Novel MXene-Modified Polyphenyl Sulfone Membranes for Functional Nanofiltration of Heavy Metals-Containing Wastewater.

In this work, MXene as a hydrophilic 2D nanosheet has been suggested to tailor the polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) flat sheet membrane characteristics via bulk modification. The amount of MXene varied in the PPSU casting solution from 0-1.5 wt.%, while a series of characterization tools have been employed to detect the surface characteristics changes. This included atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle, pore size and porosity, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Results disclosed that the MXene content could significantly influence some of the membranes' surface characteristics while no effect was seen on others. The optimal MXene content was found to be 0.6 wt.%, as revealed by the experimental work. The roughness parameters of the 0.6 wt.% nanocomposite membrane were notably enhanced, while greater hydrophilicity has been imparted compared to the nascent PPSU membrane. This witnessed enhancement in the surface characteristics of the nanocomposite was indeed reflected in their performance. A triple enhancement in the pure water flux was witnessed without compromising the retention of the membranes against the Cu2+, Cd2+ and Pd2+ feed. In parallel, high, and comparable separation rates (>92%) were achieved by all membranes regardless of the MXene content. In addition, promising antifouling features were observed with the nanocomposite membranes, disclosing that these nanocomposite membranes could offer a promising potential to treat heavy metals-containing wastewater for various applications.

Comparison between Effect of Bisphosphonates, Concentrated Growth Factors or Combination on Rabbits' Tibial Bone Defects Healing: An Experimental Study.

AIM: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of bisphosphonates (BIS) or concentrated growth factors (CGF) or a combination of them on bone defect healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bone defects of 3-mm width and 6-mm depth were prepared in 24 rabbit tibias unilaterally, then randomly divided into the following four equal groups: 1. Group I: No treatment 2. Group II: Treated by BIS 3. Group III: Treated by CGF 4. Group IV: Treated by BIS + CGF Animals were equally sacrificed at 4 weeks, and at 6 weeks then tibias were processed for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson's trichrome (MTC) staining. The data were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by post hoc Tukey test and unpaired Student's t-test. RESULTS: In group IV, the quality of newly formed bone was better than any other group with increased mineralization and decreased collagen, followed by group III, then group I, while group II showed the least favorable results. The statistical analysis showed a significant difference between groups. CONCLUSION: Mixing BIS with CGF showed the best healing, and bone quality results, followed by CGF-treated group, then control, and finally, BIS-treated group. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Using CGF as a scaffold and mixing it with BIS could help accelerate the healing of bone defects, reduce healing time, and minimize the risk of infection.

Apoptotic susceptibility of pancreatic alpha cells to environmentally relevant dose levels of bisphenol-A versus dibutyl phthalate is mediated by HSP60/caspase-3 expression in male albino rats.

Unfortunately, humanity is exposed to mixed plasticizers such as bisphenol-A (BPA) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are leached from the daily used plastic products. Previous studies have demonstrated their potential in pancreatic beta cell injury and diabetes induction. The study hypothesized that both compounds would affect the pancreatic alpha cells in albino rats when administered at environmentally relevant doses. Heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and caspase-3 protein expression was also investigated as potential mechanisms. Thirty-six male Wistar albino rats were separated into four equal groups: control, BPA alone, DBP alone, and BPA + DBP combined groups. BPA and DBP were given in drinking water for 45 days in a dose of 4.5 and 0.8 µg/L, respectively. Fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, pancreatic tissue levels of malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase were measured. Pancreatic sections were subjected to hematoxylin & eosin (H & E) staining, glucagon, HSP60, and caspase-3 immunohistochemistry. Although all three experimental groups showed diffuse islet cell HSP60 immunoreactivity, rats exposed to BPA alone showed α-cell-only apoptosis, indicated by H & E changes and caspase-3 immunoreactivity, associated with reduced glucagon immunoreaction. However, rats exposed to DBP alone showed no changes in either α or ß-cells. Both combined-exposed animals displayed α and ß apoptotic changes associated with islet atrophy and reduced glucagon expression. In conclusion, the study suggested HSP60/caspase-3 interaction, caspase-3 activation, and initiation of apoptosis in α-cell only for BPA-alone exposure group, meanwhile DBP alone did not progress to apoptosis. Interestingly, both α/ß cell effect was observed in the mixed group implying synergetic/additive action of both chemicals when combined.

Design and development of novel single multiplex system incorporating 26 rapidly mutating Y-STRs; 26 RM Yplex.

This article details the development of a single multiplex system amplifying 26 rapidly mutating Y-STR markers. A sequenced allelic ladder, constructed for calling alleles of all loci, is introduced. The multiplex system shows the ability to address the limitations of Y-STRs commercial kits in differentiating closely related males. The multiplex performed well in the prevalidation tests and showed great potential to be used in forensic casework.

ST-segment elevation during arrhythmia ablations-A review.

Coronary injury presenting as ST segment elevation (STE) during ablation procedures for different arrhythmias is a rare and most feared complication. There have been multiple reports on STE during various ablation procedures in the recent past. Herein, we review various mechanisms, presentations, and management of STE observed during various ablations, including atrial fibrillation ablation cavotricuspid isthmus and ablation, supraventricular tachycardia ablations, coronary sinus ablation, and ventricular arrhythmia ablations.

Maintaining Essential Nutrition Services to Underfive Children in Yemen: A Programmatic Adaptation Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged that, as health services divert their attention to the COVID-19 pandemic, the delivery of essential nutrition services may be compromised. This impact may be more pronounced in the context of humanitarian crises, such as the one currently unfolding in Yemen. In line with Pillar 9 of the WHO's COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, this paper reports on the nutrition program adaptations in Yemen to maintain the delivery of essential nutrition services to under-five children. The process of adaptation focused on the services provided within the nutrition surveillance system (NSS), therapeutic feeding centers (TFC), and isolation units (IU). It was conducted in five steps: (1) situation analysis; (2) development of guidance documents; (3) consultation process; (4) capacity-building programs; and (5) incorporation of programmatic adaptation within nutrition services. As of September 2020, NSS, TFC, and IUs services have shifted their standard operating procedures in line with the context-specific adaptations. The process described in this paper may serve as a case-study for other countries that intend to undertake similar adaptations in their nutrition program to contribute to the implementation of the WHO response plan and maintain the delivery of essential nutrition services to children.

First confirmed detection of SARS-COV-2 in untreated municipal and aircraft wastewater in Dubai, UAE: The use of wastewater based epidemiology as an early warning tool to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan, China and spread to more than 114 countries resulting in a pandemic, which was declared by the WHO in March 2020. Tracking the spread of the virus raised a main concern in every country. Many researches proved the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in stool samples of patients, where the genes of this virus gave a positive signal several days prior to the occurrence of symptoms. The fact of viral shedding in stools provides an advantage in utilizing wastewater systems as a tool to monitor the viral prevalence. We tested more than 2900 municipal wastewater samples coming from 49 distinctive area in Dubai, where 28.6% showed positive results. We also looked into the wastewater samples from 198 commercial aircrafts arriving at Dubai Airport, giving a positive result percentage of 13.6%. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 genes was confirmed using TaqPath™ Covid-19 RT-PCR kit, which targets ORF1ab, N gene and S gene. This project shows the significance of utilizing wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) in monitoring the prevalence of various infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2, which can assist the decision makers to determine the level of precautionary measures according to the areas of the outbreak. With this in mind, pricewise, WBE is considered cost-effective when comparing to clinical nasal swabs.

How to Achieve Near Zero Fluoroscopy During Radiofrequency Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation: A Strategy Used at Two Centers.

Radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation is currently the most effective rhythm control strategy. These procedures, although safe, pose a risk for potential exposure to radiation and can be time consuming. Radiation exposure during ablation can increase the risk of serious complications in both patients as well as physicians. The overall procedure time also increases with use of fluoroscopy. Advances in mapping technology, such as electroanatomic mapping, use of contact force technology, intracardiac echocardiography and use of versatile sheaths and catheters has vastly enhanced our ability to both shorten the procedure duration and minimize or even eliminate radiation exposure. Use of near zero fluoroscopy technique is increasingly gaining acceptance in electrophysiology centers. At this point, there is no uniform technique and various centers use individual techniques based on their expertise and availability of various tools. There is need for a uniform technique that is workflow friendly and widely accepted. There is a learning curve associated with this technique and efforts should be made to incorporate zero fluoroscopic technique for ablation as an essential part of electrophysiology training programs. In this paper, we present the strategy being practiced at two centers, that involves a series of steps, to either decrease or eliminate the use of fluoroscopy during atrial fibrillation ablation.

Use of tunica vaginalis graft for repair of traumatic bilateral testicular rupture after gunshot: a case report.

Bilateral testicular injuries are rare. However, the incidence of these injuries has been increasing in wartime. We describe the case of gunshot wound of the both testicle caused by high velocity bullets. The patient was managed by surgical exploration, debridement and repaired of both testis using tunica vaginalis. During the follow up, the left testis was not viable and there was a need for orchiectomy; in a follow-up of 4 months, ultrasonography showed a viable right testis with minimal atrophic change and the patient reported to have normal erection with borderline hormonal function. We describe this case of bilateral testicular rupture, which was repaired using tunica vaginalis as graft, with attention to the management and outcome of this injury process.

Smartphone-based blood pressure monitoring via the oscillometric finger-pressing method.

High blood pressure (BP) is a major cardiovascular risk factor that is treatable, yet hypertension awareness and control rates are low. Ubiquitous BP monitoring technology could improve hypertension management, but existing devices require an inflatable cuff and are not compatible with such anytime, anywhere measurement of BP. We extended the oscillometric principle, which is used by most automatic cuff devices, to develop a cuff-less BP monitoring device using a smartphone. As the user presses her/his finger against the smartphone, the external pressure of the underlying artery is steadily increased while the phone measures the applied pressure and resulting variable-amplitude blood volume oscillations. A smartphone application provides visual feedback to guide the amount of pressure applied over time via the finger pressing and computes systolic and diastolic BP from the measurements. We prospectively tested the smartphone-based device for real-time BP monitoring in human subjects to evaluate usability (n = 30) and accuracy against a standard automatic cuff-based device (n = 32). We likewise tested a finger cuff device, which uses the volume-clamp method of BP detection. About 90% of the users learned the finger actuation required by the smartphone-based device after one or two practice trials. The device yielded bias and precision errors of 3.3 and 8.8 mmHg for systolic BP and -5.6 and 7.7 mmHg for diastolic BP over a 40 to 50 mmHg range of BP. These errors were comparable to the finger cuff device. Cuff-less and calibration-free monitoring of systolic and diastolic BP may be feasible via a smartphone.

Deaths due to jambia-inflicted lesions in a domestic environment.

Domestic violence is a significant health problem affecting women all around the world by causing a wide range of physical and psychological traumas. Yemen has a very high percentage of women experiencing intimate partner violence (up to 50%) and a high mortality rate. In this article, we are presenting 3 particular cases of domestic violence deaths in which the weapon used was a jambia (jambia, jambiah, jambiya, djambia), a special dagger specific to Yemen and the surrounding areas. We are also summarizing the main characteristics of jambia-inflicted lesions and their thanatology.