess symptom burden in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) but data regarding their role in prognostication and risk stratification are limited. We assessed these relationships using the emPHasis-10 HRQoL measure. 1745 patients with idiopathic or connective tissue disease-associated PAH who had completed emPHasis-10 questionnaires between 2014–17 at 6 UK referral centres were identified. Correlations with exercise capacity and WHO functional class (FC) were assessed, and exploratory risk stratification thresholds were tested. Moderate correlations were seen between emPHasis-10 scores and 6-minute walk distance (r=−0.546), incremental shuttle walking distance (r=−0.504) and WHO FC (r=0.497; p all <0.0001). Distribution of emPHasis-10 differed significantly between each WHO FC (p all <0.0001). At multivariate analysis, emPHasis-10, but not WHO FC, was an independent predictor of mortality. In a risk stratification approach, scores of 0–16, 17–33 and 34–50 identified incident patients with one-year mortality of 5%, 10% and 23%, respectively. Survival of patients in WHO FC III could be further stratified using an emPHasis-10 score ≥34 (p<0.01). At follow-up, patients with improved emPHasis-10 had improved exercise capacity (p<0.0001), and patients who transitioned risk groups demonstrated similar survival to patients originally in those risk groups. The emPHasis-10 score is an independent prognostic marker in patients with idiopathic or connective tissue disease-associated PAH. It has utility in risk stratification in addition to currently used parameters. Improvement in emPHasis-10 score is associated with improved exercise capacity

Electrochemical and solar photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of selected organic compounds at carbon-semiconductor based electrodes

Ph.D. (Chemistry)Abstract: This study explored preparation, characterisation and applications of different types of carbon and metal oxide semiconductors-based anodes for the electrochemical/photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of some selected organic contaminants. Exfoliated graphite (EG), a form of carbon, was prepared by acids intercalation of natural graphite flakes and thermal treatment. Expanded graphite – diamond (EG-diamond) composite prepared by solution mixing of EG and diamond powder was fabricated into electrodes and characterised. Raman spectrometry and x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed peaks that are characteristic of EG and diamond. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the diamond particles were well dispersed within sheets of EG. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that the EG electrode exhibited faster electron transfer while the composite electrode gave enhanced current peak. The electrolysis of acid blue 40 (AB 40) in 0.1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte resulted in ca. 80% dye removal at the EG-Diamond electrode and 66% removal at the pristine EG electrode at a current density of 20 mAcm-2 after 4 h. However, in a chlorine mediated electrolysis (NaCl as supporting electrolyte), the decolourisation of the dye was very rapid with over 98% decolourisation in 25 min. The extent of mineralisation was measured by total organic carbon (TOC). EG-Diamond and EG electrodes yielded TOC removal of 44% and 26% respectively in the electrochemical cell with Na2SO4 supporting electrolyte. While NaCl cell presented faster decoulorisation, the TOC decay was much slower compared to the Na2SO4 cell. The degradation of AB 40 follows pseudo first-order kinetic model with apparent rate constants of 2.34 x 10-3 min-1 and 4.41 x 10-3 min-1 obtained at EG and EG-diamond electrodes respectively. The EG-diamond electrode was further applied in the degradation of orange II dye (OG II) and a mixture of OG II and AB 40 with a TOC removal of 49 % for the dye mixture..

Extraction, isolation and characterisation of flavonoids from African Erythrina species and evaluation of some biological activities

Abstract: This project sought to isolate, characterise and evaluate the antimicrobial potency of flavonoids from Erythrina species. The stem barks of Erythrina plants (E. abyssinica and E. addisoniae) were collected, authenticated, washed and dried. The dried plant material was pulverised and subsequently extracted using methanol. The extract was then subjected to column chromatography over silica gel and eluted with different solvents such as ethyl acetate, dicholoromethane and hexane. The various fractions obtained were screened for flavonoids and the flavonoid fractions were subjected to antibacterial and antifungal bioassays. Further purification of the flavonoids was achieved with the use of preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. Upon evaporation of solvent, some fractions yielded crystals of pure compounds. These pure compounds were then characterised using spectroscopic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and mass spectrometry. The samples were also analysed using single crystal X-ray crystallography. The methanol extract of the stem bark of E. abyssinica yielded three isoflavones. The first compound, 3-(1-benzofuran-6-yl)-8,8- dimethyl-9,10-dihydro-4H-pyrano[2,3-f]chromen-4-one, is a new isoflavone which has a benzofuran ring. The structure was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and confirmed by single crystal X-ray crystallography. It showed significant antimicrobial activities against some selected bacteria and fungi. The second compound, Jamaicin (3- (4-methoxy-1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-8,8-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-4H,8H-pyrano[2,3- f]chromen-4-one), was isolated for the first time from E. abyssinica (It had been reported from other plants). It showed moderate activities against the selected microbes. Its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 125 µg/mL against Enterococcus faecalis was less than the amounts of the standard control drugs (streptomycin and nalidixic acid) required to inhibit the bacterium. ..M.Sc. (Chemistry

Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Immunosensors for the Detection of Ovarian Cancer Biomarkers

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing is an emerging technological innovation for monitoring small substances/molecules in biological or non–biological systems. In particular, there has been a surge of interest in developing PEC devices for determining molecules of clinical significance. This is especially the case for molecules that are markers for serious and deadly medical conditions. The increased interest in PEC sensors to monitor such biomarkers can be attributed to the many apparent advantages of the PEC system, including an enhanced measurable signal, high potential for miniaturization, rapid testing, and low cost, amongst others. The growing number of published research reports on the subject calls for a comprehensive review of the various findings. This article is a review of studies on electrochemical (EC) and PEC sensors for ovarian cancer biomarkers in the last seven years (2016–2022). EC sensors were included because PEC is an improved EC; and a comparison of both systems has, expectedly, been carried out in many studies. Specific attention was given to the different markers of ovarian cancer and the EC/PEC sensing platforms developed for their detection/quantification. Relevant articles were sourced from the following databases: Scopus, PubMed Central, Web of Science, Science Direct, Academic Search Complete, EBSCO, CORE, Directory of open Access Journals (DOAJ), Public Library of Science (PLOS), BioMed Central (BMC), Semantic Scholar, Research Gate, SciELO, Wiley Online Library, Elsevier and SpringerLink

Photodegradation of antihistamine chlorpheniramine using a novel iron-incorporated carbon material and solar radiation

Water impact The presence of antihistamines in the aquatic environment is an issue that must be addressed with particular relevance. Like many other contaminants, these drugs can affect living beings and directly impact their health. The implementation of advanced oxidation processes for their removal is being evaluated, considering its favorable results with different compounds.Water pollution due to emerging contaminants is a topic that should be researched to a greater extent because of the ignorance of adverse effects these pollutants may have on living beings. For this reason, the implementation of tertiary treatments is important for the removal of these contaminants from aqueous effluents including the heterogeneous photo-Fenton like (HPFL) process. In this investigation, an organic carbon xerogel incorporated with Fe3+ (XFe) has been used as a photocatalyst for the degradation of the antihistamine chlorpheniramine in an aqueous media with pH 3 at room temperature. The characterization of the material revealed the presence of Fe(III) and oxygenated groups on the surface as well as its ability to be activated with visible radiation, thereby, making it a viable material for the oxidation of contaminants present in the aqueous phase. The kinetic study has revealed that the degradation kinetic constants were 4.20 × 10−1 min−1 and 1.57 × 10−3 min−1 for HPFL and photolysis processes, respectively, revealing that the oxidation process is favored in the presence of the carbonaceous material. The by-products derived from various post-degradation processes presented low toxicity when verified by cytotoxicity tests. Moreover, the catalyst activation mechanism demonstrated that the process occurs through the formation of the ˙HO radical. In conclusion, the HPFL process was the most feasible for the degradation of chlorpheniramine in aqueous media, as it had greater interaction with the ˙HO radical in the rupture of the contaminant.University of Granada through the Project of the Ministry of Science and Innovation CTQ2016-80978-C2-1-RConsejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACyT) 88589