Stability indicating square-wave stripping voltammetric method for determination of gatifloxacin in pharmaceutical formulation and human blood

A fully validated, sensitive and precise stability-indicating square-wave adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetric method has been developed for determination of gatifloxacin in the bulk form, pharmaceutical formulation, and in spiked human serum and real plasma samples. The achieved detection limits of gatifloxacin in the bulk form and human serum were 1.5 × 10-9 and 2.2 × 10-9 mol L-1, respectively. The described method was applied successfully for determination of gatifloxacin in formulation and human biological samples without extraction prior to the analysis. No significant interferences from common excipients, some common metal ions, organic species, co-administrated drugs and from the acid-induced degradation products were obtained during analysis of gatifloxacin in the various analyzed samples. Besides, pharmacokinetic parameters of gatifloxacin in plasma of healthy volunteers following the administration of an oral single dose (400 mg gatifloxacin) were also estimated by means of the described stripping voltammetric method

Application of near infrared spectroscopy for evaluation of liver oxygenation and function

There is no readily available technique for measurement of liver oxygenation and function. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive technique originally developed for measuring cerebral oxygenation. This thesis has investigated its application for measurement of changes in hepatic tissue oxygenation and function. A new algorithm was developed for the hepatic application of NIRS. It was validated by comparing tissue oxygenation changes measured by NIRS with hepatic vein oxygenation in pigs. A significant correlation was found between hepatic vein oxygen partial pressure and hepatic oxyhaemoglobin (HbO2), deoxyhaemoglobin (Hb), and cytochrome oxidase (Cyt Ox) (r = 0.87, -0.86, and 0.91, respectively). NIRS measurement of Cyt Ox changes as an indicator of the intracellular tissue oxygenation correlated (r= 0.91) with cellular adenosine triphosphate levels measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A possible role for NIRS in monitoring hepatic blood flow was investigated in pigs by correlating liver tissue oxygenation and blood volume measured by NIRS with hepatic artery and portal vein blood flow. Changes to liver blood inflow were immediately reflected by alterations in liver tissue oxygenation and blood volume. With hepatic artery occlusion there was a significant decrease in Hb02 and total haemoglobin (HbT). Portal vein occlusion caused a greater reduction in Hb02 and HbT with a significant decrease in Cyt Ox. Total occlusion caused a further a decrease in Hb02 and HbT with a significant decrease in Cyt Ox. To investigate the possible role of NIRS in evaluating liver dysfunction, a rabbit model of ischaemia reperfusion (I/R) injury was used. Changes in hepatic Hb02 correlated with reduced flow in the hepatic microcirculation (HM) (r = 0.94). HbO2 changes correlated with the hepatocellular injury as shown by serum ALT, AST, and LDH (r = 0.89, 0.81 and 0.77, respectively). Also, HbO2 changes correlated with the reduction in the bile volume (r = -0.91). Intracellular oxygenation as reflected by changes of Cyt Ox correlated with HM changes (r = 0.93). A significant correlation was found between the Cyt Ox and serum ALT, AST, and LDH (r = 0.97, 0.90, and 0.85, respectively). Also, Cyt Ox correlated significantly with bile volume (r = -0.93). NIRS can measure hepatic indocyanine green (ICG) and this was studied in different animals models. In a rabbit model of acute hepatic dysfunction, ICG uptake rate correlated significantly with total hepatic blood flow (THBF) and HM (r = 0.79 and 0.59, respectively). In a rabbit l/R model, ICG excretion rate correlated with serum ALT, AST, and LDH (r = -0.73, -0.61, and -0.56, respectively) and bile volume (r = 0.83). In a rabbit model of fatty liver ICG rate of uptake correlated with THBF (r = 0.94) and HM (r = 0.96) and its excretion rate correlated with serum bilirubin (r = -0.89), ALT (r = -0.87), AST (r = -0.90), and albumin (r = 0.95). In conclusion NIRS can be used to monitor changes in hepatic tissue oxygenation and function. This technique has potential for clinical application in liver surgery and transplantation for evaluating hepatic tissue viability

Protective Effects of Carvedilol and Vitamin C against Azithromycin-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats via Decreasing ROS, IL1- β

The Food and Drug Administration recently warned of the fatal cardiovascular risks of azithromycin in humans. In addition, a recently published study documented azithromycin-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. This study aimed to justify the exact cardiovascular events accompanying azithromycin administration in rats, focusing on electrocardiographic, biochemical, and histopathological changes. In addition, the underlying mechanisms were studied regarding reactive oxygen species production, cytokine release, and apoptotic cell-death. Finally, the supposed protective effects of both carvedilol and vitamin C were assessed. Four groups of rats were used: (1) control, (2) azithromycin, (3) azithromycin + carvedilol, and (4) azithromycin + vitamin C. Azithromycin resulted in marked atrophy of cardiac muscle fibers and electrocardiographic segment alteration. It increased the heart rate, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine phosphokinase, malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, interleukin-1 beta (IL1-β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κB), and caspase-3. It decreased reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. Carvedilol and vitamin C prevented most of the azithromycin-induced electrocardiographic and histopathological changes. Carvedilol and vitamin C decreased lactate dehydrogenase, malondialdehyde, IL1-β, TNF-α, NF-κB, and caspase-3. Both agents increased glutathione peroxidase. This study shows that both carvedilol and vitamin C protect against azithromycin-induced cardiotoxicity through antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and antiapoptotic mechanisms

Identification of terrestrial gastropods species in Sohag Governorate, Egypt

The study aims to identify of terrestrial gastropods species in Sohag Governorate during the year 2016 and 2017. The present study was carried out for survey and identification for random land snail in 11 districts, i.e. (Tema, Tahta, Gehyena, El-Maragha, Saqultah, Sohag, Akhmim, El-Monshah, Gerga, El-Balyana, and Dar El-Salam) at Sohag Governorate, Egypt. Samples were collected from 5 different locations in each district during 2016-2017 seasons. The monthly samples were taken from winter and summer crops (areas were cultivated with the field crops such as wheat, Egyptian clover, and vegetables crops. The results showed that found two species of land snails, Monacha obstracta (Montagu) and Eobania vermiculata (Muller). It was also observed that the occurrence of the spread of land snails was increased from the previous periods. The results further indicated that land snails were recorded in Sohag for a second time more widespread and may be that this pest moved to these governorates with transportation, passengers from places spread these new places and happened to her adaptation and after have transferred from infestation regions so, have adapted under weather factors of new region also, several factors e.g., the presence of more preferable food, shelter, intra-specific competition, fecundity increasing, several hosts or habitat in the new ecosystems. Therefore, this study gives an interesting indication of the development of a plan in effective strategy for land snail’s management program in agro ecosystems in Upper Egypt

Deep Learning for Environmentally Robust Speech Recognition: An Overview of Recent Developments

Eliminating the negative effect of non-stationary environmental noise is a long-standing research topic for automatic speech recognition that stills remains an important challenge. Data-driven supervised approaches, including ones based on deep neural networks, have recently emerged as potential alternatives to traditional unsupervised approaches and with sufficient training, can alleviate the shortcomings of the unsupervised methods in various real-life acoustic environments. In this light, we review recently developed, representative deep learning approaches for tackling non-stationary additive and convolutional degradation of speech with the aim of providing guidelines for those involved in the development of environmentally robust speech recognition systems. We separately discuss single- and multi-channel techniques developed for the front-end and back-end of speech recognition systems, as well as joint front-end and back-end training frameworks

NORMAL VASCULAR REACTIVITY IS RESTORED BY APIGENIN IN DIABETIC RATS

Objective: Diabetes is a disease whose complications have serious implications for the health of sufferers; one of the most serious such complications is the deterioration of vascular reactivity. Apigenin is a natural flavonoid with PKC inhibiting and antioxidant properties. In this study, the impact of apigenin on vascular reactivity deterioration was investigated.Methods: Insulin resistance (IR) and insulin deficiency (ID) were induced by fructose and streptozotocin respectively. The isolated aortae vasoconstriction response to phenylephrine (PE) and potassium chloride (KCl) in addition to the vasodilation response to acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were tested.Results: IR and ID were associated with significantly exaggerated vasoconstriction to KCl and PE while significantly impaired vasodilation to ACh. Response to SNP was not significantly affected by both IR and ID. In vitro incubation with apigenin (7 7µM) for 20 min restored normal responses to PE, KCl and ACh in aortae isolated from insulin-resistant or insulin-deficient rats. Incubation for one hour with the PKC stimulant, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 800 nM) resulted in aortic impairment similar to that seen in aortae isolated from IR and ID animals. Incubation with both apigenin prevented PMA-induced exaggerated vasoconstriction response to both PE and KCl.Conclusion: Apigenin alleviates vascular exaggerated vasoconstriction and impaired dilation associated with diabetes or PKC activated

Pre-emptive nebulization of lidocaine epinephrine before anesthesia for rigid bronchoscopy in pediatric: a randomized controlled study

Background: Foreign body aspiration in pediatrics is usually managed by rigid bronchoscopy, which is associated with plenty of adverse events. Objective: We tried to compare the effect of nebulized saline, lidocaine or combined lidocaine with epinephrine on postoperative respiratory complications.Patients and methods: This prospective study included 90 children, who were divided into three groups according to the nebulized solution; NS group (normal saline 0.9%), L group (lidocaine 1% 4 mg.kg- 1) and LA group [4 mg.kg- 1 lidocaine 1% and adrenaline (1:1000) 3 mg). Our primary outcome was the incidence of post-operative respiratory complications, while the secondary ones included hemodynamic changes and the incidence of intraoperative cough or desaturation. Results: All pre-procedural data were insignificant among the three groups. The LA group expressed higher heart rates, while the L group showed a significant reduction when compared to NS group. Propofol consumption showed a significant decline in two studied groups compared to the NS group. Intraoperative cough was higher in NS group in comparison to L and LA groups. Although, intraoperative desaturation per case along with post-operative sedation showed no significant difference among the three groups, post-operative cough frequency attacks and severity were higher in NS group when compared to L and LA group and when L group were compared to LA group. Post-operative stridor was insignificant among the three groups.Conclusion: Nebulized lidocaine/adrenaline combination is appropriate option to achieve proper intraoperative sedation and upper airway conditions with reduction of post-operative negative respiratory outcomes together with minor hemodynamic changes

Improvement of drought tolerance in five different cultivars of Vicia faba with foliar application of ascorbic acid or silicon

Aim of study: To explore the role of ascorbic acid (AsA) or silicon (Si) in improving drought tolerance in five faba bean cultivars under irrigation water deficit (IWD).Area of study: The experimental farm; 30° 36′ N, 32° 16′ E, Egypt.Material and methods: Three drip irrigation regimes (WW, well-watered, 4000 m3 water ha-1; MD, moderate drought, 3000 m3 water ha-1; and SD, severe drought, 2000 m3 water ha-1) were applied to plants, which were sprayed 25, 40, and 55 days after sowing with 1.5 mM AsA or 2.0 mM Si vs distilled water as a control.Main results: Drought negatively affected physiological attributes (photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange parameters, relative water content, membrane stability index, electrolyte leakage (EL), and lipid peroxidation), which restricted plant growth and yields, and stimulated alterations in both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities. However, AsA or Si application mitigated drought effects on physiological attributes, improving growth, yields and water use efficiency by raising antioxidant activities and suppressing lipid peroxidation and EL in stressful cultivars. The mitigating effects of AsA and Si were more pronounced under MD.Research highlights: ‘Nubaria-2’, ‘Giza-843’, and ‘Sakha-3’ were more tolerant than ‘Giza-716’ and ‘Sakha-4’, suggesting the use of AsA or Si to ameliorate the IWD effects on stressful cultivars. Certain physiological traits exhibited positive association with growth and seed yield, demonstrating their importance in enhancing seed yield under irrigation treatments