Helicobacter pylori, A Sex Transmitted Bacteria

                    http://austinpublishinggroup.com/chronic-diseases/current-issue.php

Since oralsex is a very common sexual activity and recent evidence reported H. pylori exist in oral cavity as colonized site. Both facts indicated H. pylori may results sex transmitted disease such as vagina, breast and urethritis, However, further clinical studies and lab confirmation should be followed. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) passes through the mouth on its way to colonizing the stomach, where chronic infection is associated with ulcers, gastritis, and gastric adenocarcinoma. H. pylori is the only proven oncogenic bacterial species and detecting, preventing, or curing infection in the early stages is essential if gastric disease is to be prevented. However, beside of stomach H. pylori infection, there are several reports indicated non-gut organs have been harbored of H. pylori, such as vagina, nasopharyngeal sinus cavities, coronary plaque, otitis media, breast. Now it is time we should answer a question; is H. pylori a sex transmitted bacteria?

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) passes through the mouth on its way to colonizing the stomach, where chronic infection is associated with ulcers, gastritis, and gastric adenocarcinoma. H. pylori is the only proven oncogenic bacterial species and detecting, preventing, or curing infection in the early stages is essential if gastric disease is to be prevented. However, beside of stomach H. pylori infection, there are several reports indicated non-gut organs have been harbored of H. pylori, such as vagina, nasopharyngeal sinus cavities, coronary plaque, otitis media, breast. Now it is time we should answer a question; is H. pylori a sex transmitted bacteria?

Seroprevalence studies have shown that in sex partners with a man/woman who is infected with H. pylori the non-infected individual has an increased risk of transmitting the infection. Studies have shown that prevalence rates were statistically significant between couples with and without H. pylori infection (83.3% v 28.5%) respectively.

Ethnicity may also be an important predictor of sexual transmission of H. pylori infection. A number of studies have shown that the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections occur in ethnic minorities. The high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections correlates well with the high H. pylori prevalence rates that exist among these ethnic groups.

Inverted Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Micro Extraction of Nicotinic Acid from Human Plasma and its Determination by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

http://austinpublishinggroup.com/chromatography/fulltext/chromatography-v3-id1038.php

Extractionand determination of nicotinic acid from human plasma was performed using inverted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and HPLC. The parameters affecting extraction recovery such as type and volume of extracting and disperser solvents, pH of sample solution, salt addition and extraction time were optimized. Optimal extraction conditions were: 150μL tributyl phosphate as extraction solvent, 400μL methanol as disperser solvent, and pH of sample = 4.5, concentration of NaCl = 3M, without effect of extraction time. Under the optimal conditions a linear range of 30-1000 ng mL-1 (R² = 0.9994) was obtained. Limit of detection, the extraction recovery and preconcentration factor were 10 ng mL^-1, 68% and 53 respectively. The method was successfully applied for the extraction and determination of nicotinic acid in human plasma sample.

Nicotinic acid (niacin or pyridine-3-carboxylic acid, Figure 1) is a water soluble B-complex vitamin present in many foods including fish, milk and green vegetables. The deficiency of nicotinic acid results in pellagra, affecting the skin and central nervous system. High-dose of nicotinic acid may cause thickening of the retina and increase the level of uric acid in the blood. Thus, determination of nicotinic acid in human plasma is very important for health.

The analytical techniques, such as flow injection analysis, thinlayer chromatography , liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, capillary chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography were used for determination of nicotinic acid in human plasma. However, many of analytical techniques may need to preconcentrate target compounds before analysis. Preconcentration methods such as drop-to-drop solvent microextraction, solid phase extraction and Reactive Extraction are difficult and time consuming. Hence, simple and rapid preconcentration method is required to extract nicotinic acid from human plasma. Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction (DLLME) is a mode of Liquid- Liquid Extraction (LLE) in smaller level, which in comparison with the LLE method, its consumption of organic extracting solvent and environmental contamination significantly lower, and the obtained preconcentration factor is much higher. DLLME employs a mixture of a high-density extracting solvent and water miscible polar disperser solvent. In DLLME After a rapid injection of an appropriate mixture containing extracting and disperser solvents into the aqueous sample a cloudy state is formed. The contact area between the extracting solvent and the sample solution is very large. Thus the extraction equilibrium is achieved rapidly. After centrifugation, the extracted phase is settled at the bottom of the conical test tube. In 2009, Farajzadeh et al. designed inverted dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction (IDLLME). IDLLME is invert of DLLME because in IDLLME the extracting solvent is lighter than water; therefore the separated phase was collected at the top of the sample solution. Thus in the present work, IDLLME-HPLC is used for the extraction and determination of nicotinic acid in plasma sample. This method is based on the extraction of nicotinic acid from plasma sample into an organic solvent. Parameters affecting extraction recovery of nicotinic acid, such as selection types and volume of extracting and disperser solvents, pH of sample solution, salt addition and extraction time were optimized.

Nicotinic acid was purchased from Sigma–Aldrich (Steinheim, Germany). HPLC grade (Methanol, acetonitrile, acetone), sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, and sodium chlorid were obtained from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). Xylene, n-hexan, toloen, dodecane, tributyl phosphate and 1-octanol were obtained from Aldrich (Milwaukee, WI, USA). Water used was double distilled deionized which purchased from Power Plant in sari city. Stock solution of nicotinic acid (1.0 mg/L) was prepared in methanol and stored in the dark at 4oC. Noted to the LC chromatogram this solution was stable for two months. Working standard solutions were diluted with deionizer double distilled water at concentration of 100.0 ngmL-1 when ever needed.

Textile Industry Wastewater Treatment Using DAP, Urea, and Polymer AQUATREAT @AR 06

                                            http://austinpublishinggroup.com/chemical-engineering/

TextileIndustry is one of the most important and largest industrial sectors in Pakistan. It has a high importance in terms of its environment impact, since it consumes large quantity of textile industrial processed water and produces highly polluted discharge water. The textile industry uses high volume of water throughout its operation, from the washing of fibers to bleaching, mercerizing, dyeing, printing and washing of finished products. A process data collection was performed and integrated with a characterization of the process effluents in terms of treatability and reusability. In this research we use 98% Concentrated Sulfuric Acid for the Neutralization i.e. to maintain pH, Di Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) and Urea for the bacterial growth i.e. to decrease Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), and we use AQUATREAT @AR 06 for as an efficient coagulation and flocculation agent. The water treated and purified by using this method can be used for the agricultural purposes or can be drain to sewer without any hesitation.

The world’s water consumption rate is doubling every 20 years, outpacing by two times the rate of population growth. The availability of good quality water is on the decline and water demand is on the rise. Worldwide availability of fresh water for industrial needs and human consumption is limited. Various industrial and developmental activities in recent times have resulted in increasing the pollution level and deteriorating the water quality. Water shortages and unreliable water quality are considered major obstacles to achieve sustainable development and improvement in the quality of life. The water demand in the country is increasing fast due to progressive increase in the demand of water for irrigation, rapid industrialization, and population growth and improving life standards. The existing water resources are diminishing (i) due to unequal distribution of rain water and occasional drought, (ii) excessive exploitation of ground water sources and its insufficient recharge, (iii) deterioration of water quality due to the discharge of domestic and industrial effluents without adequate treatment. This is resulting into water stress/ scarcity. Country is currently passing through social and economic transition. The proportion of the population which is urban has doubled over the last thirty years (and is now about 30%), agriculture now accounts for about 25% of GDP and the economy has been growing at around 7-9% a year. Country has a highly seasonal pattern of rainfall, with 50% of precipitation falling in just 15 days and over 90% of river flows in just four months.

Textile Industry is one of the most important and largest industrial sectors in Pakistan. It has a high importance in terms of its environment impact, since it consumes large quantity of textile industrial processed water and produces highly polluted discharge water. The textile industry uses high volume of water throughout its operation, from the washing of fibers to bleaching, mercerizing dyeing, printing and washing of finished products .

Textile industry causes considerable higher impacts to water pollution by discharging their effluents into various receiving bodies includes ponds, rivers and other public sewer. Major pollutants load from the textile industries are from the several of their wet -processing operations like scouring, bleaching, mercerizing and dyeing. Among these various processes, dyeing process normally uses large amount of water for dyeing, fixing and washing processes. Thus, textile wastewater possess a high COD concentration, large amount of suspended solids, broadly fluctuating pH, strong color, high temperature and low biodegradability caused by varying contaminates within water environment. The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in term of discharge volume and effluent composition. The dye effluent is characterized by strong color, high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) with pH varying from 2 to 12. The removals of color and COD reduction pose greatest problems in textile industry. Conventionally effluents containing organics are treated with adsorption, biological oxidation, coagulation, etc.

Femoral Endarterectomy against Iliofemoral bypass-Case Series

                             http://austinpublishinggroup.com/cardiovascular-diseases/

Thedecision for an ideal vascular procedure for occlusive peripheral arterial disease depends on type of lesion involved, patient factors and the options available to deal with it. Despite a dramatic increase in the use of endovascular techniques to treat chronic limb ischemia secondary to femoral arterial disease (FAD), femoral endarterectomy (FE) and profundaplasty remain the procedures of choice because long-term patency results are still superior to any other intervention. The American Heart Association  has recommended that angioplasty of the femoral artery be carried out only in single lesions of less than 10 cm, and better results are associated with short lesion length and good runoff, claudication, stenosis and the absence of diabetes. The immediate placement of a stent after angioplasty may address the issues of elastic recoil and dissections and improve the early success rate, but it has not been shown consistently to improve long-term patency. Even though the endarterectomy was the one of the first described procedures, autogenous long saphenous vein bypass has surpassed it as the preferred procedure for occlusive disease in the infrainguinal region. This is largely the result of several series reporting an inferior long term patency rate with endarterectomy. Further studies were conducted to compare the efficacy of available surgical options (vein by-pass, open endarterectomy and semi-closed endarterectomy) to combat the femoro-popliteal occlusion and it showed that the immediate failures and late cumulative patency/survival were similar for all three procedures. Studies supported the use of endarterectomy as available option for infrainguinal arterial diseases with very comparable results to vein grafts.

The longsaphenous vein is a very demanding conduit if coronary or vein bypass is required in future. Synthetic grafts and angioplasty studies has shown inferior results (high early and late restenosis rates). The present retrospective study is to evaluate the results of open endarterectomy in short atherosclerotic occlusion of the femoral artery against iliofemoral bypass grafting with long saphenous vein graft. Endarterectomy of localized lesions of the iliofemoral artery was performed in 5 male patients between May 2013 and May 2015, with a proven diagnosis of chronic occlusion of isolated external iliac artery or iliofemoral artery. The diagnosis was confirmed by angiography. The median age of the patients was 40 +/− 10 years. Risk factors for peripheral atherosclerosis were diabetes, electrocardiogram changes of past myocardial is chaemia, smoking and hypertension.

All patients suffered from atherosclerosis, and had thrombosis or stenosis of the external iliac artery associated with/without adjoining femoral artery and profunda femoris artery. All endarterectomies were performed as a primary procedure and not as an adjunct to a bypass procedure. Selection of patients the indications for operation in this series were disabling intermittent claudication, rest pain and gangrene. Out of five in two cases, the claudication distance was 100m or less and in two cases had rest pain severe enough to interfere with sleep and one case had established gangrene of the toes. In those with occlusive disease localized to the iliofemoral artery, the patient’s usually had with no pulses in the limb distally on the affected side. Occasion-ally, weak pedal pulses were present. All patients were investigated by Colour Doppler scan by CE FDA 3D 4D Doppler ultrasound and femoral angiography. Where unequal femoral pulses were present, or bruits were audible over the iliac or common femoral vessels, suggesting more proximal lesions, lumbar orthography was performed and if present these patients were excluded from the study.

First Line Treatment for Advanced Gastroesophageal Cancer: Capecitabine Plus Oxaliplatin (CAPOX) versus Epirubicin, Oxaliplatin Plus Capecitabine (EOX)

                                  http://austinpublishinggroup.com/cancer-clinical-research/

Chemotherapyis the mainstay of treatment for advanced gastroesophageal cancer (AGC). There is no consensus whether doublet or triplet chemotherapy is better. Hence our study aimed to compare CAPOX (capecitabine and oxaliplatin) with EOX (epirubicin, oxaliplatin plus capecitabine) as first line treatment for AGC. From December 2012 to July 2014, total of 69 patients were randomly assigned; 35 to EOX arm (epirubicin 50 mg/m² on day1, capecitabine 625 mg/m² twice daily for 21 day and oxaliplatin 130 mg/m² on day1 three weekly for 8 cycle) and 34 to CAPOX arm (capecitabine 1000 mg/m² twice daily for 14 days and oxaliplatin 130 mg/m² on day 1 in a three weekly cycle for 8 cycle). Median age at diagnosis was 55 years. The median number of chemotherapy cycle delivered was 7.45% completed planned treatment. 63.8% patient needed dose modification and 33.3% had treatment discontinuation due to grade 3/4 toxicity. Incidence of grade 3/4 neutropenia was significantly more in EOX where as diarrhoea and vomiting were more in CAPOX group. The ORR (overall response rate) was 63% in the entire cohort and 54.5% and 71.4% in the CAPOX and EOX group respectively. Median follow up was 15.2 month. Median OS (overall survival) was 8.1 and 10.3 months in the CAPOX and EOX groups respectively; p=0.298, however there was a trend favouring PFS (progression free survival) in the EOX group (5.5 vs. 8.3 months in CAPOX and EOX respectively; p=0.06). No significant difference was observed between the two regimens with respect to ORR, PFS and OS. Doublet chemotherapy regimen (CAPOX) has similar efficacy as a triplet regimen (EOX), however, with higher incidence of gastrointestinal toxicity.

AGC:Advanced Gastroesophageal Cancer; ALT: Alanine Transaminase; ALP: Alkaline Phosphatise; AST: Aspartate Transaminase; CAPOX: Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin; CR: Complete Response; EOX: Epirubicin, Oxaliplatin Plus Capecitabine; ECOG: Eastern Co-Operative Group; GEJ: Gastro Esophageal Junction; HR: Hazard Ratio; NCI-CTCAE: National Cancer Institute - Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events; ORR: Overall Response Rate; OS: Overall Survival; PD: Progressive Disease; PFS: Progression Free Survival; PR: Partial Response; RECIST: Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors; SD: Stable Disease; TTP: Time To Progression; ULN: Upper Limit of Normal.

Gastriccancer is the fifth most common cancer and third most common cause of death worldwide. Despite recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer, many patients present with advanced disease and have poor survival. According to data from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program, the five-year survival for patients with gastric cancer improved only modestly over the last 50 years, from 12 percent in the years 1950 to 1954, 22 percent during the period 1996 to 2003. The median survival for advanced gastric cancer is about four months without treatment, and this extends up to one year with current treatment modalities. Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for advanced gastroesophageal cancer (AGC). Initial trials used single agent drugs versus best supportive care. Subsequent studies showed that combination chemotherapy result in superior outcomes compared to monotherapy. Triple drug regimen is better than double in the form of increased overall response rate (ORR) and time to progression (TTP) but is associated with increased myelosuppression and infectious complications. The recent REAL-2 trial has proven that capecitabine is equivalent to 5-FU and oxaliplatin is equivalent to cisplatin with comparable or even more response rate and survival. Combination therapies using cisplatin and fluoropyrimidines with or without epirubicin or docetaxel have been widely used as first-line treatments for AGC. There is no strong data whether doublet or triplet chemotherapy is better, though ORR and TTP favors triplet regimen, there is increased toxicity. We conducted a pilot study at our centre of capecitabine and oxaliplatin (CAPOX) in locally advanced and metastatic gastroesophageal cancer (unpublished data) that showed an ORR of 47.3%, and median survival of 8 months, which are at par with current literature. With this encouraging data we planned to conduct a randomized clinical study comparing CAPOX with epirubicin, capecitabine and oxaliplatin (EOX) in AGC.

Investigation of Bismuth Nanoparticles Antimicrobial Activity against High Pathogen Microorganisms

                               http://austinpublishinggroup.com/bioterrorism-biosecurity-biodefense/

Despite of the common efforts in biodefense around the world the problem of high dangerous pathogens distribution, especially under the threat of terrorist attacks, is still urgent. Among the biotoxins that could be used for dispersion, leading experts identify large number of high pathogen microorganisms of category A and B, such as well-known pathogens: Bacillus anthracis, Salmonella, Escherichia etc.

The most important problem in the struggle against biohazard is high effective defense of civil population. Such effective defense can be provided using safe drugs, which are effective against wide range of biotoxins.

Modern antimicrobial preparations and vaccines don’t possess by wide range of activity against different classes of pathogens. So, the search and development of new high effective antimicrobial substances with high effectiveness against wide spectra of high pathogen microorganisms - causative agents of most dangerous human and animals’ diseases is topical problem today. Metal nanoparticles are possessed by high potential in this area. The main goal of presented work was antimicrobial activity investigation of the synthesized bismuth nanoparticles against wide spectra of pathogen microorganisms - potential causative agents of high dangerous human and animals’ diseases.

Spherical Bismuth Nanoparticles (BiNP) have been synthesized by the method of chemical condensation in water medium. The concentration of obtained BiNP was 77.5 mg/ml by metal. The shape Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) (JEM-1230 «JEOL LTD», Japan). The method of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy has been used for chemical composition’s X-ray microanalysis of the synthesized nanoparticles (IETEM 250 with detector X-Max 80, Oxford Instruments Analytical, UK for JEM-1230).iNP biosafety level has been estimated in vitro using parameters of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, mutagenicity and biochemical markers according to the Guidelines «Safety assessment of medical nanopreparations.

Crossroad Intermediates as ‘Folding Pathway’ Control Mechanism of Gene Expression

http://austinpublishinggroup.com/biotechnology-bioengineering/fulltext/ajbtbe-v4-id1075.php

CrossroadIntermediates (CRI) are those folding pathway intermediates that are situated at crossroads between protein folding and aggregation. CRI can either lead to folding of protein into native functional state (if one pathway is followed) or lead to formation of aggregated non-functional state (if another pathway is followed). We propose here for the first time, that formation of CRI may be the last control mechanism of gene expression chosen by Nature (after transcriptional, post- transcriptional, translational control mechanisms) - an event that occurs just before formation of native state in order to maintain concentration of particular protein. Since this step occurs during folding of protein, we name it as ‘Folding Pathway’ Control Mechanism of gene expression. We also propose that switch mechanism, for these CRI following a particular pathway lies in the concentration of that protein. Notion that Protein Folding pathway should also be subjected to control mechanism has long been ignored in the history of biological sciences. Information in this article will help to reshape and strengthen our understanding of Control of Gene Expression.

Gene Expression is set of steps that starting from gene ultimately leads to production of proteins or functional RNA product. (In this communication, we are concerned with protein synthesis; hence in all further description gene expression would mean production of proteins from genes). It is the most important function of cell to maintain its structure and function. Gene Expression starts with Transcription (production of RNA from DNA) and then leads to Translation (production of proteins from RNA). When RNA is synthesized from DNA by process of transcription that occurs in nucleus of cell, it undergoes several modifications known as Post- Transcriptional Modifications and then transported out of nucleus. In cytoplasm, RNA is translated into protein sequence. Protein then undergoes Post-translational modifications (in some cases). Linear chain of amino-acids is then folded into 3-dimensional structure by process of Protein Folding before it becomes functionally active. Transcription, Post-Transcriptional Modifications, Translation, Post-translational modifications- all constitute the elaborate process of Gene Expression.

As much as Gene Expression is important, so is its control, in order to maintain timing and concentration of protein at a particular site in cell. Although same DNA sequence is present in all cells, it is control of gene expression that defines protein content (and subsequently content of other bio molecules) of a particular cell at a particular time and makes the cell specialized and distinct from other cells. Control of gene expression is exercised at each step involved in this process. Transcriptional control forms the first step of control and is usually the most important step. Post-transcriptional control occurs after mRNA is synthesized. Once protein is being synthesized from mRNA, translational control mechanism takes over and tries to maintain concentration of protein being synthesized. The protein can also be subjected to activity control mechanism switching it between active or inactive states.

After being synthesized by translation, native linear chain of polypeptide has to fold in order to achieve its functional state by the process known as Protein Folding. Protein folding is thus described as a process by which a disordered protein chain diffuses across a high-dimensional energy landscape and finally reaches the folded ensemble. It has been inferred that proteins must fold to their unique native state through multiple unpredictable routes and intermediate conformations. The search problem involved in folding however has been simplified through the evolution of folding energy landscapes that are funnelled. Funnel-shaped energy landscape pictures that proteins must fold energetically downhill along with decrease in entropy in order to form native conformation. The free energy landscape can provide a quantitative description of folding dynamics, if determined as a function of an optimally chosen reaction coordinate. Single molecule studies have provided novel insights about how the dynamic sampling of the free energy landscape dictates all aspects of protein behaviour; from its folding to function.