Electrochemical characteristic of Biotinyl Somatostatin- 14/Nafion modified gold electrode in development of sensor for determination of Hg(II)

Electrochemical sensor for Hg(II) has been developed using Biotinyl Somatostatin-14 peptide modified gold electrode utilizing nafion as the immobilizing agent. Experimental conditions such as pH, supporting electrolyte and scan rate were optimized. Detection of mercury using Biotinyl Somatostatin-14 peptide/Nafion has been observed to be optimum under acidic conditions. Good relative standard deviation of 3.7% has been obtained indicating reliability of the detection system. A linear calibration plot in the range of 40-170 µgL-1 was obtained with sensitivity value of 1×10-10 AµM-1. Limit of detection (LOD) obtained is 0.4 µgL-1 which is below the WHO guidelines for drinking water. The scan rate study showed that the process is a complex surface process, mostly involving an adsorption process. This developed method was applied for determination of Hg(II) in actual waste water samples and a good agreement was obtained between the proposed method and ICP-MS based on the analysis of the waste water samples

Photochemical Biofuel Cells

A photobioelectrochemical Fuel Cell (PBEC-FC) relies on the synergic effect of electroactive and photo-electroactive microorganisms with or without photosensitive electrode to degrade organic matter for diverse bioelectrochemical application. In addition to wastewater treatment, PBEC-FC is also versatile in producing bioelectricity, biofuel, and pollutant degradation. PBEC-FC can come with a different configuration to accommodate for various applications under specific reaction. As a result of continuous research, there are three developing configurations which are: photosynthetic-BFC (PS-BFC), photovoltaic BFC (PV-BFC), and photoelectrode-BFC (PE-BFC). Studies have demonstrated that light-driven BFC has improved the substrate oxidation in the anode and concurrent bioelectrochemical reaction in the cathode as compared to dark conditions. Motivated by the increasing number of publications for this technology, the various configurations of PBEC-FC that suit different applications and their performance will be discussed in this chapter. Although the current performance of PBEC-FC remains low, but, with a continuous advancement to develop a durable and high photoactive material, this green technology will be realized into practicality in the future

In vitro appraisal of antibacterial activity of Entada spiralis’s leaves extracts against phytopathogenic bacteria Erwinia chrysanthemi and Erwinia carotovora

Entada spiralis Ridl. or also known as ‘akar beluru’ or ‘akar sintok’, is one of the least studied species in the Fabaceae family. The species was famous for its soap-like properties in which the natives use them as soap and shampoo for hygiene and treating itchiness. The phytochemicals and biochemicals properties of this plant have always been an interesting area to be discovered, as the study of the species is still scanty. In this study, the aim is to evaluate the antibacterial effects of the E. spiralis leaves extracts against two Gram-negative phytobacteria species, Erwinia chrysanthemi (ATCC 437624) and Erwinia carotovora (ATCC 15713) for the discovery of the natural active bactericides. Hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol were used as menstruum in producing the extracts through cold maceration method. The extracts were subjected to screening tests for identification of phytochemicals which revealed the presence of phenolics, terpenoids, saponins, coumarins, flavonoids, and tannins. Antibacterial activities of the extracts were assessed via Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method by measuring the inhibition zones post-incubation for 24 hours at room temperature. While, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were evaluated through broth microdilution method after incubation at room temperature for 24 hours. Output data from this study showed that, methanol extract against E. chrysanthemi and ethyl acetate extract against E. carotovora have the maximum zone of inhibition in antibacterial susceptibility with 22.7 ± 0.6 mm and 26.3 ± 0.6 mm respectively at 400 mg/mL concentration. In accordance with MIC, E. chrysanthemi was revealed to be most susceptible in methanol extract with MIC value of 1.56 ± 0.00 mg/mL (MBC value at 3.13 ± 0.00 mg/mL). E. carotovora has been determined to be best susceptible also in ethyl acetate extracts with MIC values of 0.65 ± 0.23 mg/mL (MBC value at 2.60 ± 0.90 mg/mL)

Specific microRNAs among milk siblings: an epigenetics approach towards understanding the basis of milk kinship

Milk kinship is an Islamic belief described as a relationship established when infants receive breast milk from non-biological mothers. This form of kinship is said to bear a very close resemblance to blood relation whereby the recipients’ infants are regarded as milk siblings to the biological children of the breastfeeding mother. Any future marriage between these individuals is forbidden likewise between the recipient infant and the nursing mother herself as they are thought to have a form of consanguinity. The consanguinity formed by virtue of milk sharing might be due to the composition of human breast milk, especially milk microRNAs that are responsible for the epigenetic modulation of gene expression. miRNAs can regulate gene expression by modulating genome-wide epigenetic status of genes, and similarly-shared genes might be the basis that has led to milk kinship formation. Thus, the objective of the present study is to identify potential lactationspecific miRNAs that are similarly shared among milk siblings and their nursing mothers. The study began with molecular extraction of milk RNA from the nursing mothers and cell-free plasma RNA from all milk siblings and their nursing mothers. The RNAs extracted from both sample types were further analyzed using NanoString nCounter® miRNA Panel Analysis (NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA) to measure the abundance of individual miRNAs biomarkers present within the samples. This study is expected to provide scientific explanation that could divulge the secrets behind milk kinship establishment with thorough presentation on the lactation-specific miRNAs shared between milk siblings. Hence, the way for future research would be paved, making the development of milk kinship identification tool possible

Specific MicroRNAs among milk siblings: an epigenetics approach towards understanding the basis of milk kinship

Introduction: Milk kinship is an Islamic belief described as a relationship established when infants receive breast milk from non-biological mothers. This form of kinship is said to bear a very close resemblance to blood relation whereby the recipients’ infants are regarded as milk siblings to the biological children of the breastfeeding mother. Any future marriage between these individuals is forbidden likewise between the recipient infant and the nursing mother herself as they are thought to have a form of consanguinity. The consanguinity formed by virtue of milk sharing might be due to the composition of human breast milk, especially milk microRNAs that are responsible for the epigenetic modulation of gene expression. miRNAs can regulate gene expression by modulating genome-wide epigenetic status of genes, and similarly-shared genes might be the basis that has led to milk kinship formation. Thus, the objective of the present study is to identify potential lactation-specific miRNAs that are similarly shared among milk siblings and their nursing mothers. Methods: The study began with molecular extraction of milk RNA from the nursing mothers and cell-free plasma RNA from all milk siblings and their nursing mothers. The RNAs extracted from both sample types were further analyzed using NanoString nCounter® miRNA Panel Analysis (NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA) to measure the abundance of individual miRNAs biomarkers present within the samples. Expected Outcomes: This study is expected to provide scientific explanation that could divulge the secrets behind milk kinship establishment with thorough presentation on the lactation-specific miRNAs shared between milk siblings. Hence, the way for future research would be paved, making the development of milk kinship identification tool possible

Removal of Hepatitis B virus surface HBsAg and core HBcAg antigens using microbial fuel cells producing electricity from human urine

© 2019, The Author(s). Microbial electrochemical technology is emerging as an alternative way of treating waste and converting this directly to electricity. Intensive research on these systems is ongoing but it currently lacks the evaluation of possible environmental transmission of enteric viruses originating from the waste stream. In this study, for the first time we investigated this aspect by assessing the removal efficiency of hepatitis B core and surface antigens in cascades of continuous flow microbial fuel cells. The log-reduction (LR) of surface antigen (HBsAg) reached a maximum value of 1.86 ± 0.20 (98.6% reduction), which was similar to the open circuit control and degraded regardless of the recorded current. Core antigen (HBcAg) was much more resistant to treatment and the maximal LR was equal to 0.229 ± 0.028 (41.0% reduction). The highest LR rate observed for HBsAg was 4.66 ± 0.19 h−1 and for HBcAg 0.10 ± 0.01 h−1. Regression analysis revealed correlation between hydraulic retention time, power and redox potential on inactivation efficiency, also indicating electroactive behaviour of biofilm in open circuit control through the snorkel-effect. The results indicate that microbial electrochemical technologies may be successfully applied to reduce the risk of environmental transmission of hepatitis B virus but also open up the possibility of testing other viruses for wider implementation

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Prediction of Hydrocarbon using Gaussian Process for Seabed Logging Application

AbstractSeabed Logging (SBL) is a technique that utilizes electromagnetic waves to propagate signals underneath seabed to determine the differences in resistivity levels in order to determine possible oil wells for exploration. This research investigates the potential of a Gaussian process approach to identify the presence of potential hydrocarbon in the deep water environment. Simulations were conducted using Computer Simulation Technology software that replicates the real seabed logging applications to generate various synthetic data. Hydrocarbon is known to have high resistivity, about 30 – 500 ohm-meter if compared to sea water of 1 – 2 ohm-meter and sediment of 2 – 3 ohm-meter. From our simulations, we notice that the depth more than 1,750 m of offset the data is not reliable. Then, from the functions, we determine if it comes from the environment with hydrocarbon or without hydrocarbon. Data collected were processed using Gaussian Process method and focused on squared exponential covariance function types using codes in MATLAB