Post-COVID syndrome: analysis of the prevalence of chemosensory dysfunction and predictive factors of recovery in COVID-19 long-haulers in Jordan.

OBJECTIVE: One of the major concerns of the post-COVID-19 era is elucidating and addressing the long-term complications of COVID-19. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A web-based questionnaire was distributed in Jordan to assess the prevalence and recovery from chemosensory dysfunction among COVID-19 long-haulers in Jordan. RESULTS: A total of 611 respondents complained of chemosensory dysfunction (age range = 18-68 years), and the majority of the respondents were female (88.4%). Parosmia was the most prevalent olfactory dysfunction reported (n = 337, 33.3%), and parageusia was the most frequently reported gustatory dysfunction (n = 239, 36.4%). Medications were not reported to be associated with a better perception of smell or taste by nearly half of those who had been treated (n = 146, 46.1%). Among participants who had received olfactory rehabilitation/training (n = 215, 35.2%), 43.7% (n = 94) reported modest improvement, with the most frequently helpful scents being coffee (n = 80, 24.8%), aromatic oils (n = 74, 23%), and perfumes/colognes (n = 73, 22.7%). Age was found to have a significant negative correlation with complete recovery. In addition, age (p < .05), anosmia (p < .001), hyperosmia (p < .001), ageusia (p < .05), and duration of olfactory dysfunction (p < .001) were all independent predictors of complete recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Chemosensory dysfunctions are largely subjective; therefore, more objective examinations are required to draw more definite conclusions.

Frequency of Post Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Acute Pancreatitis in an Academic Hospital of Bangladesh.

Post-ERCP acute pancreatitis (PEP) is a common and serious complication with high morbidity and mortality rates. There is a paucity of data on the frequency of PEP in a resource constraint setting like Bangladesh. Hence we have conducted a prospective study to determine the frequency of PEP and the factors associated with its occurrence. This prospective, observational study was carried out in Gastroenterology Department of Dhaka Medical College & Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh from April 2018 to December 2018 on the consecutive patients who underwent ERCP. PEP and its severity were diagnosed according to consensus definition. Serum lipase was done in all patients before procedure and 24 hours after procedure or if patient develops abdominal pain after the procedure which became earlier. Total 168 patients were included (mean age 46.97±14.35 years; male 72(43.0%). The most common indication of ERCP was choledocholithiasis 97(58.0%) followed by malignant biliary obstruction 45(27.0%), recurrent pyogenic cholangitis 8(5.0%), chronic pancreatitis 4(2.3%), biliary ascariasis 4(2.3%) and others 10(6.0%). Overall post ERCP complication rate was 46(27.3%) including cholangitis 29(17.3%), pancreatitis 16(9.5%), bleeding 12(7.1%), aspiration pneumonia 4(2.4%) and death 3(1.8%). Regarding the severity of PEP, 50.0%, 43.7% and 6.3% patients developed mild, moderate and severe pancreatitis respectively. Number of cannulation attempts >5 times [22(48%) vs. 17(14%); p=0.001], cannulation attempts duration more than 10 minutes [25(55%) vs. 27(22%); p=0.001], unintentional passage of guide wire into the pancreatic duct [8(17%) vs. 18(15%); p=0.001], pancreatic duct contrast injection [12(26%) vs. 2(1.6%); p=0.001] and pre-cut sphincterotomy [16(35%) vs. 6(4.9%); p=0.001] were significantly different between the patients who developed PEP compared to those who did not. In multiple logistic regressions analysis, pancreatic duct contrast injection was significantly associated with PEP [OR 25.523 with 95% CI (4.049- 100.0%)]. Around ten percent patients had developed PEP. Regarding the severity half of them were mild, 44.0% patients had moderate and 6.0% patient had severe type of pancreatitis. Difficult cannulation, unintentional passage of guide wire into the pancreas, pancreatic duct contrast injection and pre-cut sphincterotomy were associated with PEP. Among them pancreatic duct contrast injection had independent significance in the causation of PEP.

A novel potentiometric sensor based on ZnO decorated polyaniline/coal nanocomposite for diltiazem determination.

Diltiazem (DTZ) is one of the most effective medications for treating cardiovascular diseases. It has been widely used for the treatment of angina pectoris, hypertension and some types of arrhythmia. The development and application of a modified carbon paste sensor with improved detection limits for the potentiometric determination of diltiazem are the main goals of the current study. Sensitivity, long-term stability, reproducibility and improving the electrochemical performance are among the characteristics that have undergone careful examination. A modified carbon paste sensor based on ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) as ionophore, a lipophilic anionic additive (NaTPB) and a ZnO-decorated polyaniline/coal nanocomposite (ZnO@PANI/C) dissolved in dibutyl phthalate plasticizer, exhibited the best performance and Nernstian slope. The ZnO@PANI/C based sensor succeeded in lowering the detection limit to 5.0 × 10-7 through the linear range 1.0 × 10-6 to 1.0 × 10-2 mol L-1 with fast response time ≤ 10.0 s. The prepared nanomaterial was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The surface properties of the proposed sensor were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The selectivity behavior of the investigated sensor was tested against a drug with similar chemical structure and biologically important blood electrolytes (Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+). The proposed analytical method was applied for DTZ analysis in pure drug, pharmaceutical products and industrial water samples with excellent recovery data.

Short-term outcomes of reduced versus conventional ports in sleeve gastrectomy: A controlled clinical trial.

Aim: The study aims to compare the short-term outcomes of reduced ports sleeve gastrectomy versus conventional five ports sleeve gastrectomy in postoperative weight loss, morbidity rate, pain, and resolution of obesity-related diseases. Materials and Methods: One hundred forty patients were equally allocated to reduced ports (n = 70) and conventional ports (5 ports) Laparoscopic Gastrectomy groups. The primary outcomes are postoperative pain by numeric rating score, cosmetic visual analog score, satisfaction visual analog score, operative time, and hospital stay. The secondary outcomes are postoperative complications and comorbidity resolution. Results: The numeric rating score for pain assessment was statistically significantly lower in the reduced ports group compared with the conventional ports group at 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours, postoperatively (P < .001). Cosmetic visual analog score was statistically significantly higher in the reduced ports group compared with conventional ports group at 2 and 3 months follow-up (P < .001 and P = .008, respectively). Patient satisfaction visual analog score was statistically significantly higher in the reduced ports group than the conventional ports group at 2 and 3 months follow-up (P < .001 and P = .032, respectively). Conclusion: Reduced ports laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is safe and feasible in patients with body mass index (BMI) up to 50 kg/m2. It is cosmetically well appreciated with noticeable patient satisfaction. It should be practiced with regularity. Further trials should be considered in patients with high BMI (>50 kg/m2).

Silver diamine fluoride: A stem cell cytotoxicity and dentin growth factor release in-vitro study.

AIM: To investigate the effect of 38% SDF and its serial dilutions on the Stem cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous teeth (SHED) and its ability to release growth factors from deciduous dentine. METHODS: The viability of SHED post-exposure to 38%, 3.8%, 0.38%, 0.038%, and 0.0038% SDF were assessed at 2, 5, and 7 days using the CyQuant assay, and results were validated using the MTT assay. The osteogenic differentiation of the cells was also investigated post-exposure to 0.0038% SDF. The release of the growth factors; TGF-ß1, FGF-b, BMP-2, and VEGF from deciduous dentin discs exposed to 38% SDF, 0.0038% SDF, Ca(OH)2, MTA, and 17% EDTA were examined using ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed using means and standard deviations (p < 0.05). Two-way ANOVA compared the means of more than two groups with Tukey's multiple comparison test. The unpaired t-test was also used to compare the differences between the two data sets. CONCLUSION: 38% SDF released dentinogenic growth factors from dentin discs, potentially explaining its role in reactionary dentinogenesis. Moreover, 0.0038% SDF resulted in a non-cytotoxic concentration that enhanced cellular proliferation and released bioactive molecules from dentin comparable to the 38% concentration. After further investigations, the 0.0038% dilution of SDF could present itself as a clinical concentration.

Computer-based identification of olive oil components as a potential inhibitor of neirisaral adhesion a regulatory protein.

In silico methods such as molecular docking and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations have significant interest due to their ability to identify the protein-ligand interactions at the atomic level. In this work, different computational methods were used to elucidate the ability of some olive oil components to act as Neisseria adhesion A Regulatory protein (NadR) inhibitors. The frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) and the global properties such as global hardness, electronegativity, and global softness of ten olive oil components (α-Tocopherol, Erythrodiol, Hydroxytyrosol, Linoleic acid, Apigenin, Luteolin, Oleic acid, Oleocanthal, Palmitic acid, and Tyrosol) were reported using Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods. Among all investigated compounds, Erythrodiol, Apigenin, and Luteolin demonstrated the highest binding affinities (-8.72, -7.12, and -8.24 kcal/mol, respectively) against NadR, compared to -8.21 kcal/mol of the native ligand based on molecular docking calculations. ADMET properties and physicochemical features showed that Erythrodiol, Apigenin, and Luteolin have good physicochemical features and can act as drugs candidate. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrated that Erythrodiol, Apigenin, and Luteolin show stable binding affinity and molecular interaction with NadR. Further Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) analyses using the MD trajectories also demonstrated the higher binding affinity of Erythrodiol, Apigenin and Luteolin inside NadR protein. The overall study provides a rationale to use Erythrodiol, Apigenin, and Luteolin in the drug development as anti-adhesive drugs lead. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Influence of age and dietary cellulose levels on ileal endogenous energy losses in broiler chickens.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of age and dietary cellulose levels on the ileal endogenous energy losses (IEEL) in broiler chickens. In experiment 1, a glucose-based purified diet was used to determine the IEEL. Titanium dioxide (5.0 g/kg) was added to the diet as an indigestible marker. Six groups of broiler chickens aged 1 to 7, 8 to 14, 15 to 21, 22 to 28, 29 to 35 or 36 to 42 d posthatch, were utilized. With the exception of 1-7 d, the birds were fed a starter (d 1-21) and/or a finisher (d 22-35) diet before the experimental diet was introduced. The diet was randomly allocated to 6 replicate cages, and the number of birds per cage was 12 (d 1-7), 10 (d 8-14), and 8 (d 15-42). The ileal digesta were collected at the last day of each week (d 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42). Bird age had no effect (P > 0.05) on the IEEL estimates. The IEEL estimates ranged from 263 to 316 kcal/kg dry matter intake (DMI) during weeks 1 to 6. In Experiment 2, 4 glucose-based purified diets were developed using 0, 25, 50 and 75 g/kg cellulose. Titanium dioxide (5.0 g/kg) was added to the diets as an indigestible marker. The diets were randomly allocated to 6 replicate cages (8 birds per cage) and fed from 18 to 21 d posthatch and, ileal digesta were collected on d 21. The IEEL estimates of broiler chickens at 21 d of age showed a quadratic response (P < 0.05) to increasing cellulose contents. The lowest IEEL (88 kcal/kg DMI) was recorded for the diet without cellulose and the highest IEEL (430 kcal/kg DMI) was observed for the diet with 75 g/kg cellulose. Overall, the present findings confirmed that the IEEL in broiler chickens can be quantified by feeding a glucose-based purified diet. Broiler age had no influence on the IEEL estimates. The IEEL increased with increasing dietary cellulose contents and the IEEL determined using a purified diet without cellulose represents a better estimate of IEEL.

Apparent metabolizable energy of cereal grains for broiler chickens is influenced by age.

The current study was conducted to investigate the influence of broiler age on the AME and AMEn of 4 common cereal grains (wheat, sorghum, barley, and corn). Four experimental diets with the same inclusion (962 g/kg) of each grain were developed and fed to groups of broiler chickens aged 1 to 7, 8 to 14, 15 to 21, 22 to 28, 29 to 35, or 36 to 42 d post-hatch. Each diet, in pellet form, was randomly allocated to 6 replicate cages in each age group. Except for the 0 to 7 d age group, the birds were fed a starter (d 0-21) and/or a finisher (d 21-35) diet before the introduction of experimental diets. The number of birds per cage were 10 (d 1-7) and 8 (d 8-42). Excreta were collected over the last 4 d of each age period. The AME and AMEn of the grains were determined by the total excreta collection. Bird age influenced (P < 0.001) the AME and AMEn of all cereal grains. The AMEn of wheat declined quadratically (P < 0.01) with advancing age, from 3,461 kcal/kg in wk 1 to 3,219 kcal/kg in wk 2 and then plateaued. The AMEn of sorghum grain declined linearly (P < 0.001) with advancing age, from 3,762 kcal/kg in wk 1 to 3,614 kcal/kg in wk 2, plateaued to wk 5 and then declined to 3,556 kcal/kg in wk 6. A quadratic (P < 0.001) reduction in the AMEn of barley was observed as birds grew older, with the AMEn decreasing between wk 1 (3,286 kcal/kg) and wk 2 (2,988 kcal/kg), increasing in wk 3 (3,117 kcal/kg) and then plateauing. The AMEn of corn declined quadratically (P < 0.05) with advancing broiler age; the highest AMEn was observed in wk 1 and 5, the lowest AMEn in wk 2, with the other weeks being intermediate. In conclusion, the present results showed that broiler age has a substantial impact on the AME and AMEn of cereal grains and the effect varied depending on the cereal grain. These data suggest that age dependent AME and AMEn values may need to be considered when formulating broiler diets to improve the precision of feed formulation and production efficiency.

Frequency of Eosinophilic Esophagitis among Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Symptoms in an Academic Hospital of Bangladesh: A Cross Sectional Study.

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a disease of modern era. It was first described 40 years back. Since then it has drawn an immense interest among the clinicians. It is diagnosed by the presence of eosinophils count ≥15/HPF on esophageal biopsied mucosa in patients with symptoms of esopohageal dysfunction. It is more prevalent among patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. As its symptoms overlap with that of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), it is frequently overlooked & misdiagnosed which increases patients' sufferings. No data is available in Bangladesh. The objective of the study was to find out the frequency of eosinophilic esophagitis among patients with gastroesophageal reflux symptoms. The study was conducted at the Outpatient department of the department of Gastroenterology of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh from September 2018 to April 2019. One hundred and thirty three (133) consecutive patients with symptoms suggestive of gastroesophageal reflux disease based on validated questionnaire underwent upper GI endoscopy. Biopsies were taken from proximal and distal esophagus as well as any other endoscopically abnormal esophageal mucosal lesion. Among 133 patients with gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, 7 patients (5.3%) were found to be positive for eosinophilic esophagitis. Mean age at diagnosis was 37.28±13.38 years. It was more common in younger age group. Female patients (56%) were more than male patients (44%). Heart burn was the major symptom followed by acid regurgitation. Nocturnal cough showed statistically significant relationship with eosinophilic esophagitis. Although the frequency is low, it may be considered as a differential diagnosis among patients with GERD.

Socio-demographic Profile of COVID-19 Patients and Difficulties Faced by Them while Testing RT-PCR: A Multi-center Cross-sectional Study.

This study was aimed to find out the socio-demographic profiles as well as difficulties of Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing faced by Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted from 10th August to 7th September 2020. Data were collected by telephone interview using a pre-designed questionnaire after taking verbal consent from the participants. Out of 281 COVID-19 patients, 279 were diagnosed by RT-PCR; 10.3% were asymptomatic. Off them 67.6%were males, 24% were hospital staffs. Majority (66.2%) were from the non-city corporation area. History of recent contact with known COVID-19 patients was present in 56.9% cases. Fever (78.3%) and cough (58%) were the most common symptoms. One third of the patients faced difficulty to test RT-PCR for COVID-19. Sixteen percent patients complained of difficulty of getting serial for testing, the maximum waiting time was one week before giving samples. Thirty patients (10.8%) had to wait longer than usual time after reaching the center before giving sample. Hospital staffs were unable to co-operate in 2.5% of the patients while difficulty of managing transport to the hospital for suspected COVID-19 patient was an issue in 2.2% of the patients. Though testing was more difficult in city corporation areas (p=0.028), delay of getting test result was less (p<0.001). Maximum delay of getting test result was 10 days. Finding out the difficulties of COVID-19 testing will help to point out the issues behind these and will help to take necessary steps to tackle this matter. Testing rate can be increased to contain this highly contagious virus in this densely populated country.

Measurement of ileal endogenous energy losses and true ileal digestible energy of cereal grains for broiler chickens.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the ileal endogenous energy losses (IEEL) and nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) and true ileal digestible energy (TIDE) of 4 cereal grains (corn, sorghum, wheat, and barley) for broilers. In experiment 1, a glucose-based purified diet was used to determine the IEEL for correcting the apparent ileal digestible energy (AIDE) values to TIDE. The diet was randomly allocated to 6 replicates (6 birds per replicate) of male broilers and fed from 18 to 21 d after hatch. The jejunal and ileal digesta were collected on day 21. The results showed that glucose absorption continued beyond the jejunum but was complete in the terminal ileum demonstrating that endogenous energy losses can be quantified in the ileal digesta of birds by feeding a glucose-based diet. The IEEL were determined to be 347 ± 29.4 kcal/kg DM intake. In experiment 2, 4 experimental diets with similar inclusion (957 g/kg) of grains were developed to determine the AMEn, AIDE, and TIDE. Titanium dioxide (5.0 g/kg) was added to all diets as an indigestible marker. Each diet was randomly allocated to 6 replicates (8 birds per replicate) and fed from 14 to 21 d after hatch, and the ileal digesta were collected on day 21. The AIDE was corrected to TIDE using the IEEL value determined in experiment 1. The TIDE of corn, sorghum, wheat, and barley were determined to be 3,920, 3,650, 3,138, and 2,885 kcal/kg DM, respectively, and was higher (P < 0.05) than the corresponding AMEn values of 3,439, 3,284, 2,576, and 2,371 kcal/kg DM, respectively. No differences were observed between the AMEn and AIDE. The AMEn:TIDE ratio tended (P = 0.06) to be lower for viscous cereals (wheat and barley) than that for nonviscous cereals (corn and sorghum). The apparent ileal digestibility of DM, nitrogen, and starch was positively correlated (P < 0.001) with TIDE (r = 0.990, 0.703, and 0.705, respectively) and the AMEn (r = 0.873, 0.483, and 0.656, respectively). Further studies are warranted to determine the TIDE of a range of ingredients and to investigate the application of TIDE as a potential available energy system in poultry feed formulations.

Gastrointestinal Manifestations among COVID-19 Patients in Bangladesh: A Cross Sectional Study.

This study was done to find out the frequency of gastrointestinal manifestations among adult COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh. This descriptive cross sectional retrospective study was conducted from 27 May till 20 June 2020. Data were collected retrospectively from three different hospitals of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Patients were interviewed over telephone and verbal consents were taken. Their demographic and clinical profiles were put in the questionnaires by the investigators themselves. Statistical analysis was done thereafter. Out of 226 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, 145(61.4%) patients had gastrointestinal symptoms. Five of them had none other than gastrointestinal symptoms. Twenty six patients were asymptomatic. Mean age of the patients with were 41.6±14.8 years. Males were affected almost equally as the females (51.72% vs. 48.27%) (Ratio 1.1:1). Anorexia (44.7%) followed by diarrhoea (35%) and nausea (22.6%) were the predominant symptoms. Patients with co-morbidities (74.7%) were more prone to develop GI symptoms. Family members (71.6%) of COVID-19 patients with GI symptomatic patients were more affected than the others. Hospitalizations (77.6%) were more among GI symptomatic patients than the others. Thirty Five percent (35%) patients had diarrhoea. Mean duration of diarrhoea was 2.7±1.7 days with a frequency of were 4±1.8 days per day. Gastrointestinal manifestations are common among patients with COVID-19. Clinicians need to be aware of the GI features amongst COVID-19 patients so that they can be addressed and treated effectively and immediately. Further large scale study is needed to predict the disease outcome among COVID 19 patients with GI symptoms.

Polyaniline/Ag nanoparticles/graphene oxide nanocomposite fluorescent sensor for recognition of chromium (VI) ions.

Selective determination of toxic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a stringent important due to its huge negative impact on the health and environment. Recently, the high sensitivity, rapidness, and cost-effectiveness of the fluorescent sensors for Cr(VI) have been developed. A fluorescent nanocomposite (NC) has been synthesized based on doped polyaniline (PANI), 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPSA) capped Ag nanoparticles (NPs) and graphene oxide (GO) quantum dots (QDs) via in situ reaction for highly selective sensing of Cr(VI) ions based on the luminescent quenching in the range from 0.01 to 7.5 mg/L. This NC showed an emission peak at 348 nm with a linear range from 0.01 to 0.05 mg/L and the low limit of detection (LOD) was 0.0065 mg/L (~ 6 µg/L). PANI/Ag (AMPSA) GO QDs NC displayed high selectivity for Cr(VI) over other common metal ions. Notably, the PANI/Ag (AMPSA) GO QDs NC can be used for distinguishing Cr(VI) and Cr(III) in solutions. The sensitive determination of Cr(VI) in real surface water samples was also confirmed and demonstrated recoveries in the range 95.3-99.2%. This NC will emerge as a new class of fluorescence materials that could be suitable for practical applications.

Preparation and characterization of novel MWCNTs/Fe-Co doped TNTs nanocomposite for potentiometric determination of sulpiride in real water samples.

Novel multiwalled carbon nanotubes/ Fe-Co doped titanate nanotubes nanocomposite (MWCNTs/Fe-Co doped TNTs) facilitated the charge transfer and enhanced sensitivity and selectivity. Herein, three novel modified carbon paste sensors (CPSs) based on MWCNTs (sensor I), Fe-Co doped TNTs (sensor II) and MWCNTs/Fe-Co doped TNTs composite (sensor III) were fabricated for a simple, low cost and high accuracy electrochemical method for the potentiometric determination of sulpiride (SLP). The sensors exhibited excellent Nernstian slopes 57.1 ± 0.4, 56 ± 0.5 and 58.8 ± 0.2 mV decade-1 with detection limits (DL) 7.6 × 10-7, 1.58 × 10-6 and 8.7 × 10-8 mol L-1, quantification limits (QL) 2.5 × 10-6, 5.2 × 10-6 and 2.9 × 10-7 mol L-1 for a long lifetime 20, 18, and 25 weeks for sensors (I), (II), and (III), respectively. The modified sensor (III) was applicable by measuring the concentration of spiked SLP in pure solutions, pharmaceutical products, human urine, and real water samples. The proposed method can be used as an important analytical tool in the quality control of the pharmaceutical industry.

Highly Luminescent Ternary Nanocomposite of Polyaniline, Silver Nanoparticles and Graphene Oxide Quantum Dots.

Quantum dots (QDs) with photostability show a potential application in optical sensing and biological imaging. In this work, ternary nanocomposite (NC) of high fluorescent polyaniline (PANI)/2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPSA) capped silver nanoparticles (NPs)/graphene oxide quantum dots (PANI/Ag (AMPSA)/GO QDs) have been synthesized by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of Ag (AMPSA) NPs and GO QDs. Ag (AMPSA) NPs and GO QDs were prepared by AgNO3 chemical reduction and glucose carbonization methods, respectively. The prepared materials were characterized using UV-visible, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopies, X-Ray diffractometer (XRD) and high- resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). HRTEM micrographs confirmed the preparation of GO QDs with an average size of 15 nm and Ag (AMPSA) NPs with an average size of 20 nm. PANI/Ag (AMPSA)/GO QDs NC showed high and stable emission peak at 348 nm. This PANI/Ag (AMPSA)/GO QDs NC can emerge as a new class of fluorescence materials that could be suitable for practical sensing applications.

Utilization of blue panic (Panicum antidotale) as an alternative feed resource for feeding Barky sheep in arid regions.

This study aimed at elucidating effects of replacing sorghum with blue panic (BP) on total dry matter intake (TDMI), average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), apparent nutrient digestibility, blood biochemical constituents, rumen fermentation patterns and economic feasibility of Barky male lambs. Fifteen lambs (av. BW, 22.5 ± 1.6 kg) were randomly allotted into 3 treatments (n = 5/group). Control lambs were given a diet of concentrate mixture (CM) plus sorghum (S), BP50% lambs were given a diet of CM plus (S: PB 1:1) and BP100% lambs were given CM plus PB. The experiment lasted for 54 days. At the last week of the experiment, the apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients were determined using lignin contents of feeds and faeces as an internal marker. Blood samples were collected at weeks 3, 5 and 7 to determine serum biochemical parameters. Results showed that TDMI significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by diet, whereas ADG was not affected. Mean FCR values were 5.67, 5.46 and 5.86 for control, BP50% and BP100%, respectively. Neither nutrients digestibility nor ruminal fermentation parameters were affected (P > 0.05) by total replacement of sorghum with BP. Likewise, none of the serum biochemical constituents were different in BP than in control lambs. This study concluded that BP grass would be considered as one of the promising tropical green forages in the arid regions as an alternative feedstuff in case of shortage of green fodders.

Synthesis of recyclable carbon/lignin biocomposite sorbent for in-situ uptake of BTX contaminants from wastewater.

In this work, both palm-date pits and pulping black liquor industrial wastes were recycled as low-cost starting materials for the production of three series of granule activated carbon (gAC)/Kraft lignin (KL) (gAC/KLx, x = 33, 50 and 67%) biocomposites using a one-pot solid-state method. The gAC/KLx biocomposites with defined characteristics were examined towards batch adsorption of BTX (Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene) in multi-solute salty wastewaters. Optimization of adsorption performances under different experimental conditions were carried out using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Adsorption modeling versus contact time (0-12 h) and BTX concentrations (150-2250 mg/L) were examined using non-linear forms of nine kinetic and five isotherm equations to best understand gAC/KL0.5 suitability for BTX sorption/recovery processing. Accordingly, the gAC/KLx at KL blended ratio of 50% was found to be the topmost to achieve the highest BTX capacity even at broad ranges of water salinity (0-100 g/L) and pH (3-9) values. The adsorption mechanism found to best described by physico-sorption (E ≈ 0.12-1.38 kJ/mol) via the hydrophobic interaction and diffusion mechanisms. In respect to gAC/KL0.5 affinities, the sorption capacity followed the descending sequence of X ≥ T > B. Particularly, the maximum theoretical BTX capacity using the best fitted Langmuir-Freundlich model (L-FM) for gAC/KL0.5 was found to be slightly higher than obtained by gAC (363.9 and 360.1 mg/g, respectively), along with higher initial sorption (h) rate (≈742.47 mg/g.h) than of gAC (≈559.85 mg/g.h) and KL (≈22.22 mg/g.h). Batch BTX sorption/recovery processes and estimated cost suggested the effective utilization of gAC/KL0.5 as a promising in-expensive sorbent (0.31 ±â€¯0.05 US$/kg) for commercial decontamination of petroleum hazardous (BTX) pollutants from wastewaters up to five reuse cycles.

Can stature be estimated from tooth crown dimensions? A study in a sample of South-East Asians.

OBJECTIVE: Stature estimation is an important step during medico-legal and forensic examination. Difficulty arises when highly decomposed and mutilated dead bodies with fragmentary remains are brought for forensic identification like in mass disaster or airplane crash. The body remains could be just a jaw with some teeth. The objective of this study was to explore if the stature of an individual can be determined from the tooth crown dimensions. DESIGN: A total of 201 volunteers participated in this study. The stature and clinical crown dimensions (length, mesiodistal and labiolingual diameters) of maxillary anterior teeth were measured. Correlation between crown dimensions and stature was analyzed by Pearson correlation test. Regression analysis was used to get equations for estimation of stature from crown measurements. The regression equations were applied in the same sample of volunteers that was used to obtain the equations. The reliability and accuracy of the equations were checked in another sample of volunteers. RESULTS: Length and mesiodistal diameter of the crown of central incisors and canines showed significant albeit low to moderate correlations (0.35-0.45) with the stature. The correlation co-efficient values were higher (as high as 0.537) when summation of the measurements was taken for analysis. The regression equations when applied to the same and a test sample of volunteers revealed that differences between actual and estimated stature can be as low as 0.01 to as much as 16.50cm. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that although there are some degrees of positive correlations between stature and tooth crown dimensions, stature estimation from the tooth crown dimensions cannot provide the accuracy of estimation as required in forensic situations. The stature estimation accuracy using tooth crown dimensions is comparable to that of cephalo-facial dimensions but inferior to that of long bones.

Multiwall carbon nanotubes chemically modified carbon paste electrodes for determination of gentamicin sulfate in pharmaceutical preparations and biological fluids.

This article focused on the construction and characteristics of novel and sensitive gentamicin carbon paste electrodes which are based on the incorporation of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) which improve the characteristics of the electrodes. The electrodes were constructed based on gentamicin-phosphotungstate (GNS-PTA) called CPE1, gentamicin-phosphomolybdate (GNS-PMA) called CPE2, GNS-PTA+ MWMCNTs called MWCPE1, and GNS-PMA+ MWMCNTs called MWCPE2. The constructed electrodes, at optimum paste composition, exhibited good Nernstian response for determination of gentamicin sulfate (GNS) over a linear concentration range from 2.5×10(-6) to 1×10(-2), 3.0×10(-6) to 1×10(-2), 4.9×10(-7) to 1×10(-2) and 5.0×10(-7) to 1×10(-2)molL(-1), with lower detection limit 1×10(-6), 1×10(-6), 1.9×10(-7) and 2.2×10(-7)molL(-1), and with slope values of 29.0±0.4, 29.2±0.7, 31.2±0.5 and 31.0±0.6mV/decade for CPE1, CPE2, MWCPE1 and MWCPE2, respectively. The response of electrodes is not affected by pH in the range 3-8 for CPE1 and CPE2 and in the range 2.5-8.5 for MWCPE1 and MWCPE2. The results showed fast dynamic response time (about 8-5s) and long lifetime (more than 2months) for all electrodes. The sensors showed high selectivity for gentamicin sulfate (GNS) with respect to a large number of interfering species. The constructed electrodes were successfully applied for determination of GNS in pure form, its pharmaceutical preparations and biological fluids using standard addition and potentiometric titration methods with high accuracy and precision.

Pattern of congenital heart diseases.

This prospective observational study was done to find out the frequency of various forms of congenital heart disease (CHD) diagnosed by echocardiography. During the study period (January 2002 to December 2005) 2050 patients were screened by echocardiography. All patients were evaluated by cardiologists and had chest radiograph, electrocardiogram and echocardiography. Total 2050 patients were studied and among them 1071 had congenital heart disease. Male was 561(52.38%) and female was 510(47.62%). Atrial septal defect (ASD) was 374(34.92%), ventricular septal defect (VSD) was 318(29.69%), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) 83(7.75%), pulmonary stenosis (PS) 58(5.42%), tetralogy of Fallot 162(15.13%), transposition of great vessels (TGA) 16(1.49%), Ebstein anomaly 5(0.4%), coarctation of aorta 1(0.09%) and single ventricle 2(0.19%). This distribution is more or less similar to that reported in studies at home and abroad. In this study atrial septal defect (ASD) was the commonest in acyanotic CHD and tetralogy of Fallot was the commonest cyanotic CHD.