Cost-Effective and Handmade Paper-Based Immunosensing Device for Electrochemical Detection of Influenza Virus

Although many studies concerning the detection of influenza virus have been published, a paper-based, label-free electrochemical immunosensor has never been reported. Here, we present a cost-effective, handmade paper-based immunosensor for label-free electrochemical detection of influenza virus H1N1. This immunosensor was prepared by modifying paper with a spray of hydrophobic silica nanoparticles, and using stencil-printed electrodes. We used a glass vaporizer to spray the hydrophobic silica nanoparticles onto the paper, rendering it super-hydrophobic. The super-hydrophobicity, which is essential for this paper-based biosensor, was achieved via 30-40 spray coatings, corresponding to a 0.39-0.41 mg cm(-2) coating of nanoparticles on the paper and yielding a water contact angle of 150 degrees +/- 1 degrees. Stencil-printed carbon electrodes modified with single-walled carbon nanotubes and chitosan were employed to increase the sensitivity of the sensor, and the antibodies were immobilized via glutaraldehyde cross-linking. Differential pulse voltammetry was used to assess the sensitivity of the sensors at various virus concentrations, ranging from 10 to 10(4) PFU mL(-1), and the selectivity was assessed against MS2 bacteriophages and the influenza B viruses. These immunosensors showed good linear behaviors, improved detection times (30 min), and selectivity for the H1N1 virus with a limit of detection of 113 PFU mL(-1), which is sufficiently sensitive for rapid on-site diagnosis. The simple and inexpensive methodologies developed in this study have great potential to be used for the development of a low-cost and disposable immunosensor for detection of pathogenic microorganisms, especially in developing countries

Covid-19 Pandemisinin Çalışan Yoksullar Üzerine Etkileri

Çalışanın emeğinin bir karşılığı olarak gelir, çalışanın kendisi ve aile üyelerinin varlıklarının devamı için gereklidir. Elde edilen gelir, yaşam standardını yükseltmeli veya iyi yaşam standardını koruyacak düzeyde olmalıdır. Yaşam standardını yükseltmeyen ya da var olan ortalama yaşam standardını koruyamayan gelir, yoksulluğa neden olmaktadır. Bu durum da çalıştığı halde en başta günlük ihtiyaçlarını karşılayamayacak düzeyde olan ve çalışan yoksul olarak isimlendirilen bir kitlenin oluşmasına kaynaklık eder. Çalışan yoksullar, genel olarak çevresel işgücü içerisinde yer almaktadır. Gelir düzeyi düşük olan çevresel işgücünün eğitimi, beceri düzeyi ve vasıf düzeyi de düşüktür. Bu noktada bireysel veya bireysel olmayan nedenlere dayalı olarak çalışan yoksulluğu oluşmakta ve zamanla artmaktadır. Birçok faktör çalışan yoksulların oluşmasına neden olsa da son dönemde çalışan yoksulların oranının artmasına neden olan en önemli faktör Covid-19 pandemi süreci olmuştur. Uluslararası Çalışma Örgütü (ILO)ya göre, 2019 yılında %256,6 olan çalışan yoksulluk oranı 31 milyon artarak 2021 yılında %257,8e yükselmiştir. Bu bağlamda Covid-19un, çalıştığı halde geçinemeyen ve yoksulluk sınırını aşamayanların sayısını artırdığı bir gerçektir. Bu çalışmada Coivd-19 pandemi sürecinin çalışan yoksullar üzerindeki etkisi anlatılmaktadır ve bu şekilde çalışan yoksullara yönelik kamusal hizmetlerin önemsenmesi ve artırılması amaçlanmaktadır. Covid-19 pandemi sürecinde çalışanların yoksulluğunun ele alınacağı bu çalışmada basılı ve elektronik yayınlardan yararlanılarak durum analizi metodu uygulanacaktır. Çalışan yoksulluğu, çalışanın içinde olduğu hane üyelerinin her biri için dışlanmaya ve ayrımcılığa neden olmaktadır ve savunmasızlığı artırmaktadır. Bireysel gelişimine yeterli özeni göstermeyen eğitimsiz veya eğitim düzeyi düşük olanlar bilgi ve beceri kullanımında da zayıf olmaktadır. Bu durum da kendi çalışma hayatını yönetmekte sorun yaşayan pek çok insanın Covid-19 pandemi sürecinden daha fazla etkilendiğini ve yoksulluk başta olmak üzere pek çok sorunla karşılaştığını ortaya koymaktadır

Mechanical and thermal properties of sawdust concrete

Sawdust is the by-product of wood. It is considered as waste material but nowadays this waste material is utilized in the construction of the building as sawdust concrete. It is utilized to make light-weight concrete and possess long duration heat transfer. In this research sawdust concrete was made at three different mix proportions of cement to sawdust of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 by volume. At these proportions mechanical and thermal properties like density, workability, strength, elastic modulus and heat transfer were investigated after, 7 , 28 and 56 days of air curing. It was found that with the increase in the amount of sawdust, the workability and strength decreased however, in terms of thermal conductivity concrete with higher amount of sawdust performed very well. It was also found that the heat transfer of sawdust concrete decreased. Considering the overall physical and mechanical properties, sawdust concrete can be used in building construction

A cross-sectional assessment of health-related quality of life among healthcare providers in Alkharj, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To determine the current level of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and evaluate factors influencing it among health-care providers (HCPs) in Alkharj, Saudi Arabia.Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among HCPs in Alkharj, Saudi Arabia, using the standardized research tool, BREF-WHOQOL. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed in hospitals, in the medical colleges of Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, andcommunity pharmacies in Alkharj, Saudi Arabia. Descriptive, comparative, and inferential statistics were performed using SPSS.Results: A total of 289 HCPs agreed to participate in the study, 52 % of whom were female. Most participants were married (69 %), and most had fewer than 10 years of experience (58 %). Statistically significant differences in marital status, education level, income, and year of practice were found that correlated with HCPs’ HRQoL (p ≤ 0.05). Overall, respondents reported an above-average score for all survey items.Conclusion: The results indicate that HCPs see their general quality of life as good - a particularly important consideration in view of the demanding nature of their job. This study will help the concerned authorities to exactly know the current level of HRQoL among HCPs in Alkharj, Saudi Arabia, as well as help in designing better healthcare policies in Saudi Arabia. Keywords: Healthcare providers (HCP), Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), Healthcare policies, Occupational stres

Performance of sawdust concrete at elevated temperature

The aim of this study was to shows the behavior of sawdust concrete at elevated temperature. Sawdust is considered as waste material but nowadays this waste material is utilized in the construction of the building as sawdust concrete. Sawdust is a by-product of wood which is generally used in the production of lightweight concrete, possessing low thermal conductivity. In this study sawdust concrete was made at three different proportions of cement and sawdust 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 by volume. At these proportions, the physical and mechanical properties such as density, workability, strength, fire resistance, mass loss, ultrasonic pulse velocity and residual strength were investigated after 28 days of curing. It was found that with the increment in the amount of sawdust, the workability and strength decreases, however in terms of fire resistance, concrete with lower amount of sawdust performed well. Considering the overall physical and mechanical properties, sawdust concrete can be used in building construction

Effect of herb-drug interactions of Bacopa monnieri Linn. (Brahmi) formulation on the pharmacokinetics of amitriptyline in rats

Interactions between herbs and drugs may increase or decrease the pharmacological or toxicological effects of either component. Experimental data on the pharmacokinetic interactions between herbal products and drugs are limited. This study attempted to investigate the effect of Bacopa monnieri Linn. (Brahmi) formulation on the pharmacokinetics of amitriptyline in rats. In this study, rats were randomly divided into two groups (n = 6 each) which were served as a control (amitriptyline alone) and treatment group (amitriptyline with B. monnieri), respectively. Rats in the treatment group received B. monnieri (31 mg/kg/day) whereas the control group received normal saline by oral gavage for seven days before a single intragastric administration of 25 mg/kg amitriptyline. Plasma concentrations of amitriptyline were measured up to 24 h after its administration by a developed and validated high-performance liquid chromatography method. Pretreatment with B. monnieri produced a significant increase in the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), area under the curve (AUC0-t) and elimination half-life (t1/2) of amitriptyline by 16.8%, 26.5%, and 15.5%, respectively, compared to amitriptyline alone. Moreover, oral clearance and volume of distribution (Vss) were decreased by 26.2% and 15.5% respectively. This study concluded that B.monnieri significantly enhanced the oral bioavailability of amitriptyline in rats

Mechanical, thermal and durable performance of wastes sawdust as coarse aggregate replacement in conventional concrete

Wood yields a number of by-products and Sawdust is as useful as others. Sawdust is regarded as a waste material and is effectively utilised as sawdust concrete in the construction of buildings. It is capable to be utilised as light-weight concrete and holds the quality of long duration heat transfer. In this study, three different ratios (1:1, 1:2 and 1:3) volume mix proportions of cement to sawdust were adopted to make sawdust concrete. At varied intervals of 7, 28 and 56 days of air curing, thermal and mechanical properties like workability, density, elastic modulus, strength and heat transfer were probed of mentioned sawdust concrete proportions. The resistance to elevated temperatures was also evaluated after 28 days of age; weight loss, residual compressive strength, surface texture and ultrasonic pulse velocity were considered in evaluation process. The findings showed that increase in sawdust volume affected to decrease the workability, strength and elevated temperatures resistance. However, the concrete having higher proportion of sawdust performed competently and well in terms of thermal conductivity. Moreover, a decrease in the heat transfer of sawdust was also observed. Examining the all-embracing mechanical and physical properties, sawdust can be effectively utilised in the construction of buildings

Enduring performance of alkali-activated mortars with metakaolin as granulated blast furnace slag replacement

In the construction industries worldwide, improving the materials durability and achieving sustainability are the main goal. Owing to their excellent strength performance various alkali-activated binders can be one of the alternative solutions to the polluting traditional cement. Currently, ground blast furnace slag (GBFS) is the major base material used in the alkali-activated binders. High drying shrinkage and low resistance to sulfuric acid attack affect negatively the durability performance and life span of alkali-activated paste, mortars, and concretes made from GBFS. Thus, a series of alkali-activated mortars (AAMs) were designed with various contents (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25, mass%) of metakaolin (MK) as GBFS replacement to improve their strength performance. In addition, the strength and durability performance of the designed mixes were compared with the control mixture prepared using 100% of GBFS. The impact of varying MK level on the long-term performance such as compressive strength, porosity, resistance to sulfuric acid attacks, wet-dry cycles, drying shrinkage, and carbonation were evaluated. Various recommended standards were followed to cast the specimens in different shapes (cubes, cylinders, and prisms) and sizes. Mortar containing 10% of MK as GBFS replacement showed the highest compressive strength (63.4 MPa) at 28 days of curing age. Furthermore, the inclusion of MK as GBFS replacement was shown to improve the AAMs durability performance wherein the drying shrinkage was reduced and the resistance to aggressive environments was increased. The specimens containing 5% and 10% of MK revealed a lower porosity and carbonation depth compared to the control specimen. It was concluded that the proposed AAMs due to their long-term stability can be the sustainable and potential substitutes to the traditional construction materials

Milk oligosaccharides: a review

Milk oligosaccharides (OSs) confer unique health benefits to the neonate. Although human digestive enzymes cannot degrade these sugars, they support specific commensal microbes and act as decoys to prevent the adhesion of pathogenic micro-organisms to gastrointestinal cells. The limited availability of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) impedes research into these molecules and their potential applications in functional food formulations. Recent studies show that complex OSs with fucose and N-acetyl neuraminic acid (key structural elements of HMO bioactivity) also exist in caprine milk, suggesting a potential source of bioactive milk OSs suitable as a functional food ingredient