Psychiatric morbidity: prevalence, associated factors and significance

A cross-sectional observational systematic study was carried out on ambulatory patients at a tertiary care hospital to determine the probable prevalence, associated factors and significance of psychiatric morbidity by using an Urdu translation of the hospital anxiety and depression (HAD) scale over a period of 6 days in a week. Results showed a prevalence of 38.4% which is slightly higher than what has been generally reported (30%). Two variables, i.e., female sex and being a housewife were significantly related with the outcome. An attempt has been made to identify the probable reasons for this and some suggestions laid down for further work

Isolation and Characterisation of Sulphur Oxidizing Bacteria Isolated from Hot Spring in Malaysia for Biological Deodorisation of Hydrogen Sulphide in Chicken Manure

In this study, the isolation of sulphur oxidising bacteria (SOB) from hot spring in Malaysia was carried out in an enrichment culture using sodium thiosulphate as a sole energy and CO2 as a sole carbon source. A total number of 80 SOB isolates were obtained from the agar plate and considered as positive SOB due to their abilities using thiosulphate for growth. All the isolates were initially screened for their fast growths in liquid medium and 13 isolates were selected for another screening process. Three SOB isolates namely isolate AH18, AH25, and AH28 were selected based on their abilities to grow faster, produce the highest sulphate ion and reducing the pH in the growth medium. The cells were Gram-negative and short rod-shaped. The effects of various variables including temperature (25-45 °C), pH (4-9), sodium thiosulphate concentrations (4-100 mM) and metabolic characteristic were evaluated on bacterial growth and their sulphur oxidation activities. The optimum pH of all the potential isolates occurred at pH 8.0. Meanwhile, the optimum temperature for isolate AH18, AH25 and AH28 occurred at 45 °C, 30 °C, and 30-45 °C, respectively. The three isolates were classified as facultative chemolithotroph with the capability of growth in thiosulphate concentration as high as 100 mM. Therefore, given the ability in the oxidation of thiosulphate, temperature and pH adaptabilities, with the metabolic flexibilities of isolates AH18, AH25, and AH28 could be a good H2S biological deodorizing candidate

Cone Penetration Testing For Field Density Prediction

This paper summarizes an experimental program for developing a pilot procedure to check and predict field densities of compacted soils using static cone penetration tests. Three sandy soils were tested. The testing program included both laboratory and field tests. On the basis of laboratory tests, density prediction curves were developed while field results were used to find a correlation to predict densities on the basis of measured penetration resistances. The results are rather encouraging and promising. It is anticipated that the presented methodology would be very effective for compaction quality control in large areas of sandy soils because it is fast, simple and causes minimum disturbance to the compacted soil

Inhibition and kinetic studies of lignin degrading enzymes of Ganoderma boninense by naturally occurring phenolic compounds

Aim Lignolytic (lignin degrading) enzyme, from oil palm pathogen Ganoderma boninense Pat. (Syn G. orbiforme (Ryvarden)), is involved in the detoxification and the degradation of lignin in the oil palm and is the rate‐limiting step in the infection process of this fungus. Active inhibition of lignin‐degrading enzymes secreted by G. boninense by various naturally occurring phenolic compounds and estimation of efficiency on pathogen suppression was aimed at. Methods and Results In our work, 10 naturally occurring phenolic compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory potential towards the lignolytic enzymes of G. boninense. Additionally, the lignin‐degrading enzymes were characterized. Most of the peholic compounds exhibited an uncompetitive inhibition towards the lignin‐degrading enzymes. Benzoic acid was the superior inhibitor to the production of lignin‐degrading enzymes, when compared between the 10 phenolic compounds. The inhibitory potential of the phenolic compounds towards the lignin‐degrading enzymes are higher than that of the conventional metal ion inhibitor. The lignin‐degrading enzymes were stable in a wide range of pH but were sensitive to higher temperature. Conclusion The study demonstrated the inhibitor potential of 10 naturally occurring phenolic compounds towards the lignin‐degrading enzymes of G. boninense with different efficacies. Significance and Impact of the Study The study has shed a light towards a new management strategy to control basal stem rot disease in oil palm. It serves as a replacement for the existing chemical control

Concrete Mix Design Using Double Coating Method

Considerable study, particularly in the last twenty to thirty years, has led to a much better understanding of the structure and behaviour of concrete.  This has accompanied by an improved and more sophisticated technology and the product now mad, in its variety of forms, is much more capable of satisfying the huge increasing demands required of it.  Because the behaviour of both fresh and hardened concrete is significantly related to their composition it should be possible, at least principle, to choose better ingredients with suitable proportion to gain the required satisfaction.   A good mix design for concrete mixtures is considered as a milestone for the construction of any concrete member or structure meets economical, service and durability requirements, as well as safety and efficiency throughout its life cycle.  Currently, there are many international methods locally approved for mix designs, such as: the ACI  method and the BS method, which are widely used in Libya at research centers, universities, and concrete batch plants as well as pre-cast concrete manufacturing plants (e.g.: pre-stressed concrete beams, concrete columns and slabs, etc.).  These methods depend on certain equations and graphs based on mathematical analysis of results obtained from previous field experience.  Generally speaking, mix design methods give some indication to the designer to validate and adjust them via experimental mixes in the local laboratories in order to check the variables related to the characteristics and properties of the local materials and the surrounding environment conditions.  This paper illustrates the steps used for mix design using the double coating method, which is currently used in some research centres in Poland and was recently applied in the laboratories of the Civil Engineering Department in the University of Tripoli in Libya.  Results obtained by this method using the local materials subject to local environmental conditions are presented and discussed

Crystal structure of 3-tert-butyl-3-hydroxy-1,3-dihydro-2H-pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridin-2-one, C11H14N2O2

Abstract C11H14N2O2, orthorhombic, P212121 (no. 19), a = 7.5411(2) Å, b = 11.5148(2) Å, c = 12.5370(2) Å, V = 1088.64(4) Å3, Z = 4, R gt (F) = 0.0301, wR ref (F 2 ) = 0.0826, T = 296 K.</jats:p

Iron Deficiency Anemia in Adults and its Diagnosis and Treatment: A Systemic Review

The aim of this study is to explore the clinical management in diagnosis and treatment of the iron deficiency anemia in adults with a systematic review methodology, as the iron deficiency is the most frequent cause of anemia worldwide. And it impairs quality of life, increases asthenia and can lead to clinical worsening of patients. In addition, iron deficiency has a complex mechanism whose pathologic pathway is recently becoming better understood. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding diagnostic algorithms for iron deficiency anemia. The majority of aetiologies occur in the digestive tract, and justify morphological examination of the gut. First line investigations are upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy, and when negative, the small bowel should be explored; newer tools such as video capsule endoscopy have also been developed. The treatment of iron deficiency is aetiological if possible and iron supplementation whether in oral or in parenteral form

A REVIEW OF THE THERAPEUTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CAMEL URINE

Background: The therapeutic use of camel urine has been known for centuries, with evidence of its use for medicinal purposes found in early folklore. It has been used to cure different diseases; however, the significant therapeutic benefits of urine have yet to undergo rigorous scientific evaluation. In this review, a summary of the scientific evidence that supports these therapeutic actions has been presented. Materials and methods: A literature search of different electronic databases including PubMed, Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar were conducted to identify published studies exploring the therapeutic effects of camel urine. ‘Camel’ and ‘Urine’, ‘Medicinal properties’, ‘Natural products’ were entered into the databases as key words. Reference lists of published reviews retrieved by the search were also searched to identify relevant papers. Result: There have been several laboratory and limited clinical studies providing evidence of the therapeutic effects of camel urine in the treatment of cancer, viral hepatitis and other viral, bacterial and parasitic infections. Therapeutic uses in the cardiovascular system have also been discovered, with regard to platelet and fibrinolytic actions. Conclusion: The exploration of the use of camel urine is of great interest to determine the efficacy of this practice, as well as the safety of the patients being treated. This review presented the benefits of camel urine, which were commonly drawn from small laboratory studies. Therefore, many more preclinical and clinical studies are needed to examine the efficacy and safety of the use of camel urine in in the treatment of disease

CПЕКТРОФОТОМЕТРИЧЕСКОЕ ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИЕ ФЕНИЛАЛАНИНА В ВОДНЫХ РАСТВОРАХ РАЗЛИЧНОЙ КИСЛОТНОСТИ

A method for the determination of phenylalanine using the spectrophotometric method without preliminary correction of the solutions pH and the use of auxiliary chemical reagents has been developed. A comparative analysis of the spectrophotometric determination of phenylalanine by varying acidity of the medium was carried out. The errors and the possibility of their minimization were analyzed. It was shown that the analytical signal and the results of amino acid determination in the solutions with different pH differ significantly due to the presence of phenylalanine in various ionic forms that vary in the magnitude of the molar absorption coefficient. It was found that the maximum value of the molar absorption coefficient decreases in the series ε(Phe−) ε(Phe+) ε(Phe±) by 20%. The maximum error in determining the phenylalanine concentration without taking into account the dependence of the optical density of the solution on the acidity of the medium was found in strongly alkaline solutions. The correlation dependences of the analytical wavelength and molar absorption coefficient of phenylalanine on the pH of the medium were obtained experimentally. A long-wavelength (bathochromic) shift of the absorption band maximum was established upon the transition from positive to negative charge of the phenylalanine molecule with increasing pH of the solution. Two ranges of pH values have been identified, in which a change in the acidity of the solutions did not cause spectral changes. These were the regions where the amino acid was predominantly found in cationic Phe+ and bipolar Phe± forms (pH 8) and in the region of anionic Phe− (pH 10) form. The regression equations that allow choosing the analytical wavelength at any arbitrary pH of the solution were presented. The advantage of the developed approach is the possibility of increasing the detection sensitivity and ensuring that the error in the amino acid determination in the solutions of arbitrary acidity is less than 0.5% with the variation of no more than 0.3%. The detection limit of amino acid, calculated by 3σ – test, is (1.4 − 1.6) × 10-5 M. The range of the determined phenylalanine contents is (0.5 − 5.3) × 10-3 M. The efficiency of the proposed approach for determining the content of phenylalanine in a sample of the "L-Phenylalanine" (Protein Company, Russia) drug by the method of standard addition was shown. The possibility of minimizing the error in determining the amino acid when applying the technique to control the content of components in the process of demineralization of water-salt solutions of phenylalanine by electrodialysis with experimental membranes has been proven.Keywords: spectrophotometry; phenylalanine; medium acidity; absorption spectra DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/analitika.2022.26.3.003 V.I. Vasil’eva, A.M. Saud Voronezh State University, 1,Universitetskaya pl, Voronezh, 394018, Russian FederationРазработан способ определения фенилаланина в водных растворах различной кислотности спектрофотометрическим методом без предварительной коррекции pH растворов и применения вспомогательных химических реагентов. Проведен сравнительный анализ результатов спектрофотометрического определения фенилаланина при варьировании кислотности среды, проанализированы погрешности и возможность их минимизации. Показано, что аналитический сигнал и результаты определения аминокислоты в растворах с различным pH значительно различаются вследствие нахождения фенилаланина в разных ионных формах, отличающихся величиной молярного коэффициента поглощения. Установлено, что максимальная величина молярного коэффициента поглощения падает в ряду ε(Phe-) ε(Phe+) ε(Phe±) на 20 %. Максимальная погрешность определения фенилаланина без учёта зависимости оптической плотности раствора от кислотности среды найдена в сильнощелочных растворах.  Экспериментально получены корреляционные зависимости аналитической длины волны и молярного коэффициента поглощения фенилаланина от показателя pH среды. Установлен длинноволновый (батохромный) сдвиг максимума полосы поглощения при переходе от положительного к отрицательному заряду фенилаланина с ростом величины pH раствора. Выявлены два диапазона величин pH, в которых изменение кислотности растворов не вызывает спектральных изменений. Это область преимущественного нахождения аминокислоты в катионной Phe+ и биполярной Phe± формах (pH 8) и область анионной Phe− (pH 10) формы. Приведены регрессионные уравнения, позволяющие сделать выбор аналитической длины волны при любой произвольной величине pH раствора. Преимуществом разработанного способа определения аминокислоты без коррекции величины рН в растворах являются возможность повышения чувствительности и обеспечение относительной погрешности определения менее 0.5 % при коэффициенте вариации не более 0.3 %. Предел обнаружения аминокислоты, рассчитанный по 3s-критерию, составляет (1.4-1.6)·10-5 М.  Диапазон определяемых содержаний фенилаланина находится в интервале (0.5-5.3)·10-3 М. Показана эффективность предложенного способа для определения фенилаланина в образце препарата "L-Фенилаланин" (Protein Company, Россия) методом добавок. Доказана возможность минимизации погрешности определения аминокислоты при применении разработанного способа для контроля содержания компонентов в процессе деминерализации водно-солевых растворов фенилаланина методом электродиализа с экспериментальными мембранами.Ключевые слова: спектрофотометрия; фенилаланин; кислотность среды; спектры поглощенияDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/analitika.2022.26.3.00