Search

Abstract Background The type of sprayable surface impacts on residual efficacy of insecticide used in indoor residual spraying (IRS). However, there is limited data on common types of wall surfaces sprayed in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania where IRS began in 2006 and 2007 respectively. The study investigated residual efficacy of micro-encapsulated lambda-cyhalothrin sprayed on common surfaces of human dwellings and domestic animal shelters in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania. Methods An experimental hut was constructed with different types of materials simulating common sprayable surfaces in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania. Surfaces included cement plastered wall, mud-daub, white-wash, wood, palm-thatch, galvanized iron-sheets, burnt-bricks, limestone and oil-paint. The World Health Organization (WHO) procedure for IRS was used to spray lambda-cyhalothrin on surfaces at the dose of 20–25 mg/m2. Residual efficacy of insecticide was monitored through cone bioassay using laboratory-reared mosquitoes; Kisumu strain (R–70) of Anopheles gambiae ss. Cone bioassay was done every fortnight for a period of 152 days. The WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES) threshold (80% mortality) was used as cut-off point for acceptable residual efficacy. Results A total of 5,800 mosquitoes were subjected to contact cone bioassay to test residual efficacy of lambda-cyhalothrin. There was a statistically significant variation in residual efficacy between the different types of wall surfaces (r = 0.24; p 20% of sprayable structures, two rounds of IRS using lambda-cyhalothrin should be considered. Further studies are required to investigate the impact of sprayable surfaces on residual efficacy of other insecticides commonly used for IRS in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is an irreversible and largely untreatable human disease encompasses a large group of chronic lung disorders associated with excessive remodeling, scarring, and fibrosis. The present study investigated the protective effect of dexamethasone administration against bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in adult male rats.A total of 40 male adult albino rats (Rattus norvegicous) weighing from 200-250 gm each, were divided into four groups of (10) animals each. The first group received a daily intraperitonial (i.p) injection of vehicle normal saline (0.5ml\animal, daily to end experiment), and served as control group. Animals in the second, third and fourth groups were administrated i.p. with bleomycin (15mg\kg\3times weekly for 3 wks), dexamethasone 1mg ∕ kg body weight (B/wt.) (diluted in 0.5ml saline) as a single dose daily for3wks and dexamethasone a combination with bleomycin simultaneously to end experiment, respectively. The present study, displayed that the biochemical results determined the levels of Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathion peroxidase (GSHpx) and Hydroxyproline(HYP) content in blood serum of animals. Where after oral administration of dexamethasone in combination with bleomycin, showed that dexamethasone significantly increase SOD P˂0.001 and GSHpx P˂0.001 levels, and decreased HYP P˂0.001 contents in blood stream of the rats in comparison with bleomycin group. On the contrary, study showed after intraperitonial injection of bleomycin alone, decreased level of SOD, GSHpx and increased of HYP content in blood serum of rats in comparison of control group. On the other hand, microscopical observations clarified that bleomycin injection showed that Most lung sections of BLM treated rats showed extensive damage of the lung tissue with loss of the normal alveolar architecture and majority of the alveolar walls were occupied by collagenous fibers, Results also clarified rupture of interalveolar septa forming large irregular emphysematous air spaces, Furthermore, lung sections of bleomycin – treated rats showed heavily infiltration with mononuclear inflammatory cells mostly lymphocytes, macrophages and moderate degeneration bronchioles epithelium. The study clarified that lung sections from animals treated with both (BLM) and dexamethasone, was restored normal tissue, slight thickening, and space expansion, mild edema of the interstitium and alveolar spaces with clear terminal bronchioles. Nevertheless, still congested of interalveolar septa and scattered inflammatory cells. This investigation has clearly identified the importance role of dexamethasone as inhibitor factor on pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin, therefore, the findings may be offer one of therapeutic strategy to prevent the lung fibrosis in experimental rats model.

BACKGROUND:The indoor residual spraying programme for malaria vectors control was implemented in four districts of the Lake Victoria basin of Tanzania namely Ukerewe, Sengerema, Rorya andSerengeti. Entomological monitoring activities were implemented in one sentinel village in each district to evaluate the efficacy of pirimiphos-methyl 300 CS sprayed on different wall surfaces and its impact against malaria vectors post-IRS intervention. METHODS:The residual decay rate of p-methyl 300 CS applied at a target dosage of 1g a.i./m2 on thesprayed wall surfaces was monitored for a period of 43 weeks post-IRSusing the WHO cone wall bioassay method. The bioassays were performed by exposing 2-5 days old unfed susceptible female Anopheles gambiae s.s. (Kisumu strain) to sprayed wall surfaces for a period of 30 minutes. In each sentinel village, mosquito collection was carried out by trained community mosquito collectors. Monthly mosquito collections were carried out from 6.00pm to 6.00am using CDC light traps and clay pot methods for indoors host seekingand outdoors resting mosquitoes respectively. Six traps (2 CDC light traps and 4 clay pots) were set per sentinel village per night for28 consecutive days in a moon. PCR and ELISA were used for mosquito species identification and sporozoite detection, respectively. RESULTS:Based on the WHOPES recommendation, insecticides should have a minimum efficacy of ≥ 80% mosquito mortality at 24 hours post exposure on the sprayed wall surfaces to be considered effective. In this study, p-methyl 300 CS was demonstrated to have a long residual efficacy of 21-43 weeks post-IRS on mud, cement, painted and wood wall surfaces. Numberof anopheline mosquitoes decreased post-IRS interventions in all sentinel villages. The highest numbers ofanopheline mosquitoes were collected in November-December, 38-43 weeks post-IRS. A total of 270 female anopheline mosquitoes were analyzed by PCR; out of which 236 (87.4%) were An. gambiae s.l. and 34 (12.6%) were An. funestus group. Of the 236 An. gambiae s.l.identified 12.6% (n = 34) were An. gambiae s.s. and 68.6% (n = 162) were An. arabiensis. Ofthe 34 An. funestus group indentified 91.2% (n = 31) were An. parensis and 8.8% (n = 3) were An. rivulorum. The overall Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite rate was 0.7% (n = 2,098). CONCLUSIONS:Pirimiphos-methyl 300 CS was found to be effective for IRS in the Lake Victoria basin,Tanzania. P-methyl 300 CShas a long residual efficacy on sprayed wall surfaces and therefore it is effective in controlling principal malaria vectors of An. gambiae s.l and An. funestus which rest on wall surfaces after and before feeding.

One of the most recent optimization techniques applied to the optimal design of photovoltaic system to supply an isolated load demand is the Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm (ABC). The proposed methodology is applied to optimize the cost of the PV system including photovoltaic, a battery bank, a battery charger controller, and inverter. Two objective functions are proposed: the first one is the PV module output power which is to be maximized and the second one is the life cycle cost (LCC) which is to be minimized. The analysis is performed based on measured solar radiation and ambient temperature measured at Helwan city, Egypt. A comparison between ABC algorithm and Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimal results is done. Another location is selected which is Zagazig city to check the validity of ABC algorithm in any location. The ABC is more optimal than GA. The results encouraged the use of the PV systems to electrify the rural sites of Egypt.

Isosorbide, a bicyclic C6 diol, has considerable value as a precursor for the production of bio-derived polymers. Current production of isosorbide from sorbitol utilizes homogeneous acid, commonly H2SO4, creating harmful waste and complicating separation. Thus, a heterogeneous acid catalyst capable of producing isosorbide from sorbitol in high yield under mild conditions would be desirable. Reported here is a quantitative investigation of the liquid-phase dehydration of neat sorbitol over sulfated zirconia (SZ) solid acid catalysts produced via sol-gel synthesis. The catalyst preparation allows for precise surface area control (morphology) and tunable catalytic activity. The S/Zr ratio (0.1-2.0) and calcination temperature (425-625 °C) were varied to evaluate their effects on morphology, acidity, and reaction kinetics and, as a result, to optimize the catalytic system for this transformation. With the optimal SZ catalyst, complete conversion of sorbitol occurred in

This paper presents the influence of carbon steel microstructure on the corrosion rates. Four types of microstructures have obtained by quenching and tempering and iso-thermal annealing. These microstructures are: banded ferrite/pearlite microstructure, fine ferrite/pearlite microstructure, coarse ferrite/pearlite microstructure and tempered martensite microstructure. General corrosion and localized corrosion (penetration rates) were determined via mass loss and optical microscopy. The different microstructures of steels investigated in this paper revealed corrosion rate variations of 0.8– 3.2 mm y-1 and 3.3–6.4 - mm y-1 for the general and localized forms, respectively. The corrosion stability of the various microstructures may arise from variations of phases within the steel. A banded ferrite/pearlite microstructures have worse general corrosion properties, while tempered martensite worse microstructures have localized pitting corrosion properties. Coarse ferrite/pearlite microstructures have better localized pitting corrosion resistances compared to others investigated microstructures This paper has demonstrated that, microstructure is an important consideration when selecting carbon steel for an industrial corrosion resistance application.

Few studies have addressed the delivery of lipoprotein-derived cholesterol to the adrenals for steroid production in humans. While there is evidence against a role for low-density lipoprotein (LDL), it is unresolved whether high density lipoprotein (HDL) contributes to adrenal steroidogenesis. To study this, steroid hormone profiles in urine were assessed in male subjects suffering from functional mutations in ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) (n = 24), lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) (n = 40), as well as in 11 subjects with low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) without ABCA1/LCAT mutations. HDL-C levels were 39% lower in the ABCA1, LCAT, and low HDL-C groups compared with controls (all P < 0.001). In all groups with low HDL-C levels, urinary excretion of 17-ketogenic steroids was reduced by 33%, 27%, and 32% compared with controls (all P < 0.04). In seven carriers of either type of mutation, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation did not reveal differences from normolipidemic controls. In conclusion, this study shows that basal but not stimulated corticosteroid metabolism is attenuated in subjects with low HDL-C, irrespective of its molecular origin. These findings lend support to a role for HDL as a cholesterol donor for basal adrenal steroidogenesis in humans.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common chronic, highly pruritic and inflammatory skin diseases. The exclusive influence of breastfeeding in the prevention of inflammatory diseases is a matter of debate. In this study, we aimed to determine the concentration of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-13 (IL-13) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) cytokines as anti Th2 or anti Th1 cytokines in breast milk and their relationship with atopic dermatitis in breastfed infants.Methods: This study carried out in Afzalipour Hospital of kerman during one year from 2010 to 2011, we selected 50 breastfed infants with AD as cases and 50 healthy infants without AD or any other allergic disease as the controls. The concentrations of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA in the mothers' milk. The demographic characteristics were recorded in a data collection form. Moreover, severity of the disease was determined by SCORAD index. T-test and logistic regression were used for assessment of the correlation among study variables. Results: The concentrations of IFN-γ and IL-13 were significantly higher (respectively, P=0.04, and P=0.02) in the case group. However, logistic regression revealed that only IFN-γ significantly increased the risk for atopic dermatitis (P=0.02). Concentration of TNF-α was similar in the milk from mothers belonging to the two groups.Conclusion: The results indicate that the concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-13 and IL-4 cytokines are higher in the milk of mothers whose infants have AD. However, the risk for atopic dermatitis increases by 49% by every ten-unit (in pg/mL) increase in the level of IFN-γ.

Campylobacter jejuni is the main cause of bacterial food-borne diseases in developed countries. Chickens are the most important source of human infection. Vaccination of poultry is an attractive strategy to reduce the number of C. jejuni in the intestinal tract of chickens. We investigated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a recombinant C. jejuni flagellin-based subunit vaccine with intrinsic adjuvant activity. Toll-like receptor activation assays demonstrated the purity and TLR5 stimulating (adjuvant) activity of the vaccine. The antigen (20-40 μg) was administered in ovo to 18 day-old chicken embryos. Serum samples and intestinal content were assessed for antigen-specific systemic and mucosal humoral immune responses. In ovo vaccination resulted in the successful generation of IgY and IgM serum antibodies against the flagellin-based subunit vaccine as determined by ELISA and Western blotting. Vaccination did not induce significant amounts of flagellin-specific secretory IgA in the chicken intestine. Challenge of chickens with C. jejuni yielded similar intestinal colonization levels for vaccinated and control animals. Our results indicate that in ovo delivery of recombinant C. jejuni flagellin subunit vaccine is a feasible approach to yield a systemic humoral immune response in chickens but that a mucosal immune response may be needed to reduce C. jejuni colonization.

Background: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is an inherited disorder with genetic heterogeneity. Up to three loci are involved in this disease, PKDI on chromosome 16p13.3, PKD2 on 4q21, and a third locus of unknown location. Methods: Here we report the first molecular genetic study of ADPKD and the existence oflocus heterogeneity for ADPKD in the Iranian population by performing linkage analysis on 15 affected families. Results: Eleven families showed linkage to PKD 1 and two families showed linkage to PKD2. In two families, PKD 1 markers are common in all affected members but PKD2 markers were not informative. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate significant locus heterogeneity in autosomal dominant PKD in Iran. Analysis of clinical data confirms a milder ADPKD phenotype for PKD2 families. Our results showed relatively high heterozygosity rates and PIC values for some markers, while the most informative markers were KG8 and 16AC2.5 for PKD 1 gene and AFM224x6 for PKD2 gene.

INTRODUCTION: Adrenal steroidogenesis is essential for human survival and depends on the availability of the precursor cholesterol. Male subjects with low plasma levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are characterized by decreased adrenal function. Whether this is also the case in female subjects with low plasma HDL-C levels is unresolved to date. FINDINGS: 15 female ATP binding cassette transporter AI (ABCAI) and 14 female lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) were included in the study. HDL-C levels were 38% and 41% lower in ABCA1 and LCAT mutation carriers compared to controls, respectively. Urinary steroid excretion of 17-ketogenic steroids or 17-hydroxy corticosteroids did not differ between 15 female ABCA1 mutation carriers (p = 0.27 vs 0.30 respectively) and 30 matched normolipidemic controls or between 14 female LCAT mutation carriers and 28 matched normolipidemic controls (p = 0.10 and 0.14, respectively). Cosyntropin testing in an unselected subgroup of 8 ABCA1 mutation carriers and 3 LCAT mutation carriers did not reveal differences between carriers and controls. CONCLUSION: Adrenal function in females with molecularly defined low HDL-C levels is not different from controls. The discrepancy with the finding of impaired steroidogenesis in males with molecularly defined low HDL-C levels underscores the importance of gender specific analyses in cholesterol-related research.

Genetic factors explain a proportion of the inter-individual variation in the risk for atherosclerotic events, but the genetic basis of atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis in families with Mendelian forms of premature atherosclerosis is incompletely understood. We set out to unravel the molecular pathology in a large kindred with an autosomal dominant inherited form of premature atherosclerosis.Parametric linkage analysis was performed in a pedigree comprising 4 generations, of which a total of 11 members suffered from premature vascular events. A parametric LOD-score of 3.31 was observed for a 4.4 Mb interval on chromosome 12. Upon sequencing, a non-synonymous variant in KERA (c.920C>G; p.Ser307Cys) was identified. The variant was absent from nearly 28,000 individuals, including 2,571 patients with premature atherosclerosis. KERA, a proteoglycan protein, was expressed in lipid-rich areas of human atherosclerotic lesions, but not in healthy arterial specimens. Moreover, KERA expression in plaques was significantly associated with plaque size in a carotid-collar Apoe-/- mice (r2 = 0.69; p

In recent years, the solar energy has become one of the most important alternative sources of electric energy, so it is important to operate photovoltaic (PV) panel at the optimal point to obtain the possible maximum efficiency. This paper presents a new optimization approach to maximize the electrical power of a PV panel. The technique which is based on objective function represents the output power of the PV panel and constraints, equality and inequality. First the dummy variables that have effect on the output power are classified into two categories: dependent and independent. The proposed approach is a multistage one as the genetic algorithm, GA, is used to obtain the best initial population at optimal solution and this initial population is fed to Lagrange multiplier algorithm (LM), then a comparison between the two algorithms, GA and LM, is performed. The proposed technique is applied to solar radiation measured at Helwan city at latitude 29.87°, Egypt. The results showed that the proposed technique is applicable.

The investigation of graphene oxide (GO) for sensing applications is attractive due to its nanoscale structure and its sensing properties has yet to be fully understood. In this paper, optical response of GO coated optical fiber sensor towards ethanol is described. GO was coated onto a multimode tapered optical fiber by drop-casting technique. The coated fiber was exposed to 5–40% of ethanol in water. The films were characterized with field emission scanning electron microscope, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The sensing is based on changes following the absorbance of the GO coated optical fiber upon exposure to ethanol. The developed sensor shows fast response and recovery with duration of 22 and 20 s, respectively. The sensor also displays high repeatability and reversibility.

Optical Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) is commonly deployed as a wavelength selective filter in telecommunication as well as to detect physical changes such as pressure, temperature and strain in sensing applications. This paper presents an investigation of FBG as a chemical sensor towards ethanol in aqueous solution. Telecommunication standard single mode FBGs were coated with different thicknesses of thin gold films via sputtering deposition method. The combination of Bragg gratings and gold film enhances the evanescent wave on the surface of the optical fiber. It was found that the FBG coated with 50 nm gold layer exhibits the strongest response towards water with varying concentrations of ethanol. The sensor shows 55% change in absorbance levels when the concentration of ethanol is increased from 0 to 99.7% in water.

We have proposed a study on single-mode tapered optical fiber for temperature sensing application. A theoretical analysis and its experimental validation were carried out to study the taper profile for highly sensitive temperature sensor. Experiments were performed to observe a wavelength shift of transmission spectra with different taper profiles. The effects of taper profiles on the sensitivity of the sensor were also investigated. Our results indicate that the tapered fiber-based temperature sensor has sensitivity in the range of 0.01143 to 0.03406 nm/°C. The findings also demonstrate that the sensor sensitivity can be adjusted with variation to the taper profile.

Lithium is widely used in contemporary energy applications, but its isolation from natural reserves is plagued by time-consuming and costly processes. While polymer membranes could, in principle, circumvent these challenges by efficiently extracting lithium from aqueous solutions, they usually exhibit poor ion-specific selectivity. Toward this end, we have incorporated host-guest interactions into a tunable polynorbornene network by copolymerizing 1) 12-crown-4 ligands to impart ion selectivity, 2) poly(ethylene oxide) side chains to control water content, and 3) a crosslinker to form robust solids at room temperature. Single salt transport measurements indicate these materials exhibit unprecedented reverse permeability selectivity (∼2.3) for LiCl over NaCl-the highest documented to date for a dense, water-swollen polymer. As demonstrated by molecular dynamics simulations, this behavior originates from the ability of 12-crown-4 to bind Na+ ions more strongly than Li+ in an aqueous environment, which reduces Na+ mobility (relative to Li+) and offsets the increase in Na+ solubility due to binding with crown ethers. Under mixed salt conditions, 12-crown-4 functionalized membranes showed identical solubility selectivity relative to single salt conditions; however, the permeability and diffusivity selectivity of LiCl over NaCl decreased, presumably due to flux coupling. These results reveal insights for designing advanced membranes with solute-specific selectivity by utilizing host-guest interactions.

We report an ultra-long Raman laser with a 46 km fiber length that behaved as a Rayleigh back-scattering–based optical feedback. The laser was tunable from 1550 nm to 1571 nm (3 dB bandwidth) with the insertion of an optical grating filter. Evaluations on the spectral evolution and power development were also performed from the results obtained. In fact, it was discovered that the spectral broadening effect between the modeless spectra resembled the same process that happens in a typical fiber cavity that has high reflectors at each cavity end. In addition, the output power showed a square-root development with respect to the input power.

Renewable carbon sources are a rapidly growing field of research because of the finite supply of fossil carbon. The lignocellulosic biomass walnut shell (WS) is an attractive renewable feedstock because it has a high lignin content (38-44 wt %) and is an agricultural waste stream. Lignin, a major component of lignocellulosic biomass that is currently a waste stream in pulping processes, has unique potential for chemical upgrading because its subunits are aromatic. In the interest of improving the sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of biomass processing, valorization of agricultural waste streams is important. Herein, three lab-scale, batch organosolv procedures are explored in the interest of optimal isolation of protected WS lignin (WSL). One system uses acetic acid, one MeOH, and the final EtOH as the primary solvent. The optimal condition for protected WSL isolation, which resulted in a 64% yield, was methanol and dilute sulfuric acid with formaldehyde to act as a protecting group at 170 °C. Select samples were upgraded by hydrogenolysis over a nickel catalyst. Protected lignin recovered from the optimal condition showed 77% by weight conversion to monomeric phenols, demonstrating that the protected WSL can selectively afford high value products. One key finding from this study was that MeOH is a superior solvent for isolating WSL versus EtOH because the latter exhibited lignin recondensation. The second was that the Ni/C-catalyzed reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF) directly of WS biomass was not selective relative to RCF of isolated WSL; conversion of raw WS to monomers produced significantly more side products.

Reaction of the Pt(II) complexes [PtMe2(pbt)], 1a, (pbt = 2-(2-pyridyl)benzothiazole) and [PtMe(C^N)(PPh2Me)] [C^N = deprotonated 2-phenylpyridine (ppy), 1b, or deprotonated benzo[h]quinoline (bhq), 1c] with benzyl bromide, PhCH2Br, is studied. The reaction of 1a with PhCH2Br gave the Pt(IV) product complex [PtBr(CH2Ph)Me2(pbt)]. The major trans isomer is formed in a trans oxidative addition (2a), while the minor cis products (2a' and 2a″) resulted from an isomerization process. A solution of Pt(II) complex 1a in the presence of benzyl bromide in toluene at 70 °C after 7 days gradually gave the dibromo Pt(IV) complex [Pt(Br)2Me2(pbt)], 4a, as determined by NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal XRD. The reaction of complexes 1b and 1c with PhCH2Br gave the Pt(IV) complexes [PtMeBr(CH2Ph)(C^N)(PPh2Me)] (C^N = ppy; 2b; C^N = bhq, 2c), in which the phosphine and benzyl ligands are trans. Multinuclear NMR spectroscopy ruled out other isomers. Attempts to grow crystals of the cycloplatinated(IV) complex 2b yielded a previously reported Pt(II) complex [PtBr(ppy)(PPh2Me)], 3b, presumably from reductive elimination of ethylbenzene. UV-vis spectroscopy was used to study the kinetics of reaction of Pt(II) complexes 1a-1c with benzyl bromide. The data are consistent with a second-order SN2 mechanism and the first order in both the Pt complex and PhCH2Br. The rate of reaction decreases along the series 1a ≫ 1c > 1b. Density functional theory calculations were carried out to support experimental findings and understand the formation of isomers.