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Advanced technologies, such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), are a valuable tool which can enhance and simplify the industrial process monitoring if used correctly. State-of-the-art approaches for screening the cell growth of for example yeast during the brewing process still heavily rely on offline methods such as methylene blue or florescence dye-based staining, and/or the usage of flow cytometric measurements. These methods, while being accurate, are very time consuming and require heavy manual effort. Furthermore, the time span needed to obtain the counting result can lead to a time-delayed response signal and can impact the quality of the final product. In recent studies, applications of low-frequency EIS in the α-regime were used for the determination of cell counts and the metabolic state in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This method has proven to be a reliable tool which has also shown high potential in industrial scale applications. The online biomass monitoring, as well as viable cell count, for feasibility study was performed in-house at Stiegl Brewery in Salzburg/Austria founded in 1492.

Introduction: It is estimated that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation. Female genital mutilation still remains to be a serious problem for large proportion of women in most sub-Saharan Africa countries including Sudan, with a high prevalence of 88%. Objective: The main objective was to identify the factors associated with FGM among daughters of reproductive aged woman. Materials and methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 mothers, the total sample was collected in ACTH based on the number of reproductive age mothers with at least one daughter older than 5 years. A structured and interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The data obtained was analyzed by the use of the SPSS software. Results: Out of 200 mothers, 113 (56.5%) had at least one circumcised daughter. Knowledge about genital mutilation (AOR = 4.29, 95% CI: 1.13-15.37), attitude (AOR = 48.53, 95% CI: 14.45-198.69) and mothers circumcision status (AOR = 14.03, 95% CI: 2.81- 95.45) were the most significantly associated with FGM. Furthermore, having good knowledge, positive attitude, high socio-economic status, being literate, being of Christian religion and living in urban area had lower odds of having a circumcised daughter. Conclusion: In this study, more than half of the mothers had at least one circumcised daughter. Mothers’ knowledge, attitude, circumcision status, socio-economic status, age, residence, educational level and religion were significantly associated with female genital mutilation.

Objectives: We analyzed the indications of cesarean section (CS) using Robson Ten-Group. Classification Systems (RTGCS) and comparison between private and public health facilities in Addis Abeba hospitals, Ethiopia, 2017. Methods: Facility-based retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out between January 1 and December 31, 2017, including 2411 mothers who delivered by CS were classified using the RTGCS. Data were entered into SPSS version 20 for cleaning and analyzing. Binary logistic regression and AOR with 95% CI were used to assess the determinants of the CS. Results: The overall CS rate was 41% (34.8% and 66.8% in public & private respectively, p < .0001). The leading contributors for CS rate in the private were Robson groups 5,1,2,3 whereas in the public 5,1,3,2 on descending order. Robson group 1 (nulliparous, cephalic, term, spontaneous labor) and group 3 [Multiparous (excluding previous cesarean section), singleton, cephalic, ≥ 37 weeks’ gestation& spontaneous labor], the CS rate was over two-fold higher in the private than the public sector. Women in Robson groups 1, 2, 5 & 9 are two and more times higher for the absolute contribution of CS in private than public. The top medical indications of CS were non-reassuring fetal status (NRFS, 39.1%) and repeat CS for previous CS scars (39.4%) in public and private respectively. Mothers who delivered by CS in private with history of previous CS scar (AOR 2.9, 95% CI 1.4-6.2), clinical indications of maternal request (AOR 7.7, 95% CI 2.1-27.98) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (AOR 4.2, 95% CI 1.6-10.7), induced labor (AOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.4-4.6) and pre-labored (AOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6-3.0) were more likely to undergo CS than in public hospital. Conclusion: The prevalence of CS was found to be high, and was significantly higher in private hospitals than in a public hospital. Having CS scar [having previous CS scar, Robson group 5(Previous CS, singleton, cephalic, ≥ 37 weeks’ gestation) and an indication of repeat CS for previous CS scar] is the likely factor that increased the CS rate in private when compared within the public hospital. Recommendation: It is important that efforts to reduce the overall CS rate should focus on reducing the primary CS, encouraging vaginal birth after CS (VBAC). Policies should be directed at the private sector where CS indication seems not to be driven by medical reasons solely. 

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) considered as one of the major viral diseases threatening the poultry industry worldwide. The causative agent of the IBD is Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) which replicates in developing B lymphocytes in the bursa of Fabricius leading to its destruction and bursal inflammation. In this study, we investigated a technology to produce therapeutic recombinant antibodies against IBDV in bacteria by constructing a bacterial displayed recombinant scFv library from immunized chickens, followed by screening the scFv library by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) with FITC-labeled VP2. Twelve VP2-binding scFv clones with unique sequences were obtained, with overall amino acid homology of 81.53%. The complementarity determining region (CDR) 3 in the heavy chain displayed the lowest homology, while the amino acid sequences in framework regions and CDR2 of both chains and CDR1 of the heavy chain are relatively conserved. Twelve VP2-binding scFv clones were expressed in E.coli and purified through denaturation and denaturation of inclusion bodies. Our ELISA results showed that all scFvs exhibited binding ability and specificity to VP2 and various IBDV strains. In addition, two scFvs showed significant neutralizing activity to IBDV (B-87 strain) as these scFvs inhibited cytopathic effect of chicken embryo fibroblast (DF1) caused by IBDV. In conclusion, our study provides a lead candidate for further development of therapeutic antibodies for IBDV infection.

Introduction: Congestive heart failure is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the XXI century given the promising to date of ABMDSCs and HFDSCs we investigate the safety and efficacy for the implantation of those stem cells for the treatment of idiopathic cardiomyopathy. This is the first pilot clinical study to assess the safety and feasibility of HFDSC in humans. We totally implanted 13 patients: 3 patients were implanted with ABMDSC by Mini-invasive surgical technique in March 2004 in Montevideo, Uruguay, and 10 patients were implanted with HFDSCs by using 2 different surgical techniques: minimally invasive technique (1 patient) and full sternotomy technique (9 patients) between January and February of 2005 in Guayaquil Ecuador. The HFDSCs were obtained from fetuses of 5 to 12 weeks´ gestation from legally consent, no compensated donors who have undergone terminated ectopic pregnancies, elective abortions, or spontaneous miscarriages. At that gestation´s period, totipotent stem cells´ fetus haven´t develop yet the HLA histocompatibility complex, so there´s no possible antigenicity between donor and recipient. Results: Patients with HFDSCs improved in association with increased contractility in these regions. Compared with baseline assessments, we noted other improvements: The mean (±SD) NYHA class decreased from 3.4±0.5 to 1.33±0.5 (P=.001); the mean EF increased 31%, from 26.6% ± 4.0% to 34.8%±7.2% (P=.005); performance in the ETT increased 291.3%, from 4.25 minutes to 16.63 minutes (128.9% in metabolic equivalents, 2.45 to 5.63) (P<.0001); the mean LVEDD decreased 15%, from 6.85±0.6cm to 5.80±0.58cm (P<.001); mean performance in the 6-minute walk test increased 43.2%, from 251±113.1 seconds to 360±0 seconds (P=.01); the mean distance increased 64.4%, from 284.4±144.9m to 468.2±89.8m (P=.004); and the mean result in the Minnesota congestive HF test decreased from 71±27.3 to 6±5.9 (P<.001) The Kaplan-Maier probability of survival at 48 months was 66%. It is not observed rejection, these patients have not developed malignance nodules or cancer at all in the follow-up. In the AMBCSs. The preoperative average NYHA functional class was 3.4; at. 6 months of follow up the average functional class value was 1.3 (p<0,005);. After 6 months all of them remained in functional class I/II. Baseline values of LVEF were 25,28 and 30%.; at 6 months increased to 38, 40 and 46%. (p<0,05). LVESV went from 50mm to 42mm (p<0.05). After 24 months, 2 of the patients still maintained this improvement, while the 3er patient returned to the earlier values after suffering from pneumonia. At 12 years and 5 months 2 patients are alive both received a Resynchronization Therapy; at 8 years and 3 months and 9 years and 1,6 month the actual average EF are 28 and 30 %. The 3er patient died of sudden death at 10 years after the implantation. We can´t demonstrate the cause of this sudden death. Conclusion: Irrespective of the improvement seen in this study, it is still premature to determine accurately the mechanism of action, indications, doses and type of stem cells. Therefore, is imperative and extremely important that more research is needed.

Mesoporous graphitic carbon nitrides (mpg-CN) were synthesized by a templating method using Ludox (SiO2) as hard template and guanidine hydrochloride (GndCl) as precursor, and were used as metal-free photocatalysts for microcystin-LR (MC-LR) degradation in aqueous solution. By tuning the mass ratio of SiO2 to GndCl, mpg-CN with varied surface areas and condensation degrees were obtained. Catalytic results showed that sample prepared at mass ratio equals 0.4, i.e., mpg-CN(0.4), exhibits the best activity, with above 98% MC-LR conversion obtained at 120 min. Mechanism studies suggested that the reaction obeys the pseudo first-order equation and the produced superoxide anion radicals (•O2−) is the major reactive intermediates contributing to the reaction. Stability tests showed that no appreciable loss of activity is observed even the catalyst is recycled for five times, indicating that the material is stable in the reaction.

Varied exogenous chondrogenic factors (CFs) are implicated in promoting differentiation of stem cells along a chondrocyte lineage in the field of regenerative tissue engineering for articular cartilage repair. The effects of dexamethasone, transforming growth factor β3 (TGF-β3), ascorbate, and their combinations, on mRNA expression in micromass-cultured human adipose derived stem cells (hADSCs) were investigated as a function of time. Indices include chondrogenic, hypertrophic, angiogenic, fibrogenic and osteogenic markers along with mechanical properties, assessed by atomic force microscopy. Early in the culture, i.e., at day three, no significant differences in mRNA expression of SOX9, aggrecan, lubricin, Col XI, Col X, vascular endothelial growth factor, Col I, and alkaline phosphatase were observed among samples treated with different CFs. However, significant differences in mRNA expression levels of pre-mentioned markers among samples treated with each CF exist when samples were supplied with the CFs for more than three days. A new indexing scheme summing expression of chondrogenic and subtracting non-chondrogenic angiogenic, fibrogenic and osteogenic marker levels shows dexamethasone is the overall leading CF among the factors and their combinations. Based on this scheme, we have projected not only the possible signaling pathways which might be affected by addition of CFs but also hypothetical indexes that may occur upon temporal variation of growth factor regimens.

Pine honey represents the major type of honey produced in Greece. In that sense, the aim of the present study was to investigate if specific physicochemical and bioactive properties could serve as markers of its geographical origin. For this purpose, forty pine honey samples were collected during harvesting years 2011 and 2012 from Halkidiki and Thassos, the well-known pine honey producing areas in Greece. Physicochemical parameters taken into account, using conventional and literature cited methods, were: pH, CIE colour parameters L*,a*,b*, and browning index. Furthermore, colour intensity and the in vitro radical scavenging activity were estimated by the application of spectrometric assays. Results showed that, pine honeys exhibited statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in pH, colour intensity, and radical scavenging activity, depending on geographical origin. On the basis of radical scavenging activity results obtained, pine honeys proved to have a high in vitro antioxidant “character’’. Finally, perfect Pearson’s correlations (r=1) at the confidence level p<0.01 were obtained for the sets: pH-browning index, pH-radical scavenging activity, and browning index -radical scavenging activity, with respect to geographical origin.

Background: The reaction of 2-(benzo]d[thiazol-2-yl)-3-oxopentanedinitrile 4 with DMF/DMA has been investigated to explore the synthetic potentialities of this novel activated nitrile in heterocyclic synthesis. Results: Pyrano, pyridino, pyrazolo, azepino and oxothiepano carbonitrile derivatives could be obtained starting from 4 and plausible mechanisms for their formations are reported. Conclusion: The newly synthesized compounds were assessed for their antimicrobial activity. Compounds 7, 10 and 12 exhibited broad spectrum antibacterial profile against the tested organisms.

Research into regulation of the differentiation of stem cells is critical to understanding early developmental decisions and later development growth. The transcription factor ARID3A previously was shown to be critical for trophectoderm and hematopoetic development. Expression of ARID3A increases during embryonic differentiation, but the underlying reason remained unclear. Here we show that Arid3a null embryonic stem (ES) cells maintain an undifferentiated gene expression pattern and form teratomas in immune-compromised mice. However, Arid3a null ES cells differentiated in vitro into embryoid bodies (EBs) significantly faster than control ES cells, and the majority forming large cystic embryoid EBs. Analysis of gene expression during this transition indicated that Arid3a nulls differentiated spontaneously into mesoderm and neuroectoderm lineages. While young ARID3A-deficient mice showed no gross tissue morphology, proliferative and structural abnormalities were observed in the kidneys of older null mice. Together these data suggest that ARID3A is not only required hematopoiesis, but is critical for early mesoderm differentiation.

A series of Schiff bases of diphenylamine derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated in vitro for their antibacterial activity against pathogenic both Gram-positive bacteria B. subtilis and Gram-negative bacteria E. coli using ciprofloxacin as standard drug at conc. of 50 µg/ml and 100 µg/ml. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of IR and 1H-NMR spectral analysis. The compound (3d) displayed potent antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis (17 and 15mm) and Escherichia coli (19 and 17mm) by disc diffusion method.

Age related macular degeneration is a severe disease of mainly elderly people and leads to central vision loss because of the degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium [1]. Genetic and environmental factors are responsible for the accumulation of extracellular material and deposit formation near the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) layer, which leads to loss of photoreceptors and induction of chronic inflammation. The deposits are composed of lipids and proteins including many complement proteins, indicating the involvement of the complement system in the degenerative process and chronic inflammation [2]. So far there is no treatment for the dry form of AMD, except nutritional supplementation with antioxidants and vitamins [3]. Combined with a prolonged lifetime expectation in developed countries, AMD is developing to a social and economic burden. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a treatment of AMD that can delay disease manifestation and progression for several years. 

Pyridine and pyrimidines are amongst the most important, well known heteroaromatic rings, owning to their bioactive importance. Herein, an idea about how to design the synthetic pathway for these rings using retrosynthesis analysis techniques.

Red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunization can be a life-threatening complication for patients with thalassemia major and sickle cell disease (SCD) who must receive chronic therapeutic transfusions. Chronic transfusions can lead to erythrocyte alloimmunization, patients continue to develop alloantibodies due to the transference of the immunogenic antigens on the donor RBCs. Many complications are possible. Difficulty in finding compatible match units for the patients can cause transfusion delays delayed, or present alternative risks to the patients from delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions. This review discusses the possible mechanisms, risk factors associated with alloimmunization formation and the hemolytic transfusion reactions and also describe the guideline for transfusion management of these patients, including opportunities and emerging approaches for minimizing this life-threatening complication.

Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and tau protein deposits in the human brain are the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Tau is a class of proteins that are abundant in nerve cells and perform the function of stabilizing microtubules. However, in certain pathological situations, Tau proteins become defective and fail to adequately stabilize microtubules, which can result in the generation of abnormal masses that are toxic to neurons. This process occurs in a number of neurological disorders collectively known as Tauopathies. Tau protein is the major factor of the intracellular filamentous deposits that relate to a number of neurodegenerative diseases which includes the progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), Pick’s disease, and Parkinsonism. The identification of mutations in Tau established that dysfunction or misregulation of tau protein is sufficient to cause dementia and neurodegeneration. In this review article, we discussed the etiology of the tau formation and role in AD and subsequently therapeutic approach for disassembling and Tau inhibition.

Like many tropical countries, Sudan has ample biomass resources that can be efficiently exploited in a manner that is both profitable and sustainable. Fuel-wood farming offers cost-effective and environmentally friendly energy solutions for Sudan, with the added benefit of providing sustainable livelihoods in rural areas. This article provides an overview of biomass energy activities and highlights future plans concerning optimum technical and economical utilization of biomass energy available in Sudan. Results suggest that biomass energy technologies must be encouraged, promoted, implemented, and fully demonstrated in Sudan.

Heavy metals and metalloids are dangerous because they have the tendency to bioaccumulate in biological organisms over a period of time. However, it is conceived that a number of phytochemical agents as well microorganism can act as heavy metal removing agent both from human beings and the environment surrounding. For instance, microbes are used for the removal of heavy metals from the water bodies including bacteria, fungi, algae and yeast. This review shows that bacteria can play an important role in understanding the uptake and potential removal behaviour of heavy metal ions. The bacteria are chosen based on their resistance to heavy metals (incl. their toxicities) and capacity of adsorbing them. Due to specific resistance transfer factors, cell impermeability is drastically inhibited by several ion (i.e. mercury, cadmium, cobalt, copper, arsenic) forms. Between these elements, free-ion cadmium and copper concentrations in the biological medium provide more accurate determination of metal concentrations that affect the bacteria, than with most of the other existing media. Metal toxicity is usually assessed by using appropriate metal ion chelators and adjusting pH factor. Bacteria and metals in the ecosystem can form synergistic or antagonistic relationships, supplying each other with nutrients or energy sources, or producing toxins to reduce growth and competition for limiting nutritional elements. Thus, this relation may present a more sustainable approach for the restoration of contaminated sources.

The industrial production and use of chromium have grown considerably during the past five decades. Abundances of the chromium isotopes in terrestrial samples are identical to 0.01%. Among the dominant species of chromium, the trivalent form widely occurs in nature in chromite ores which is extremely immobilized especially in water bodies. Samples were mixtures of separated chromium isotopes and the calibration was made with the same species as those used in the measurements. The method had simplified the conversion of the ores to chromyl fluoride since the element could be readily separated as lead chromate from the leaching of chromite-sodium peroxide fusions. Isotope assay of chromyl fluoride under certain conditions was measured and the measurements of chromium isotopic anomalies ratios and isotope abundance of the chromite ores have been assessed. These provided sufficient quantitative mass spectrometric data, which were analyzed to calculate the abundance and the mean atomic mass of the questioned isotopes. Based on the high mass spectroscopy stability and the correction factors, the results were of good precision (incl. negligible systematic errors normally associated to inter-laboratory discrepancies) and the Cr isotopes availability (52Cr > 53Cr > 50Cr > 54Cr) was in conjunction with other classical tools such as oxygen isotopes. This paper is important for paleoecological, environmental, archeological, forensic, and nuclear researchers.

Between 2003 and 2011, 17 patients with heart failure were treated with stem cells as part of our Foundation’s Regenerative Medicine program. In several centers and countries 4 with ischemic cardiomyopathy of which 3 were surgically implanted with autologous bone marrow stem cells (ABMSC) plus bypass surgery. One patient was treated with hyperbaric medicine plus bypass surgery. Patients with idiopathic cardiomyopathy were implanted surgically with 2 different types of stem cells. Ten patients were implanted with stem cells derived from human fetuses (HFDSCs) and three patients with autologous bone marrow stem cells (ABMSC). The ejection fractions of the coronary artery bypass graft off pump OPCAB (control group) versus coronary artery bypass group off pump OPCAB plus stem cell transplantation were as followsin the entire serie: preoperative, 30.7% +/- 2.5% compared to 29.4% +/- 3.6%; 1 month, 36.4% +/- 2.6% versus 42.1% +/- 3.5%; 3 months, 36.5% +/- 3.0% vs. 45.5% +/- 2.2%; And 6 months, 37.2% +/- 3.4% versus 46.1% +/- 1.9% (p <0.001). The first patient performed at our center in Argentina in this series is alive and asymptomatic 15 years after implantation, and the rest of this series we do not have current data. A patient without visible vessels in the anterior wall of the left ventricle was treated with 18 hyperbaric chamber sections from one hour at 1.4 AT. After creating angiogenesis, the patient was operated on receiving 2 grafts (mammary and venous) without extracorporeal circulation in the anterior descending artery and diagonal artery. The preoperative ejection fraction was 33% at 90 months of follow up the ejection fraction was 58%. The patient at 90 months was asymptomatic. Of the idiopathic heart disease group, nine patients underwent median sternotomy, and received human fetal stem cells (HFDSCs from ectopic pregnancy or spontaneous abortion, three patients received autologous bone marrow stem cells ABMSC) and 1HFDSCs for Minimally Invasive Surgery. Patients with HFDSC, compared to baseline, improved: The mean (±SD) NYHA class decreased from 3.4 ± 0.5 to 1.33 ± 0.5 (P = 0.001); Mean EF increased 31%, from 26.6% ± 4.0% to 34.8% ± 7.2% (p = 0.005); the yield in ETT increased 291.3%, from 4.25 minutes to 16.63 minutes (128.9% in metabolic equivalents, 2.45 to 5.63) (P <0.0001); the mean LVEDD decreased 15%, from 6.85 ± 0.6cm to 5.80 ± 0.58cm (P <0.001); the mean performance on the 6-minute walk test increased 43.2%, from 251 ± 113.1 seconds to 360 ± 0 seconds (P = 0.01); the mean distance increased 64.4%, from 284.4 ± 144.9m to 468.2 ± 89.8m (P = 0.004); and the mean score in the Minnesota congestive HF test decreased from 71 ± 27.3 to 6 ± 5.9 (p <0.001). Kaplan-Maier’s probability of survival at 40 months was 66%. No rejection or cancer was observed at follow-up, in this series follow-up was discontinued at 4 years. In idiopathic patients receiving autologous cells by Mininvasive technique preoperative NYHA was 3.6 (+/- 0.70) 6 months after receiving stem cell therapy. The mean value of the functional class was 1.9 (+/- 0.90) (p <0.005). ) showing marked clinical improvement. The preimplantation ejection fraction was 28% (+/- 3.6%) and at 6 months 44% (+/- 4.7%) (p <0.005). There was a similar change in ventricular diameters: After 6 months LVESV went from 50mm (+/- 3.3) to 42mm (+/- 4.5) (p <0.05). Two of the three patients in this group received re-synchronization therapy; one died at 10 years and 4 months, another at age 11 and another one alive at 12 years of the implant. More experience should be performed with different techniques and cells to find the appropriate treatment in this type of patients.

When I asked the students in my general Chemistry class whether grade is more important than knowledge, a majority of them opted for grades over knowledge and this answer did not surprise me a bit as the smart phones are available for them to think while their brains are corrupted or unused for most of the time. This brings one to the Einstein’s prediction that technology will develop to the point where there is no human interaction, which will be the day a new generation of idiots will emerge, and we are witnessing everywhere, including in the classrooms all over the world.