Association of serum sodium and 24-hour urinary sodium level with the severity and complications of ascites in cirrhotic patients.

Hyponatremia is an independent predictor of mortality in cirrhotic patients but little is known regarding the relationship between the level of serum sodium and 24-hour urinary sodium with the development of severity and complications of cirrhotic ascites. To observe the association of serum sodium and 24-hour urinary sodium levels with different grades of ascites and its complications in cirrhotic patients. In the department of Gastroenterology in a tertiary care hospital, this cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2019 to September 2020. A total of 96 admitted cirrhotic patients with ascites were enrolled in this study by consecutive sampling. Out of 96 patients with cirrhotic ascites, 48 patients had mild, moderate, and severe ascites and 48 patients had complications of ascites like refractory ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and hepatorenal syndrome. The mean serum sodium level was 131.69 ±â€…4.90 and 124.88 ±â€…5.67 mmol/L and the 24-hour urinary sodium level was 76.82 ±â€…45.64 and 35.26 ±â€…22.57 mmol/L in uncomplicated and complicated ascites groups respectively with P value < .001. In grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 ascites, there was a significant (P = .001), association between mean serum sodium (mmol/L) level (R -0.777) and 24-hour urine sodium (mmol/L) level (R -0.704) but no significant difference was seen when refractory ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and hepatorenal syndrome were considered. In our finding, low serum sodium and low 24-hour urinary sodium levels were associated with the development of severe complications of cirrhotic ascites. Hence, Serum sodium and 24-hour urinary sodium levels can be good predictors of grading and complications of cirrhotic ascites.

Multiple Carbon Morphologies Derived from Polyion Complex-Based Double Hydrophilic Block Copolymers as Templates and Phenol as a Carbon Precursor.

This study demonstrates the multiple carbon morphology forming abilities of two dissimilar polyion complex (PIC)-based double hydrophilic block copolymers (DHBC) along with three different phenol concentrations when subjecting the blend in aqueous media via a hydrothermal-assisted carbonization strategy. The morphological transition from worm-like to spherical along with granular is found for the blend of oppositely charged poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-conjugated poly(amino acid) block copolymers, PEG-poly(l-lysine) (PEG-PLys) and PEG-poly(glutamic acid) (PEG-PGlu), along with three different concentrations of phenol. In contrast, after mixing the combination of PEG-PLys and PEG-poly(aspartic acid) (PEG-PAsp) separately with three different phenol contents, elliptical to irregular to spherical structural transition occurred. Fourier transform infrared and circular dichroism spectroscopic studies indicated that the formation of worm-like hybrid micellar structures is attributed to the presence of the ß-sheet structure, whereas spherical-shaped hybrid micellar structures are formed due to the existence of α-helix and random coil structures. We discuss the mechanism for the secondary structure-induced morphology formation based on the theory related to the packing parameter, which is commonly used for analyzing the shape of the micellar structures. Secondary structures of the PIC-based DHBC system are responsible for forming multiple carbon morphologies, whereas these structures are absent in the case of the amphiphilic block copolymer (ABC) system. Furthermore, ABC-based template methods require organic solvent, ultrasonication, and a prolonged solvent evaporation process to obtain multiple carbon morphologies. Scanning electron microscopy observations suggested there is no significant morphological change even after subjecting the hybrid micelles to carbonization at elevated temperatures. Raman scattering studies revealed that the degree of graphitization and the graphitic crystallite domain size of the carbonized sample depend on the phenol content. Carbon materials exhibited the highest specific surface area of 579 m2 g-1 along with a pore volume of 0.398 cc g-1, and this observation suggests that the prepared carbons are porous. Our findings illustrate the facile and effective strategy to fabricate the multiple carbon morphologies that can be used as potential candidates for energy storage applications.

Quality of Life of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Bangladesh.

Introduction The importance of maintaining quality of life in managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased in recent years. However, there is a lack of studies examining the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of IBD patients in Bangladesh. Methodology This cross-sectional study was carried out in the IBD clinic, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) from 2020 to 2022. Data were collected from both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) patients. HRQoL was recorded on the EuroQol 5 Dimension 5 Level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done by Statistical Analysis Software (SAS, SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Results The mean age was 36.3 years. The majority of the patients were male and had low incomes. People with more monthly income, more frequent relapse, extraintestinal involvement, and moderate to severe disease had lower utility index (p = 0.01, 0.01, 0.0004, and <0.0001, respectively). Among the five individual components, only usual activity was lower in UC patients (p = 0.03); all the other components and consequently the overall utility index did not vary between UC and CD. The visual analog scale (VAS) score seemed to be comparable in UC and CD patients. Conclusion In more severe and frequently relapsing cases of IBD, the utility index representing HRQoL was found to be lower. Comparatively, the HRQoL was mostly similar between patients with UC and CD. Additionally, the mean utility score in IBD patients was higher than that observed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Bangladesh.

Unraveling the Complexity of Nano-Dispersoids in the Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Alloy 617.

Nanocrystalline oxides are mainly responsible for Ni-base oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) superalloys excellent thermo-mechanical properties. To establish the microstructural correlations between the metallic matrix and various oxide dispersoids, we report here the atomic-scale structure and chemistry of the complex nano-oxide dispersoids. Ultrahigh-resolution Cs-aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) based techniques have been used to resolve nano-dispersoids in the Alloy 617 ODS. These nano-oxides, interestingly, possess a variety of high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) contrasts, that is, bright, dark, and bi-phases. Both the light and heavy atoms have been found to be present in Y­Al­O complex-oxide nanostructures in varying quantities and forming a characteristic interface with the metallic matrix. In overcoming the limitation of conventional STEM-HAADF imaging, the integrated differential phase-contrast imaging technique was employed to investigate the oxygen atoms along with other elements in the dispersoids and its interface with the matrix. The most intriguing aspect of the study is the discovery of a few atoms thick Al2O3 interlayer (shell) around a monoclinic Y­Al­O core in the Ni-matrix. On the other hand, when the dispersoid is a hexagonal type Y­Al­O complex, the interface energy is already low, maintaining a semi-coherent interface and it was devoid of a shell.

Direct Visualization of the Earliest Stages of Crystallization.

Investigating the earliest stages of crystallization requires the transmission electron microscope (TEM) and is particularly challenging for materials which can be affected by the electron beam. Typically, when imaging at magnifications high enough to observe local crystallinity, the electron beam's current density must be high to produce adequate image contrast. Yet, minimizing the electron dose is necessary to reduce the changes caused by the beam. With the advent of a sensitive, high-speed, direct-detection camera for a TEM that is corrected for spherical aberration, it is possible to probe the early stages of crystallization at the atomic scale. High-quality images with low contrast can now be analyzed using new computing methods. In the present paper, this approach is illustrated for crystallization in a Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST-225) phase-change material which can undergo particularly rapid phase transformations and is sensitive to the electron beam. A thin (20 nm) film of GST-225 has been directly imaged in the TEM and the low-dose images processed using Python scripting to extract details of the nanoscale nuclei. Quantitative analysis of the processed images in a video sequence also allows the growth of such nuclei to be followed.

Phase evolution and structural modulation during in situ lithiation of MoS2, WS2 and graphite in TEM.

Li-ion batteries function by Li intercalating into and through the layered electrode materials. Intercalation is a solid-state interaction resulting in the formation of new phases. The new observations presented here reveal that at the nanoscale the intercalation mechanism is fundamentally different from the existing models and is actually driven by nonuniform phase distributions rather than the localized Li concentration: the lithiation process is a 'distribution-dependent' phenomena. Direct structure imaging of 2H and 1T dual-phase microstructures in lithiated MoS2 and WS2 along with the localized chemical segregation has been demonstrated in the current study. Li, a perennial challenge for the TEM, is detected and imaged using a low-dose, direct-electron detection camera on an aberration-corrected TEM and confirmed by image simulation. This study shows the presence of fully lithiated nanoscale domains of 2D host matrix in the vicinity of Li-lean regions. This confirms the nanoscale phase formation followed by Oswald ripening, where the less-stable smaller domains dissolves at the expense of the larger and more stable phases.

Anti-inflammatory activity of Adenanthera pavonina L., Fabaceae, in experimental animals / Atividade anti-inflamatória de Adenanthera pavonina L., Fabaceae, em animais experimentais

Adenanthera pavonina L, Fabaceae alt. Leguminosae, Bengali name 'rakta kombol', is an Indian medicinal plant. It is endemic to Southern China and India, and widely naturalized in Malaysia, Western and Eastern Africa as well as in most islands of both the Pacific and Caribbean regions. This plant has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of asthma, boil, diarrhoea, gout, inflammations, rheumatism, tumour and ulcers, and as a tonic. The dried and ground bark of A. pavonina L. was extracted, successively, with petroleum ether (PE), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and methanol (MeOH), and the resulting extracts were assessed in vivo for anti-inflammatory activity on carrageenan-induced rat hind paw oedema as a model of inflammation. The extracts were administered orally at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight, and statistically significant (p<0.001) anti-inflammatory effects were observed in a dose dependant manner. The MeOH extract (400 mg/kg) showed 37.10 percent (p<0.01) inhibition of inflammation at the first hour of the study and, the DCM extract (400 mg/kg) exhibited 33.11 percent (p<0.001) inhibition of inflammation at the third hour of the study which was comparable with that of reference standard drug dichlofenac sodium. The results of this study supported some of the traditional medicinal uses of this plant.

Adenanthera pavonina L, Fabaceae, conhecida na região de Bengala por "rakta kombol", é uma planta medicinal endêmica do sul da China e da Índia e amplamente difundida na Malásia, África Ocidental e Oriental, bem como na maioria das ilhas de ambas as regiões do Pacífico e Caribe. Esta planta tem sido utilizada na medicina tradicional para o tratamento da asma, febre, diarréia, gota, inflamações, reumatismo tumor, úlceras, e como tônico. Cascas secas e moídas de A. pavonina foi submetida a extração sucessiva com éter de petróleo (PE), diclorometano (DCM), acetato de etila (AcOEt) e metanol (MeOH), e os extratos foram avaliados in vivo para atividade anti-inflamatória induzida por carragenina tendo como ensaio modelo de inflamação edema de pata em ratos.. Os extratos foram administrados por via oral em doses de 200 e 400 mg/kg de peso corporal, e foram observadas efeitos anti-inflamatórios de maneira dose-dependente, estatisticamente significativos (p<0,001). O extrato metanólico (400 mg/kg) apresentou 37,10 por cento (p<0,01) de inibição da inflamação na primeira hora do estudo e, o extrato DCM (400 mg/kg) apresentou 33,11 por cento (p<0,001) na inibição da inflamação na terceira hora do estudo, que foi comparável ao resultado da substância de referência diclofenato de sódio. Os resultados deste estudo confirmaram alguns dos usos tradicionais desta planta medicinal.