AIDS-Related Knowledge and High-Risk Behaviors of Pregnant,Substance-Dependent Women

The authors investigated AIDS-related knowledge, high-risk behaviors, and relationships between AIDS-related knowledge, high-risk behaviors, and sociodemographic characteristics of 41 pregnant women entering treatment who were dependent on cocaine or opiates. At entry, patients completed self-report questionnaires on AIDS-related knowledge and sexual and drug use practices. There was a high rate of understanding of risk associated with drug use and perinatal transmission of HIV. Knowledge of high-risk sexual behavior varied, and knowledge of the medical consequences of HIV was modest. Engagement in several high-risk behaviors was identified: lack of condom use, intravenous drug use, sharing of needles, sex with an injecting drug user, and exchanging sex for money or drugs. AIDS-related knowledge and engagement in high-risk behaviors were not significantly correlated. Authors discussed implications of these findings for developing effective HIV prevention strategies in this population. (American Journal on Addictions 1996; 5:292–300)     

Direct agglutination test with urine samples for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis

A new direct agglutination test (DAT) for use with urine samples for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been developed and compared with the conventional DAT with serum samples and our previously reported enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with urine samples (urine ELISA). The new DAT, in which anti-human IgG was used as enhancing antibody, was tested with urine samples from 75 VL patients and 225 non-VL patients and healthy people. The sensitivity of the new DAT (90.7%), was almost the same as that of the conventional DAT (91.0%) and the urine ELISA (93.3%). The specificity of the new DAT (96.4%) was nearly identical with that of the urine ELISA (97.3%). A urine-based DAT has several advantages over the conventional DAT: sample collection is non-invasive and it can process larger numbers of samples with smaller amounts of antigen.     

Sustained Inflammasome Activity in Macrophages Impairs Wound Healing in Type 2 Diabetic Humans and Mice

The hypothesis of this study was that sustained activity of the Nod-like receptor protein (NLRP)-3 inflammasome in wounds of diabetic humans and mice contributes to the persistent inflammatory response and impaired healing characteristic of these wounds. Macrophages (Mp) isolated from wounds on diabetic humans and db/db mice exhibited sustained inflammasome activity associated with low level of expression of endogenous inflammasome inhibitors. Soluble factors in the biochemical milieu of these wounds are sufficient to activate the inflammasome, as wound-conditioned medium activates caspase-1 and induces release of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 in cultured Mp via a reactive oxygen species–mediated pathway. Importantly, inhibiting inflammasome activity in wounds of db/db mice using topical application of pharmacological inhibitors improved healing of these wounds, induced a switch from proinflammatory to healing-associated Mp phenotypes, and increased levels of prohealing growth factors. Furthermore, data generated from bone marrow–transfer experiments from NLRP-3 or caspase-1 knockout to db/db mice indicated that blocking inflammasome activity in bone marrow cells is sufficient to improve healing. Our findings indicate that sustained inflammasome activity in wound Mp contributes to impaired early healing responses of diabetic wounds and that the inflammasome may represent a new therapeutic target for improving healing in diabetic individuals.     

Frequency and Predictors of Non-compliance to Dietary Recommendations Among Hypertensive Patients

Compliance to dietary recommendations among hypertensive people is a major health care issue. Non-compliance can nullify the effects of even the most scientific and optimum treatment plan. The main aim of this study was to determine the frequency and predictors of non-adherence in our region. We also investigated the possible factors based on patient opinions that could increase compliance. A sample of 400 adult patients, diagnosed with hypertension for at least 3 years, who visited Civil Hospital during the time period April–June 2013 were included in this cross sectional study. Patient data and opinions were collected by two trained interviewers using a pre-coded questionnaire. Compliance was assessed based on patients self report. More than three quarters (n = 310, 77.5 %) of the hypertensive patients were non-compliant. More than one social gathering in a week, peer-influence, no friends to follow the recommended diet plan and lack of believe regarding diet as an effective measure to control blood pressure were found to be the significant predictors of non-compliance (P values <0.0001). Counseling was thought to be the most effective way by the patients to increase adherence. Non-compliance to dietary recommendations is a major problem prevalent especially in Pakistan. There is an urgent need for doctors and nurses to counsel their patients effectively to prevent future morbidities and mortalities because of non-compliance.     

Contribution of endothelin and its receptors to the regulation of vascular tone during exercise is different in the systemic, coronary and pulmonary circulation

OBJECTIVES: Exercise-induced vasodilation is thought to be mediated through various vasodilator substances, but blunting the influence of vasoconstrictors such as ET may also play a role. However, the role of ET and its receptors in the regulation of systemic, pulmonary and coronary vascular resistance is incompletely understood. The aim of this study was to identify the contribution of ET-1 through the ET(A) and ET(B) receptors to the regulation of tone in the systemic, coronary and pulmonary beds at rest and during exercise. METHODS: Ten chronically instrumented swine were studied while running on a treadmill before and after ET(A) blockade (EMD122946) or ET(AB) blockade (tezosentan). RESULTS: At rest, EMD122946 resulted in vasodilation in the coronary and systemic circulation, evidenced by a decrease in coronary and systemic vascular resistance and an increase in coronary and mixed venous O(2)-saturation. These effects waned during exercise. The effect of tezosentan on the systemic vasculature was similar to that of EMD122946, whereas it was smaller in the coronary circulation. EMD122946 had no effect on the pulmonary vasculature, whereas tezosentan decreased pulmonary resistance but only during exercise. CONCLUSIONS: ET exerts a constrictor influence on the coronary and systemic circulation through the ET(A)-receptor, which decreases during exercise thereby contributing to metabolic vasodilation. ET exerts a tonic vasodilator influence on coronary resistance vessels through the ET(B)-receptor. Finally, ET exerts an ET(B)-mediated constrictor influence in the pulmonary vasculature during exercise.     

Synthesis of Ni–Ag–ZnO solid solution nanoparticles for photoreduction and antimicrobial applications

ZnO is one of the most promising and efficient semiconductor materials for various light-harvesting applications. Herein, we reported the tuning of optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) by co-incorporation of Ni and Ag ions in the ZnO lattice. A sonochemical approach was used to synthesize pure ZnO NPs, Ni–ZnO, Ag–ZnO and Ag/Ni–ZnO with different concentrations of Ni and Ag (0.5%, 2%, 4%, 8%, and 15%) and Ni doped Ag–ZnO solid solutions with 0.25%, 0.5%, and 5% Ni ions. The as-synthesized Ni–Ag–ZnO solid solution NPs were characterized by powdered X-ray diffraction (pXRD), FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), UV-vis (UV) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Ni–Ag co-incorporation into a ZnO lattice reduces charge recombination by inducing charge trap states between the valence and conduction bands of ZnO and interfacial transfer of electrons. The Ni doped Ag–ZnO solid solution NPs have shown superior 4-nitrophenol reduction compared to pure ZnO NPs which do not show this reaction. Furthermore, a methylene blue (MB) clock reaction was also performed. Antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus has inhibited the growth pattern of both strains depending on the concentration of catalysts.

The synergic effect of Ni and Ag in Ni–Ag–ZnO solid solutions has tuned the optoelectronic properties of ZnO for photoreduction reactions.     

Tribological Behavior of Aluminum Hybrid Nanocomposites Reinforced with Alumina and Graphene Oxide

Due to rapid technological advancements, the demand for lightweight materials with improved tribo-mechanical properties is continuously growing. The development of composite materials is one of the routes taken by researchers to meet these target properties. Aluminum (Al) is one of the most suitable materials used for developing composites for a wide range of applications because of its light weight, high conductivity, and high specific strength. In this study, aluminum hybrid nanocomposites with alumina (10 Vol% Al₂O₃) and varying loadings of graphene oxide (0.25, 0.5 and 1 wt% GO) were fabricated using the spark plasma sintering technique. The tribological properties of the developed hybrid composites were evaluated by conducting ball-on-disk wear tests at a normal load of 3N, with a sliding speed of 0.1 m/s, and for a sliding distance of 100 m. A 440C hardened stainless steel ball with a diameter of 6.3 mm and a hardness of 62 RC was used as a counterface. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental X-ray dispersive analysis (EDS), and optical profilometry were used to ascertain the involved wear mechanisms. The results revealed that Al-10 Vol%Vol% Al₂O₃-0.25 wt% GO hybrid nanocomposite showed an increase of 48% in the hardness, a reduction of 55% in the specific wear rate, and a reduction of 5% in COF compared with pure aluminum.