Search

Detecting cardiovascular disease [CVD] at its earliest stage is vital to effectively manage patients and improve their chances of full recuperation. Currently, identifying CVD during its initial development has become a significant concern for global health. The remarkable attributes of nanoscale electrochemical biosensors make them highly appropriate for detecting CVD biomarkers in bodily fluids even in extremely low quantities. The unique advantages of biosensors that use electrochemistry, which include increased sensitivity and stability through electrode surface nanostructuring, as well as bioreceptors with heightened affinity and selectivity, have prompted exploration of new electrochemical biosensing techniques as viable alternatives to traditional methods for clinical diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. In this review, current information on electrochemical biosensing techniques and signal amplification tactics employing nanomaterials for detecting myoglobin, a biomarker for cardiovascular disease, is presented. Future research efforts must prioritize the discovery of new, specific biomarkers for cardiovascular disease. Additionally, it is crucial to develop realtime analysis techniques for these biomarkers, as well as point-of-care validation assays that have excellent selectivity and sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a rising trend in the use of herbal stem cell remedies among the populace due to the belief that such remedies have all-encompassing health benefits, and without side effects. However, there is little or no scientific data reported on their safety profile. This study addressed the toxicological effects of STC-30, one of the popular polyherbal stem cell remedies used in several countries of the world including Nigeria, Ghana, Australia, among others. Methods: The inhibitory activity of thymol and the nano-preparations were evaluated qualitatively versus Metronidazole against T. vaginalis in TYI-S33 culture medium. The live T. vaginalis parasites were counted on a hemocytometer, the inhibition rate was assessed and the data analyzed statistically. Results: Thymol and its two nanopreparations at varying concentrations inhibited T. vaginalis in culture after 24, 48, or 72 hours of incubation. The inhibition of T. vaginalis was also achieved in culture with Metronidazole at 65 μg/ml. Conclusion: The percent inhibition of T. vaginalis by thymol and its nanopreparations depended on the duration of incubation and the concentration. Thymol and its nanoliposome preparation showed a lower inhibitory effect (IC50) on T. vaginalis than that of the thymol nanoparticles after 24 or 48 hours of treatment. However, the efficacy of the three thymol forms did not significantly differ after 72 hours of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new randomized search method called evolutionary random policy search (ERPS) for solving infinite-horizon discounted-cost Markov-decision-process (MDP) problems. The algorithm is particularly targeted at problems with large […]

A sequential filtering scheme for the risk-sensitive state estimation of partially observed Markov chains is presented. The previously introduced risk-sensitive filters are unified in the context of risk-sensitive maximum a posterior probability estimation. Structural results for the filter banks are given. The influence of the availability of information and the transition probabilities on the decision regions and the behavior of risk-sensitive estimators are studied. Index Terms--Hidden Markov models (HMMs), risk-sensitive estimation.

Aimed to improve the dissolution profile of risperidone and increase the compliance of psychotic patients, we designed a fast dissolution tablet (FDT) containing nanoparticles. Risperidone nanoparticles were prepared by the acid-alkali neutralization method, and their size and stability were evaluated. Spray freeze-drying (SFD) process was then employed to fabricate the nanoaggregates using sugars. The physicochemical properties of the dried powders were assessed. Finally, nanoaggregates were compressed into tablets, and their properties were evaluated. The results show that the synergic effect of cremophore EL and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose E15 can give rise to the formation of risperidone nanosuspension with the particle size of 188 nm. Moreoevr, it is shown that the fabrication of risperidone nanoaggregate enhanced the drug dissolution and decreased that to 2 min, which is faster than coarse risperidone powder (with dissolution time of 60 min). The formulations of FDT containing 9.5% of sodium starch glycolate and 83.2% microcrystalline cellulose were selected with a disintegration time of less than 30 s and a dissolution time of 10 min. This investigation shows that the preparation of FDT containing nanoparticles using SFD is an easy and feasible method for improving the dissolution profile of many drugs with low solubility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pistachio is one of the main nutrients, not only as a strategic crop but also as a main type of nut, in Iranians' food cycle. The aim of this study was to measure the relative safety of Iranian pistachio based on the standard pesticide's residue limits, which should be monitored and assessed in the cultivation of pistachio in order to confirm its public health. Methods: Fifty samples of pistachios of different brands were collected from Tehran markets in 2015. QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) sampling method was used in order to determine the pesticide's residue in the pistachio nuts by Gas chromatography/Mass spectrometry (GC/MS).The method was validated with related parameters. Recovery took place at five concentration rates (n=3) ranging from 81.40% to 93.08% with the majority of RelativeStandard Deviation being lower than 20%. Limits of detection and quantification for all the pesticides were 2µg/kg and10µg/kg, respectively. The validated method seemed to be appropriate for the analysis of pesticide's residue in pistachio nuts. The pesticide's residue was analyzed in 50 pistachio samples obtained from different markets. Results: Identified pesticides included fenitrothion, carbaryl and diazinon. Detectable pesticide's residue existed in 10% (5 samples) of the samples. Conclusion: All the results were compared with the Iran's National Standards and the European Maximum Residue Limits. As compared to the acceptable daily intake, the calculated daily intake of each pesticide was much lower than the standard level, which could not cause any public health problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]