What is a normal blood glucose?

Glucose is the key metabolic substrate for tissue energy production. In the perinatal period the mother supplies glucose to the fetus and for most of the gestational period the normal lower limit of fetal glucose concentration is around 3 mmol/L. Just after birth, for the first few hours of life in a normal term neonate appropriate for gestational age, blood glucose levels can range between 1.4 mmol/L and 6.2 mmol/L but by about 72 h of age fasting blood glucose levels reach normal infant, child and adult values (3.5-5.5 mmol/L). Normal blood glucose levels are maintained within this narrow range by factors which control glucose production and glucose utilisation. The key hormones which regulate glucose homoeostasis include insulin, glucagon, epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol and growth hormone. Pathological states that affect either glucose production or utilisation will lead to hypoglycaemia. Although hypoglycaemia is a common biochemical finding in children (especially in the newborn) it is not possible to define by a single (or a range of) blood glucose value/s. It can be defined as the concentration of glucose in the blood or plasma at which the individual demonstrates a unique response to the abnormal milieu caused by the inadequate delivery of glucose to a target organ (eg, the brain). Hypoglycaemia should therefore be considered as a continuum and the blood glucose level should be interpreted within the clinical scenario and with respect to the counter-regulatory hormonal responses and intermediate metabolites

Observations on Rehabilitation of Traumatic Paraplegia using Body Weight Support Training and Functional Electrical Stimulation

Walking is the unthinking transportation of daily life, supporting countless but essential trips within home and beyond, walking holds profound symbolic importance. When a person sustains spinal cord injury the most obvious functional limitation encountered is loss of ambulation. Conventional rehabilitation primarily provides compensatory strategy for accomplishing mobility and strengthening above the level of lesion. Recently new approach to facilitate locomotor recovery and bladder and bowel emptying have been explored,these include:-1) Body weight support walking (BWS), 2) Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) and 3) Interferential Therapy (IFT) To determine whether BWS training, FES and IFT have potential to improve walking function and bladder emptying in individuals with SCI, 20 subjects with spinal cord injury at the level of dorsolumber and lumbosacral regions were studied. Significant improvement in the muscle power of lower limbs and bladder control was seen in patients who received FES and IFT after the injury and at follow up of 6 months. Body support walking proved to be effective in early rehabilitation of patients with SCI. Hence comprehensive management with these gadgets provided early ambulation, bladder and bowel training and overall rehabilitation of patients. Such patients can be made independent for their ADL within the home with orthotic devices, wheel chair etc

Envelope Determinants of Equine Lentiviral Vaccine Protection

Lentiviral envelope (Env) antigenic variation and associated immune evasion present major obstacles to vaccine development. The concept that Env is a critical determinant for vaccine efficacy is well accepted, however defined correlates of protection associated with Env variation have yet to be determined. We reported an attenuated equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) vaccine study that directly examined the effect of lentiviral Env sequence variation on vaccine efficacy. The study identified a significant, inverse, linear correlation between vaccine efficacy and increasing divergence of the challenge virus Env gp90 protein compared to the vaccine virus gp90. The report demonstrated approximately 100% protection of immunized ponies from disease after challenge by virus with a homologous gp90 (EV0), and roughly 40% protection against challenge by virus (EV13) with a gp90 13% divergent from the vaccine strain. In the current study we examine whether the protection observed when challenging with the EV0 strain could be conferred to animals via chimeric challenge viruses between the EV0 and EV13 strains, allowing for mapping of protection to specific Env sequences. Viruses containing the EV13 proviral backbone and selected domains of the EV0 gp90 were constructed and in vitro and in vivo infectivity examined. Vaccine efficacy studies indicated that homology between the vaccine strain gp90 and the N-terminus of the challenge strain gp90 was capable of inducing immunity that resulted in significantly lower levels of post-challenge virus and significantly delayed the onset of disease. However, a homologous N-terminal region alone inserted in the EV13 backbone could not impart the 100% protection observed with the EV0 strain. Data presented here denote the complicated and potentially contradictory relationship between in vitro virulence and in vivo pathogenicity. The study highlights the importance of structural conformation for immunogens and emphasizes the need for antibody binding, not neutralizing, assays that correlate with vaccine protection. © 2013 Craigo et al

Leuciscus vorax Heckel, 1848 Fish as a New Host of Two Parasites, Crustacean Parasite Lamproglena chinensis and the Excysts Metacercaria Centrocestus formosanus Phase for the First Time in Iraq

تم جمع عشرة اسماك شلك Leuciscus vorax Heckel, 1848 خلال الفترة من 15/6 لغاية 15/9 للسنة 2020 من نهر المشروع المرتبط مع نهر الفرات في مدينة المسيب وبعد تشريح وفحص العينات تم عزل طفيليين هما، القشري الطفيلي Lamproglena chinensis   و المتكيس Centrocestus formosanus من الغلاصم وكان العزل لأول مرة من هذه السمكة، لذا عدت كمضيف جديد للطفيليين المذكور أعلاه في العراقIt has been collect ten  Leuciscus vorax Heckel, 1848  fishes   in the period  from 15/6  to  15/9, of the year 2020 C. from the Al-mashrooa river which connected to the Euphrates River at Al-Musaib region,  and after dissection and examine the samples it have been isolate the crustacean  parasite Lamproglena chinensis and the Excysts Metacercaria Centrocestus formosanus Phase from the gill and it’s isolation for the first time from this fish, then it regarded as a new hosts to the parasites above in Iraq

Heteropneustes fossilis fish (Bloch, 1794) as a New Host for the Parasite Centrocestus formosanus Phase Excysts Metacercaria for the First Time in Iraq

جمعت عشرة اسماك جري لاسع Heteropneustes fossilis fish (Bloch, 1794) للمدة من بداية شهر حزيران والى نهاية شهر آب من سنة 2018م من الصيادين الذين يصطادون في نهر مشروع المسيب وعلى بعد ما يقارب الكيلومتر من نقطة ارتباطه بنهر الفرات منطقة المسيب، كانت اوزانها بين 17- 58غم والطول الكلي لها بين 13.5- 2.21سم على التوالي، وبعد التشريح والفحص أمكن عزل الطفيلي Centrocestus formosanus طور Excysts metacercaria من غلاصم الأسماك وعد عزله من السمكة لأول مرة لذا عدت السمكة مضيفا جديدا ولأول مرة في العراق.Ten fishes of Heteropneustes fossilis had been collect through out the period from the beginning of June tell the end of August of the year 2018C from the fishermen that fishing from Al-mashrooa river one Km from the  connecting point with Euphrates River at Al-Musaib region, its weight between 17-58gm and 13.5-21.2 cm length respectively and after dissection and examine it have been isolate the parasite  Centrocestus formosanus phase Excysts metacercaria from the gill and it’s isolation for the first time from this fish then it regarded as new hosts in Iraq.  &nbsp

Comparative analysis of case screening with varying cough duration and sputum samples for diagnosis of tuberculosis in patients attending the OPD at a tertiary care hospital at Srinagar, India

Research Question: Can we minimize cough duration and number of sputum samples in chest symptomatic patients for screening of TB?Objective: To evaluate cough of 3 weeks versus 2 weeks duration using two sputum samples versus three samples in chest symptomatic patients attending the OPD.Study Design: Hospital-based cross-sectional study.Materials and Methods: Outpatients (2810) with H/O cough of 3 weeks and 2 weeks duration were screened by subjecting them to sputum microscopy for tuberculosis using two sputum samples as well as three samples following standard procedure for sputum collection, staining and acid-fast bacillus (AFB) identification. Those on drugs were not included.Results: Using .2 weeks cough, sputum positivity rate was 12%, nearly as high as the sputum positivity among patients with .3 weeks cough, i.e. 14%. First sputum smear alone on an average could detect 91.8% cases, while the first two sputum smears could detect on an average 96% cases. The study showed that maximum number of cases was diagnosed by only two sputum smears and added diagnostic value of third specimen was small, i.e. 4%.High sputum positivity rate using .2 weeks cough with two sputum samples was seen.Conclusion: The sensitivity analysis of the study showed that using .2 weeks cough with two sputum samples gives almost similar values as .3 weeks cough with three sputum samples, but this needs further confirmatory results of culture sensitivity. Hence, using .2 weeks cough with two sputum samples as the diagnostic criteria for screening of cough patients for TB should be recommended as one way of improving efficient use of scarce resources

Spin eel fish Mastacembelus mastacembelus (Banks et Solander in Russell, 1794) as a New Host to the Parasite Centrocestus formosanus Phase Excysts metacercaria for the First Time in Iraq

جمعت خمس اسماك الانقليس الشوكي Mastacembelus mastacembelus في الايام 25/7 و 30/7 و5/8 من السنة 2018م من الصيادين الذين يصطادون من نهر مشروع المسيب وعلى بعد ما يقارب الكيلومتر من الناظم الذي يربطه بنهر الفرات منطقة المسيب وبعد التشريح والفحص أمكن عزل الطفيلي Centrocestus formosanus طور Excysts metacercaria من غلاصم الأسماك وكان عزلهما من المرمريج لأول مرة لذا عدت السمكة مضيفا جديدا ولأول مرة في العراقIt has been collect  five fishes of Mastacembelus mastacembelus in the days 25\7 ,30\7 and 5\8 of the year 2018 from the fishermen that fishing from Al-mashrooa river one Km from the floodgate which connect it with Euphrates River at Al-Musaib region and after dissection and examine it have been isolate the parasite  Centrocestus formosanus phase Excysts metacercaria from the gill and it’s isolation for the first time then it regarded as new hosts in Iraq

New nanomaterial and process for the production of biofuel from metal hyper accumulator water hyacinth

Three different studies were performed for the conversion of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) plant into biofuel. In the first study, water hyacinth was saccharified with diluted sulfuric acid (1% v/v at 110°C for one hour), fermented by yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The results showed the formation of 55.20% ethanol and 41.66% acetic acid. In another experiment, water hyacinth was gasified by using Ni and Co nano catalysts at 50 - 400°C and atmospheric pressure. In catalytic gasification, CH4 (2.41 - 6.67%), C2H4 (19.74 - 45.52%), C3H4 (21.04 - 45.52%), CH3OH (1.43 - 24.67%), and C3H8 / CH3CHO (0.33 -26.09%) products were obtained. In this study, anatase form of titanium dioxide photocatalyst was used. The reaction was performed at room temperature which gives methane, methanol and ethanol.This study also reports an interesting finding that metal contaminated water hyacinth could be used for not only the production of biofuel but also hydrocarbons

Storage Stabilisation of Albumin-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles by Lyoprotectants

Purpose: To investigate the effect of lyoprotectants on the physical and storage stability of lyophilised bovine serum albumin-loaded chitosan/dextran sulphate (BSA-loaded CS/DS) nanoparticles.Methods: BSA-loaded CS/DS nanoparticles were prepared by ionic-gelation technique. The nanoparticles were harvested by ultra-centrifugation and then various lyoprotectants at different concentrations were added to the nanoparticles prior to lyophilisation at – 40 oC for 24 h. Particle sizeand distribution as well as zeta potential of the nanoparticles were measured by dynamic light scattering method. Entrapment efficiency and BSA retained in the nanoparticles matrices were determined spectrophotometrically at ëmax of 595 nm.Results: The results indicate that 0.5 %w/v trehalose was the most effective lyoprotectant and it essentially maintained the particle size of lyophilised BSA-loaded CS/DS nanoparticles which changed slightly from 188 ± 11 nm to 174 ± 14 nm during lyophilisation. Mannitol was also as effective as trehalose at 0.1 and 1.0 % w/v in stabilising the nanoparticles. The particle size of lyophilized nanoparticles increased moderately from 188 ± 11 nm to 234 ± 12 nm and 287 ± 18 nm at 0.1 and 1.0 % w/v, respectively. In contrast, the other lyoprotectants (inulin and histidine) did not show stabilizing effects. Moreover, trehalose also reduced the degree of particle aggregation from 329 ± 16 to 836 ± 21 nm upon storage for 24 h as compared to CS/DS nanoparticles without trehalose; from 438 ± 14 to1298 ± 18 (p < 0.05). The rate of BSA leakage from the nanoparticles containing trehalose was reduced from 92 to 42 % over a 11-day storage period compared with 99 to 0 % for CS/DS nanoparticles without trehalose.Conclusion: Trehalose (0.5 % w/v) is a promising lyoprotectant for storage stabilisation of BSA-loaded CS/DS nanoparticles.Keywords: Lyoprotectant, Chitosan, Nanoparticles, Trehalose, Bovine serum albumin, Ultracentrifugatio

Phytoremediation technologies for Ni++ by water hyacinth

Phytoremediation of metal contaminated soil and water by Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) is promising. The study was conducted to compare the phytoremoval of Ni++ from soil and wastewater. For the measurement of phytoremoval from soil, E. crassipes was used in a pot experiment. Results showed the removal of (Ni) 24.23 μg/g dry weight of plant and large level calculations show removal of 3449.76 kg/ha of soil, corresponding to 25 μg/g of the added Ni++. In the second experiment, Ni++ contaminated Hoagland’s solution was used for the hydroponic growth of water hyacinth. The result of hydroponic experiment showed the phytoremoval of Ni++ from Ni++ contaminated wastewater; maximum removal was 1.954 μg/g of dry weight. In third experiment, ash of water hyacinth was used for the adsorption and desorption of Ni++. The adsorption capacity was 1.978 μg/g of ash. For the extraction(desorption) of Ni++, 3 M HNO3 was used. Desorption capacity was 3.71 μg/g of ash. The results of comparative study show order of nickel phytoremediation from soil to be greater than that from water by adsorption which was greater than that from water by hydroponic study. For phytoremoval of Ni++ from soil and water, water hyacinth plant and its ash showed excellence. The desorbed Ni++ can be used in the industries e.g. in Ni plating.Keywords: Nickel, phytoremediation, soil, waste water, water hyacinth, biosorptio