Prevention of Radiocontrast-Induced Nephropathy after Coronary Angiography: N-Acetylcysteine plus Saline Hydration versus Saline Hydration

Purpose: To compare the incidence of radiocontrast-induced nephropathy (RCIN) in patients undergoing coronary angiography pretreated with N-acetylcysteine NAC plus saline hydration or saline hydration alone and to determine the association between various risk factors and RCIN.Methods: Patients were retrospectively evaluated over a one-year period. RCIN was defined as an acute rise in serum creatinine of at least 0.5 mg/dl or more than 25 % from baseline value. SPSS software, version 13 was used for data analysis.Results: Overall, 299 patients were studied. Thirteen patients (4.3%) developed RCIN. RCIN was 3.3 % in patients treated with hydration, and 8.3 % in patients treated with NAC plus hydration (p = 0.09). Inpatients with RCIN, the changes in creatinine and % change in creatinine after 24 h were significantly lower in the NAC plus hydration group (p = 0.039 and p = 0.042, respectively). RCIN was significantly associated with male gender (p = 0.017), history of renal failure (p = 0.006), ischemic heart disease (p =0.003), and diuretic treatment (p = 0.013).Conclusion: NAC plus saline hydration may not be more effective than saline hydration alone in decreasing RCIN after coronary angiography. Additional efforts to find an ideal preventive treatment are needed

Essential oils from the leaves of six medicinal palnts of Nigeria

The chemistry of Cassia siamea L., C. occidentalis L. (Fabaceae), Cnestis ferruginea Vahl ex DC (Connaraceae), Anthocleista djalonensis A. Chev (Loganiaceae), Solanum torvum Swartz and S. erianthum G. Don (Solanaceae) volatiles grown in Nigeria have been studied. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The main compounds of C. siamea were (E)-geranyl acetone (5.8%), 1-octen-3-ol (5.8%), linalool (7.8%), iso-italicene (15.4%) and (E)-β-damascenone (11.0%). On the other hand, C. occidentalis consisted mainly of (E)-geranyl acetone (8.0%), hexahydrofarnesylacetone (24.0%) and (E)-phytol acetate (40.7%). The oil of C. ferruginea was comprised mainly of (E)-geranyl acetone (13.7%), (E)-α-ionone (9.5%), phytol (5.8%), pentadecanal (6.1%) and 1-octen-3-ol (5.5%). The main compounds of A. djalonensis were α-humulene (31.9%), β-caryophyllene (17.8%), humulene epoxide II (12.7%) and caryophyllene oxide (5.9%). The main volatiles of S. torvum were (E)-phytol acetate (38.7%), pentadecanal (25.3%) and (E)-geranyl acetone (5.0%). Apart from methyl salicylate (4.5%), tetradecanal (2.2%), 2-pentyl furan (1.8%), hexahydrofarnesylacetone (1.6%) and hexadecanal (1.1%), all other compounds were either present in trace quantity or in amounts less than 1%. On the other hand, α-humulene (46.6%) and β-caryophyllene (20.6%) were the compounds occurring in higher quantities in S. erianthum. The volatile oil contents of Cassia siamea, Cnestis ferruginea, Anthocleista djalonensis and Solanum torvum are being reported for the first tim

Genetic diversity of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in imported and domestic camels in Saudi Arabia

Camels gained attention since the discovery of MERS-CoV as intermediary hosts for potentially epidemic zoonotic viruses. DcHEV is a novel zoonotic pathogen associated with camel contact. This study aimed to genetically characterize DcHEV in domestic and imported camels in Saudi Arabia. DcHEV was detected by RT-PCR in serum samples, PCR-positive samples were subjected to sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. DcHEV was detected in 1.77% of samples with higher positivity in domestic DCs. All positive imported dromedaries were from Sudan with age declining prevalence. Domestic DcHEV sequences clustered with sequences from Kenya, Somalia, and UAE while imported sequences clustered with one DcHEV isolate from UAE and both sequences clustered away from isolates reported from Pakistan. Full-genome sequences showed 24 amino acid difference with reference sequences. Our results confirm the detection of DcHEV in domestic and imported DCs. Further investigations are needed in human and camel populations to identify DcHEV potential zoonosis threat

Controlling metal ion migration in contaminated groundwater with Iraqi clay barriers for water resource protection

This study investigates the effectiveness of using Iraqi clay as a low-permeability layer to prevent the migration of lead and nickel ions in groundwater-aquifers. Tests of batch operation have been conducted to determine the optimal conditions for removing Pb2+ ions, which were found to be 120 minutes of contact time, a pH of 5, 0.12 g of clay per 100 mL of solution, and an agitation of 250 rpm. These conditions resulted in a 90% removal efficiency for a 50 mg L−1 initial concentration of lead ions. To remove nickel ions with an efficiency of 80%, the optimal conditions were 60 minutes of contact time, a pH of 6, 12 g of clay per 100 mL of solution, and an agitation of 250 rpm. Several sorption models were evaluated, and the Langmuir formula was found to be the most effective. The highest sorption capacities were 1.75 and 137 mg g−1 for nickel and lead ions, respectively. The spread of metal ions was simulated using finite element analysis in the COMSOL multiphysics simulation software, taking into account the presence of a clay barrier. The results showed that the barrier creates low-discharge zones along the down-gradient of the barrier, reducing the rate of pollutant migration to protect the water sources

Effects of prenatal food and micronutrient supplementation on child growth from birth to 54 months of age: a randomized trial in Bangladesh

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is a lack of information on the optimal timing of food supplementation to malnourished pregnant women and possible combined effects of food and multiple micronutrient supplementations (MMS) on their offspring's growth. We evaluated the effects of prenatal food and micronutrient interventions on postnatal child growth. The hypothesis was that prenatal MMS and early invitation to food supplementation would increase physical growth in the offspring during 0-54 months and a combination of these interventions would further improve these outcomes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the large, randomized MINIMat trial (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab), Bangladesh, 4436 pregnant women were enrolled between November 2001 and October 2003 and their children were followed until March 2009. Participants were randomized into six groups comprising 30 mg Fe and 400 μg folic acid (Fe30F), 60 mg Fe and 400 μg folic acid (Fe60F) or MMS combined with either an early (immediately after identification of pregnancy) or a later usual (at the time of their choosing, i.e., usual care in this community) program invitation to food supplementation. The anthropometry of 3267 children was followed from birth to 54 months, and 2735 children were available for analysis at 54 months.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were no differences in characteristics of mothers and households among the different intervention groups. The average birth weight was 2694 g and birth length was 47.7 cm, with no difference among intervention groups. Early invitation to food supplementation (in comparison with usual invitation) reduced the proportion of stunting from early infancy up to 54 months for boys (p = 0.01), but not for girls (p = 0.31). MMS resulted in more stunting than standard Fe60F (p = 0.02). There was no interaction between the food and micronutrient supplementation on the growth outcome.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Early food supplementation in pregnancy reduced the occurrence of stunting during 0-54 months in boys, but not in girls, and prenatal MMS increased the proportion of stunting in boys. These effects on postnatal growth suggest programming effects in early fetal life.</p> <p>Trial registration number</p> <p>ISRCTN: <a href="http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN16581394">ISRCTN16581394</a></p

Plasmodium knowlesi thioredoxin peroxidase 1 binds to nucleic acids and has RNA chaperone activity

Malaria parasites are under oxidative attack throughout their life cycle in human body and mosquito vector. Therefore, Plasmodium antioxidant defenses are crucial for its survival and being considered as interesting target for antimalarial drug design. Plasmodium knowlesi has emerged recently from its simian host to human in Southeast Asia and has been recognized as the fifth Plasmodium species that can cause human malaria. In this study, we cloned and characterized thioredoxin peroxidase 1 from P. knowlesi (PkTPx-1). PkTPx-1 gene was cloned, and recombinant protein was produced by heterologous overexpression in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was used for evaluation of enzymatic activity and polyclonal antibody production. Using the recombinant PkTPx-1 protein, its antioxidant activity was confirmed in a mixed-function oxidation assay where PkTPx-1 prevented nicking of DNA by hydroxyl radicals. PkTPx-1 was able to bind to double-strand DNA and RNA and had RNA chaperone activity in a nucleic acid melting assay indicating new function of PkTPx-1 other than antioxidant activity. Using specific polyclonal antibodies, it was indicated that PkTPx-1 is expressed in the cytoplasm of the parasite. Altogether, these results suggest that PkTPx-1 not only protects the parasite from the adverse effects of reactive oxygen species but also has RNA chaperone activity

The impact of corporate social responsibility disclosure on financial performance : evidence from the GCC Islamic banking sector.

This paper examines the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial performance for Islamic banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region over the period 2000–2014 by generating CSR-related data through disclosure analysis of the annual reports of the sampled banks. The findings of this study indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between CSR disclosure and the financial performance of Islamic banks in the GCC countries. The results also show a positive relationship between CSR disclosure and the future financial performance of GCC Islamic banks, potentially indicating that current CSR activities carried out by Islamic banks in the GCC could have a long-term impact on their financial performance. Furthermore, despite demonstrating a significant positive relationship between the composite measure of the CSR disclosure index and financial performance, the findings show no statistically significant relationship between the individual dimensions of the CSR disclosure index and the current financial performance measure except for ‘mission and vision’ and ‘products and services’. Similarly, the empirical results detect a positive significant association only between ‘mission and vision’ dimension and future financial performance of the examined banks

The Effect of Iron Limitation on the Transcriptome and Proteome of Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf-5

One of the most important micronutrients for bacterial growth is iron, whose bioavailability in soil is limited. Consequently, rhizospheric bacteria such as Pseudomonas fluorescens employ a range of mechanisms to acquire or compete for iron. We investigated the transcriptomic and proteomic effects of iron limitation on P. fluorescens Pf-5 by employing microarray and iTRAQ techniques, respectively. Analysis of this data revealed that genes encoding functions related to iron homeostasis, including pyoverdine and enantio-pyochelin biosynthesis, a number of TonB-dependent receptor systems, as well as some inner-membrane transporters, were significantly up-regulated in response to iron limitation. Transcription of a ribosomal protein L36-encoding gene was also highly up-regulated during iron limitation. Certain genes or proteins involved in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites such as 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG), orfamide A and pyrrolnitrin, as well as a chitinase, were over-expressed under iron-limited conditions. In contrast, we observed that expression of genes involved in hydrogen cyanide production and flagellar biosynthesis were down-regulated in an iron-depleted culture medium. Phenotypic tests revealed that Pf-5 had reduced swarming motility on semi-solid agar in response to iron limitation. Comparison of the transcriptomic data with the proteomic data suggested that iron acquisition is regulated at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels

The use of antenatal and postnatal care: perspectives and experiences of women and health care providers in rural southern Tanzania

BACKGROUND\ud \ud Although antenatal care coverage in Tanzania is high, worrying gaps exist in terms of its quality and ability to prevent, diagnose or treat complications. Moreover, much less is known about the utilisation of postnatal care, by which we mean the care of mother and baby that begins one hour after the delivery until six weeks after childbirth. We describe the perspectives and experiences of women and health care providers on the use of antenatal and postnatal services.\ud \ud METHODS\ud \ud From March 2007 to January 2008, we conducted in-depth interviews with health care providers and village based informants in 8 villages of Lindi Rural and Tandahimba districts in southern Tanzania. Eight focus group discussions were also conducted with women who had babies younger than one year and pregnant women. The discussion guide included information about timing of antenatal and postnatal services, perceptions of the rationale and importance of antenatal and postnatal care, barriers to utilisation and suggestions for improvement.\ud \ud RESULTS\ud \ud Women were generally positive about both antenatal and postnatal care. Among common reasons mentioned for late initiation of antenatal care was to avoid having to make several visits to the clinic. Other concerns included fear of encountering wild animals on the way to the clinic as well as lack of money. Fear of caesarean section was reported as a factor hindering intrapartum care-seeking from hospitals. Despite the perceived benefits of postnatal care for children, there was a total lack of postnatal care for the mothers. Shortages of staff, equipment and supplies were common complaints in the community.\ud \ud CONCLUSION\ud \ud Efforts to improve antenatal and postnatal care should focus on addressing geographical and economic access while striving to make services more culturally sensitive. Antenatal and postnatal care can offer important opportunities for linking the health system and the community by encouraging women to deliver with a skilled attendant. Addressing staff shortages through expanding training opportunities and incentives to health care providers and developing postnatal care guidelines are key steps to improve maternal and newborn health