Novel application of electrochemical bipolar exfoliated graphene for highly sensitive disposable label-free cancer biomarker aptasensors

Label-free aptasensors can be a promising point-of-care biosensor for detecting various cancer diseases due to their selectivity, sensitivity, and lower cost of production and operation. In this study, a highly sensitive aptasensor based on gold-covered polyethylene terephthalate electrodes (PET/Au) decorated with bipolar exfoliated graphene is proposed as a possible contender for disposable label-free aptasensor applications. Bipolar electrochemical exfoliation enables simultaneous exfoliation, reduction, and deposition of graphene nanosheets on prospective electrodes. Our comparative study confirms that the bipolar exfoliated graphene deposited on the negative feeding electrode (i.e., reduced graphene oxide) possesses better electrochemical properties for aptasensing. The optimized aptasensor based on bipolar exfoliated graphene deposited on PET/Au electrodes exhibits a highly sensitive response of 4.07 μA log c−1(unit ofc, pM) which is linear in the range of 0.0007-20 nM, and has a low limit of detection of 0.65 pM (S/N = 3). The aptasensor establishes highly selective performance with a stability of 91.2% after 6 days. This study demonstrates that bipolar electrochemistry is a simple yet efficient technique that could provide high-quality graphene for biosensing applications. Considering its simplicity and efficiency, the BPE technique promises the development of feasible and affordable lab-on-chip and point-of-care cancer diagnosis technologies

DIFFERENT REGIMENS OF IRON SUPPLEMENTATION ON MATERNAL IRON STATUS AND PREGNANCY OUTCOME: RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL

Background: In non-anemic pregnant women recommended a daily intake of iron supplementation. This study aimed to determine the effects of daily iron supplementation versus twice a week in non-anemic pregnant women on pregnancy outcome. Material and method:: In this double- blind randomized clinical trial study 508 pregnant women with Hb> 11mg/dl and serum ferritin 10-300 ng/dl in first half of pregnancy were randomly divided to receive either of 1 table/day [50 mg elemental] ferrous sulphate[n=254], or two tablet per weeks[n=254]. Haemoglobin, ferritin and glucose challenge test were measured in the 24-28th weeks and at the end of pregnancy. Patient information was recorded and analysed for haemoglobin, insulin, and ferritin. Data were analysed using independent-t test, ANOVA, and Chi square tests. Results: The risk of preeclampsia and low birth weight significantly increased in the groups with daily intake of iron supplements. In addition, the levels of FBS, insulin and blood-pressure rise significantly in the second trimester. We should also note that the mean ferritin levels were significantly higher in cases with low birth weight and preeclampsia. Conclusion: The daily supplementation of iron significantly increased preeclampsia and low birth weight in nonanaemic pregnant women which is associated with high level of ferritin in patient Keywords: Low Birth weight, Ferritin, Iron, dietary supplement, gestational diabete

Wound Healing Effect of Arnebia euchroma gel on Excisional Wounds in Rats

Background: Wound healing is a complex process leading to regeneration of damaged skin tissue. Arnebia euchroma (AE) have many effective activities such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidative, and anti-tumoral effects. The extract of AE has positive effects on burn wounds. This study is designed to investigate the healing effects of AE on excisional wounds in rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty six rats with the age of 8 weeks divided into three groups. One group (E1) was treated with AE gel at a concentration of 10%. Control group (C1) received normal saline and the vehicle group (C2) was treated with carboxymethyl cellulose gel as the vehicle for 14 days. Stereological analysis was done to investigate the collagen bundle and hair follicale synthesis, vascularization, fibroblast proliferation. Pathological evaluation was also conducted. Results: In this study, pathological evaluation showed severe acute inflammation in C2 group, chronic and acute inflammation in C1 and also more wound contraction in E1 in comparison with other groups. There was a meaningful difference between E1 and C1 regarding fibroblast proliferation (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Results of this study revealed the healing effect of AE on excisional wounds and recommend its administration after further clinical investigations