Corrosion Inhibition of Copper in Sea Water Using Derivatives of Thiosemicarbazides

Three corrosion inhibitors namely: 4-allyl-3-thiosemicarbazide C4H9N3 S, 4-(1-methyl)-3-thiosemicarbazide,4-tolyl-3-thiosemicarbazide were tested as corrosion inhibitors for copper in sea water environmnt.Copper samples were tested using potentiodynamic polarization technique in the absence and in the presence of corrosion inhibitors.   High inhibition efficiencies (≥95%) were shown by the tested inhibitors.  The best performance was shown by 4-tolyl-3-TSC

Extract from Curcuma longa L. triggers the sunflower immune system and induces defence-related genes against Fusarium root rot

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has economic value worldwide Fusarium root rot, caused by Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc., is the most important disease in sunflower crops, causing considerable economic losses. Seed treatment with a turmeric aqueous extract was tested for control of Fusarium root rot. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the extract identified three major constituents; ar-curcumin, camphor and α-turmerone. The greenhouse experiment showed that incidence and severity of sunflower root rot were significantly reduced after treatment with turmeric extract. Plant growth parameters also increased 2 and 4 weeks after inoculation. In addition, treatment with turmeric extract triggered the sunflower immune system, as indicated by the induction of host phenolic content and activity of antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase). Differential display-PCR of the treated plants showed distinct profiles of gene expression in response to the treatments. Of the four bands randomly selected for sequencing and identification, three up-regulated genes that encode defence-related proteins (glutathione S-transferase 6, ascorbate peroxidase, and defensin) were detected. A time-course real-time quantitative PCR was carried out on mRNA of the defence-related genes defensin and chitinase of the treated sunflower seedlings. After 14 d, treatment with turmeric extract enhanced the expression levels of chitinase by > nine-fold and defensin genes by > four-fold. Based on these results, we recommend treatment of sunflower seeds with turmeric extract as a disease management method against Fusarium root rot

Characteristics of Chamaerops humilis L. var. humilis seed oil and study of the oxidative stability by blending with soybean oil

Herein we examine the characteristics of date seed oil extracted from Chamaerops humilis L. var. humilis seeds (HSO) cultivated in a gardening zone in Tunisia. Its physicochemical properties, fatty acid composition, and thermal and antioxidant properties were evaluated and compared with those of seed oil from another variety of Chamaerops humilis. The results showed that HSO possessed higher contents of oleic (44%) and linoleic (20%) acids than the other seed oil. The total tocopherol and tocotrienol content was 88 mg/100 g oil, where α-tocotrienol (64%) was the major isomer. The total phenolic (91 μg/g oil) and flavonoid contents (18 μg/g oil) of the HSO were determined, and its antioxidant capacities, measured in terms of ABTS and DPPH radical-scavenging capacities, were 210 µM TEAC/g DW and 4.3 mM TEAC/g DW, respectively. The oxidative stability index (OSI) of the oil was 16 h at 110 °C. Furthermore, the OSI of soybean oil was significantly enhanced upon blending with HSO. HSO exhibited higher thermal stability than the other oils and significantly different thermal behavior. The determination of fatty acid composition, physicochemical properties, bioactive content, oxidative stability, and thermal behavior of HSO demonstrated that this renewable resource can be used for edible purposes

Memokath for treating ureteric stricture post cryoablation of renal mass: a case report of rare complication and proposed alternative management

The use of cryoablation in the management of small renal masses is widely acceptable. Although rare but ureteral injury during the procedure with subsequent stricture formation can result in devastating effects on renal function. On the other hand, the management of such strictures requires reconstructive surgery as gold standard. Unfortunately, in some cases the reconstructive surgery might not be feasible, and the treatment usually is ureteral stent insertion that need to be changed regularly. Here we present a case of a 53-year-old gentleman who developed an upper ureteric iatrogenic stricture post cryoablation in which the reconstructive surgery was not feasible due to high procedural risk. We used metallic ureteral stent (Memokath) instead of regular ureteral double J stent. We found that if the reconstructive surgery is not possible the usage of Memokath in treating iatrogenic ureteral strictures is associated with better quality of life, lower costs and a similar functional outcome when compared to ureteral double J stent that needs regular frequent changes

Fabrication of sulfonated polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes with an excellent antifouling performance by impregnating with polysulfopropyl acrylate coated ZnO nanoparticles

Sulfonated polyethersulfone/sulfopropyl methacrylate membranes impregnated with the polysulfopropyl acrylate coated ZnO nanoparticles were developed using a non-solvent-induced phase separation recipe. The composite membranes offered much-enhanced hydrophilicity and improved porosity, which are critical for the excellent antifouling performance and high permeate flux. By adding polysulfopropyl acrylate modified ZnO, it achieved the maximum water flux of 420 Lm−2h−1 while maintained the natural organic matter rejection rate of 99% with an excellent flux recovery ratio up to 99% in the antifouling measurement. The results display that the impregnation of ZnO nanoparticles in the sulfonated polyethersulfone membrane can effectively increase the surface hydrophilicity which is essential for reducing the irreversible fouling with improved long-term performance and excellent recyclability

Screening and diagnostic testing protocols for HIV and Syphilis infections in health care setting in Qatar: Evaluation and recommendations

Background HIV and Syphilis are common STIs, which have become a concern and burden on healthcare systems, as many infections go untreated and lead to potentially serious complications. HIV is usually diagnosed with Western blot, PCR, and p24 antigen testing. Whereas, Syphilis is mainly diagnosed through clinical findings and serologic testing. The Medical Commission Department (MC) under MOPH is responsible for screening all newcomers to Qatar, aiming to keep the country free from serious infectious diseases. Objective We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the protocols used in the MC for screening HIV and Syphilis infections. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of samples analyzed by 4th Generation ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo and Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) between January to December 2019. ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo positive samples were confirmed by INNO-LIA™ HIVI/II and RT-PCR. RPR-reactive samples were confirmed by ARCHITECT® Syphilis Treponema pallidium Antibody (Syphilis TPA) assay. Results For HIV, data were collected from 585,587 individuals, of which 595 (0.1%) were positive by the ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo (Analyzer A). When all initially positive sera were retested on newly collected blood samples using different ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo analyzer (analyzer B), 99.8% (594/595) of samples were also positive, suggesting high reproducibility. The positive predictive value (PPV) between ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo and the INNO-LIA™ HIVI/II confirmatory assay was 31.8%. The PPV between ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo and HIV-PCR assay was 26.8%. Retrospective data for Syphilis were collected from a total of 97,298 individuals who visited the MC, of which 198 (0.20%) were initially positive by RPR. The PPV between RPR and Syphilis TPA confirmatory assay was 36.6%. Conclusion Despite the high rate of false positivity using ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo and RPR screening assays, both assays have proven to be highly effective as screening testing methods

Renal Involvement in Leptospirosis: The Effect of Glycolipoprotein on Renal Water Absorption

on vasopressin (Vp) action in the guinea pig inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD). Copenhageni, GLPc, n = 5); Group II, IMCD from normal guinea-pigs in the presence of GLPc (GLPc group, n = 54); Group III, IMCD from injected animals with GLPc ip (n = 8). (GLPp, non pathogenic, 250 µg) did not alter Vp action. In Group III, GLPc (250 µg) injected intraperitoneally produced a decrease of about 20% in IMCD Aquaporin 2 expression.The IMCD Pf decrease caused by GLP is evidence, at least in part, towards explaining the urinary concentrating incapacity observed in infected guinea-pigs

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

EPIdemiology of Surgery-Associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) : Study protocol for a multicentre, observational trial

More than 300 million surgical procedures are performed each year. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after major surgery and is associated with adverse short-term and long-term outcomes. However, there is a large variation in the incidence of reported AKI rates. The establishment of an accurate epidemiology of surgery-associated AKI is important for healthcare policy, quality initiatives, clinical trials, as well as for improving guidelines. The objective of the Epidemiology of Surgery-associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) trial is to prospectively evaluate the epidemiology of AKI after major surgery using the latest Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) consensus definition of AKI. EPIS-AKI is an international prospective, observational, multicentre cohort study including 10 000 patients undergoing major surgery who are subsequently admitted to the ICU or a similar high dependency unit. The primary endpoint is the incidence of AKI within 72 hours after surgery according to the KDIGO criteria. Secondary endpoints include use of renal replacement therapy (RRT), mortality during ICU and hospital stay, length of ICU and hospital stay and major adverse kidney events (combined endpoint consisting of persistent renal dysfunction, RRT and mortality) at day 90. Further, we will evaluate preoperative and intraoperative risk factors affecting the incidence of postoperative AKI. In an add-on analysis, we will assess urinary biomarkers for early detection of AKI. EPIS-AKI has been approved by the leading Ethics Committee of the Medical Council North Rhine-Westphalia, of the Westphalian Wilhelms-University Münster and the corresponding Ethics Committee at each participating site. Results will be disseminated widely and published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences and used to design further AKI-related trials. Trial registration number NCT04165369