The Omani sandfish sea cucumber, Holothuria scabra Jaeger, 1833 (Holothuroidea: Holothuriidae): Fishery, length-Weight relationship and condition factor

The fishery of Omani sea cucumber, Holothuria scabra, is limited so far to the Mahout Bay in Al Wusta governorate. This fishery supports an uncertain number of fishermen ranging from 100 to 150. This fishery is not well-studied and has no current management program. In order to prepare a management strategy, the government has suspended this fishery for 2 years from March 2018 to March 2021. Apart from presenting a thorough review on the sea cucumber fishery in Oman, the current work presents a detailed analysis of the length–weight relationship, sex ratio, and condition factor of the H. scabra collected from four different areas during the period February-May 2019. Based on the results, the females were longer than males, that is 226±33.4 and 221±37.8 mm, respectively. The overall sex ratio of the entire/pooled sample was 0.49 which was not different from the anticipated theoretical sex ratio of 0.5. The mean Kn and the empirical weight–length equations for the total sample were between 0.12±0.01 and 1.0±0.16, and W=0.03L1.6, respectively

Cytotoxic evaluation and concurrent analysis of two diterpenes in the chloroform extract of Plectranthus barbatus using a validated HPTLC-UV method

The objective of this study was to develop a validated high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method for the concurrent analysis of two diterpenes Sugiol (compound 1) and 11,14-dihydroxy-8,11,13-abietatrien-7-one (compound 2) in Plectranthus barbatus chloroform extract (PBCE) and to investigate cytotoxicity of both compounds. The chromatographic estimations were carried out using toluene : ethyl acetate : formic acid (8.2:1.3:0.5 v/v/v) as mobile phase. The compact spots of biomarkers were scanned at λmax= 275 nm. Cytotoxic evaluation of both compounds was performed using follicular thyroid cancer cells (FRO cells). A well resolved, compact and intense peaks of compound 1 (Rf = 0.550 ± 0.001) and compound 2 (Rf = 0.700 ± 0.002) were recorded. The proposed method for both compounds was recorded as simple, linear, precise (% RSD = 1.02-1.25), accurate (98-100%), robust and sensitive for the analysis of both compounds. Cytotoxicity evaluation showed significant cell cytotoxicity at 100 μg/mL concentration against the FRO cancer cells after 72 h of incubation. Both compounds were recorded as cytotoxic, however compound 1 showed significant cytotoxic effects. The proposed HPTLC method was found to be suitable for routine analysis of these two biomarkers in chloroform extract of P. barbatus. Both compounds were found to be cytotoxic against FRO cancer cells. KEY WORDS: Diterpenes, Sugiol, Plectranthus barbatus, Cytotoxicity, HPTLC Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2018, 32(3), 407-419.DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v32i3.

Multidisciplinary Collaboration In Emergency Medical Services

Healthcare is the delivery of care and service to the patient; therefore, it is important to relate this care delivery and/or service to patient outcomes. Outcomes can be seen from two perspectives: positive, in which the service/care provided resulted in improvement to the patient\u27s well-being, and negative, in which the service/care provided did not meet the patient\u27s needs and requirements, resulting in no improvement or a deterioration in the patient\u27s well-being. The latter is often referred to as an adverse event, and its impact can be both short-term (through exacerbation of a condition or further injury) and long-term (in which the patient\u27s confidence and trust in the healthcare system have been affected). High-quality patient care is our goal, and an improvement in patient outcomes is what we aim to achieve. The very model of EMS in the UK is multi-disciplinary, consisting of different professions in primary and secondary care. A profession can be defined as a vocation founded on specialized educational training. The purpose of the profession is to apply the training and knowledge to an area of need, and it has a code of ethics for its members. The current modernization of the NHS, with changes in the role of primary care, has blurred the boundaries of professional practice. Some professions in EMS are autonomous in nature, with direct access to patients and their diagnosis and treatment. An example of this would be a paramedic. Others may have a dependent role with indirect patient contact. An example of this would be a veterinary nurse working in the helo-vet service. Each profession has its own professional identity and values, and there is potential scope for adverse outcomes if conflict with patient management and/or need occurs between professions. With today\u27s focus on inter-professional care between professions and patient healthcare having a direct relationship to professional practice, now is the time to examine multi-disciplinary interventions between professions in EMS and their impact on patient care and outcomes. Emergency medical services (EMS) are an essential part of any healthcare system. Efficient and timely patient care is paramount at the scene of a medical or trauma incident, and in many cases, the quality of patient outcomes depends on the speed and efficiency with which care is delivered. This paper will focus on the different elements and complex relationships that occur between the primary services (ambulance, helo-vet, and first response) and the potential impact that these can have on the overall patient care and outcome. By the very nature of their jobs, healthcare is a collaboration between professionals from a wide variety of disciplines, each of whom brings a different body of knowledge and perspective to the care of the patient. The complexity of healthcare needs often surpasses the skills of one profession; patient needs can be wide-ranging and diverse. EMS is a unique healthcare system in that it provides immediate care to a patient and then an avenue in which to further transport and access further care. Often in the hospital setting, there is a multi-disciplinary approach to care; however, in many cases, in the pre-hospital setting, this can be disjointed and occur between different service plans and the handover of patient care. This paper will conclude by considering the potential impact of changes to multi-disciplinary clinical governance and the potential for standardizing educational outcomes between professions to improve overall patient care and experience in the pre-hospital setting

Design & investigation of 10x10 gbit/s MDM over hybrid FSO link under different weather conditions and fiber to the home

In this paper, we design and investigate 10-channels of mode division multiplexer (MDM) over hybrid free-space optics (FSO) link in several weather conditions to achieve the maximum possible medium range and fiber to the home (FTTH) for high bandwidth access networks. System capacity can be effectively increased with the use of MDM over hybrid FSO-FTTH. In this study, a 10-channel MDM over FSO-FTTH system has been analyzed in different weather conditions that operate at 1550 nm wavelength. The simulated system has transmitted 100 Gbit/s up for a distance of 3200 meters FSO in superbly clear weather condition. It also transmitted 100 Gbit/s up for a distance of 650 meters FSO during heavy rain. The validation of this study is measures based on eye diagrams bit-error rates (BER) that have been analyzed

Studies on vascular response to full superantigens and superantigen derived peptides:Possible production of novel superantigen variants with less vasodilation effect for tolerable cancer immunotherapy

Superantigens (SAgs) are a class of antigens that cause non-specific activation of T-cells resulting in polyclonal T cell activation and massive cytokine release and causing symptoms similar to sepsis, e.g. hypotension and subsequent hyporeactivity. We investigated the direct effect of SAgs on vascular tone using two recombinant SAgs, SEA and SPEA. The roles of Nitric Oxide (NO) and potentially hyperpolarization, which is dependent on the K + channel activation, were also explored. The data show that SEA and SPEA have direct vasodilatory effects that were in part NO-dependent, but completely dependent on activation of K + channels. Our work also identified the functional regions of one of the superantigens, SPEA, that are involved in causing the vasodilation and possible hypotension. A series of 20 overlapping peptides, spanning the entire sequence of SPEA, were designed and synthesized. The vascular response of each peptide was measured, and the active peptides were identified. Our results implicate the regions, (61–100), (101–140) and (181–220) which cause the vasodilation and possible hypotension effects of SPEA. The data also shows that the peptide 181–220 exert the highest vasodilation effect. This work therefore, demonstrates the direct effect of SAgs on vascular tone and identify the active region causing this vasodilation. We propose that these three peptides could be effective novel antihypertensive drugs. We also overexpressed, in E.coli, four superantigens from codon optimized genes

Production of "biobetter" variants of glucarpidase with enhanced enzyme activity

Glucarpidase, also known as carboxypeptidase G(2), is a Food and Drug Administration-approved enzyme used in targeted cancer strategies such as antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT). It is also used in drug detoxification when cancer patients have excessive levels of the anti-cancer agent methotrexate. The application of glucarpidase is limited by its potential immunogenicity and limited catalytic efficiency. To overcome these pitfalls, mutagenesis was applied to the glucarpidase gene of Pseudomonas sp. strain RS-16 to isolate three novels "biobetter" variants with higher specific enzyme activity. DNA sequence analysis of the genes for the variants showed that each had a single point mutation, resulting in the amino acid substitutions: I100 T, G123S and T239 A. K-m, V-max and K-cat measurements confirmed that each variant had increased catalytic efficiency relative to wild type glucarpidase. Additionally, circular dichroism studies indicated that they had a higher alpha-helical content relative to the wild type enzyme. However, three different software packages predicted that they had reduced protein stability, which is consistent with having higher activities as a tradeoff. The novel glucarpidase variants presented in this work could pave the way for more efficient drug detoxification and might allow dose escalation during chemotherapy. They also have the potential to increase the efficiency of ADEPT and to reduce the number of treatment cycles, thereby reducing the risk that patients will develop antibodies to glucarpidase

Religious faith and psychosocial adaptation among stroke patients in Kuwait: A mixed method study

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2012 Springer Science+Business Media.Religious faith is central to life for Muslim patients in Kuwait, so it may influence adaptation and rehabilitation. This study explored quantitative associations among religious faith, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction in 40 female stroke patients and explored the influence of religion within stroke rehabilitation through qualitative interviews with 12 health professionals. The quantitative measure of religious faith did not relate to life satisfaction or self-efficacy in stroke patients. However, the health professionals described religious coping as influencing adaptation post-stroke. Fatalistic beliefs were thought to have mixed influences on rehabilitation. Measuring religious faith among Muslims through a standardized scale is debated. The qualitative accounts suggest that religious beliefs need to be acknowledged in stroke rehabilitation in Kuwait

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Emphasis may be Placed on New Developments in MRI Techniques, such as Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) or Dynamic Contrast-Enhancing MRI (DCE-MRI)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has revolutionized medical diagnostics by providing detailed images of soft tissues without using ionizing radiation. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on advancing MRI techniques to enhance both anatomical and functional imaging capabilities. Two notable developments are **functional MRI (fMRI)** and **dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) Functional MRI (fMRI) - Principles: fMRI detects changes in blood flow associated with neural activity. It relies on the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) contrast. - Applications: - Brain mapping: Identifying regions responsible for motor, language, and memory functions. - Cognitive neuroscience: Investigating brain processes during tasks. - Neurological disorders: Assisting in epilepsy surgery planning and tumor localization. - Challenges: Addressing spatial and temporal resolution limitations and minimizing motion artifacts. Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) - Mechanism: DCE-MRI uses gadolinium-based contrast agents to assess tissue vascularity and permeability. - Clinical Applications: - Brain tumors: Characterizing neoplastic lesions and predicting treatment response. - Head and neck cancer: Early recurrence detection and treatment guidance. - Quantitative Analysis: Efforts toward standardization and refinement continue