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Fenton (H2O2/Fe2+) system is a simple and efficient advanced oxidation technology (AOT) for the treatment of organic micropollutants in water and soil. However, it suffers from some drawbacks including high amount of the catalyst, acid pH requirement, sludge formation and slow regeneration of Fe2+ ions. If these drawbacks are surmounted, Fenton system can be the best choice AOT for the removal of persistent organics from water and soil. In this work, it was attempted to replace the homogeneous catalyst with a heterogeneous natural iron-based catalyst for the decomposition of H2O2 into oxidative radical species, mainly hydroxyl (HO•) and hydroperoxyl radicals (HO2•). The natural iron-based catalyst is hematite-rich (α-Fe2O3) and contains a nonnegligible amount of magnetite (Fe3O4) indicating the coexistence of Fe (III) and Fe(II) species. A pseudo-first order kinetics was determined for the decomposition of H2O2 by the iron-based solid catalyst with a rate constant increasing with the catalyst dose. The catalytic decomposition of H2O2 into hydroxyl radicals in the presence of the natural Fe-based catalyst was confirmed by the hydroxylation of benzoic acid into salicylic acid. The natural Fe-based catalyst/H2O2 system was applied for the degradation of riluzole in water. It was demonstrated that the smaller the particle size of the catalyst, the larger its surface area and the greater its catalytic activity towards H2O2 decomposition into hydroxyl radicals. The degradation of riluzole can occur at all pH levels in the range 3.0–12.0 with a rate and efficiency greater than H2O2 oxidation alone, indicating that the natural Fe-based catalyst can function at any pH without the need to control the pH by the addition of chemicals. An improvement in the efficiency and kinetics of the degradation of riluzole was observed under UV irradiation for both homogeneous and heterogeneous Fenton systems. The results chromatography analysis demonstrate that the degradation of riluzole starts by the opening of the triazole ring by releasing nitrate, sulfate, and fluoride ions. The reuse of the catalyst after heat treatment at 500 °C demonstrated that the heat-treated catalyst retained an efficiency >90% after five cycles. The results confirmed that the natural sources of iron, as a heterogeneous catalyst in a Fenton-like system, is an appropriate replacement of a Fe2+ homogeneous catalyst. The reuse of the heterogeneous catalyst after a heat-treatment represents an additional advantage of using a natural iron-based catalyst in Fenton-like systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the best method, most appropriate and high precision method between rectal palpation, ultrasonography and measuring level of progesterone for diagnosis of early pregnancy in cows. 20 cows were examined in Teaching Hospital / College of Veterinary Medicine / Mosul University, at the period between 1/11/2013 - 1/3/2014, cows undergone early pregnancy diagnosis using three different methods at 45, 60 and 90 days of pregnancy. Results of rectal palpation showed that the percentage of pregnancy was 0% 60% 85% at days 45, 60 and 90 of pregnancy, respectively, while results of ultrasonography showed that diagnosis early pregnancy was 30, 80 and 100 at days 45, 60 and 90 of pregnancy, respectively. Results of estimation of progesterone concentration by ELISA technique showed that pregnancy diagnosis was 60% 85% 100% at days 45, 60 and 90 of pregnancy, respectively. In conclusion, the best and fastest way to diagnose early pregnancy in cows was measure concentration of progesterone in blood serum of cows then followed by ultrasonography, while method of rectal palpation was inefficient in detecting early pregnancy in cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new tetradentate Schiff base (SB), (E)-4-fluoro-2-(1-((2-(piperazin-1-yl)ethyl)imino)ethyl)phenol, was synthesized from condensation of 2-(1-piperazinyl)ethylamine and 5-fluoro-2-hydroxyacetophenone. This ligand was coordinated with three copper(II) salts (CuCl2, CuBr2 and Cu(NO3)2⸱3H2O) separately, giving rise to new neutral water-soluble Cu(II)/ƞ4-NNNO complexes (1–3). The new materials were fully characterized by standard spectroscopic, elemental, thermal, electronic, absorption, and fluorescence analyses. The chromotropism investigation of the aqueous solutions of the complexes revealed notable outcomes. A turn off-on halochromism effect was observed, both in the acidic and basic mediums. The green-colored solution was changed to colorless (off) upon the addition of HCl, while the initial green color was reversibly restored (on) after the addition of NaOH. On the other hand, bathochromic solvatochromism shifts were noticed in various solvents. Interestingly, complex 2 displayed a remarkable blue fluorescence shift (Δλ = 90 nm) when compared to its SB ligand. The oxidation capability of the three complexes was successfully demonstrated for the conversion of o-catechol to o-benzoquinone in aqueous solutions and in the presence of H2O2, an environmentally friendly oxidant, under mild reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes is a widespread disease that needs to be controlled. Therapeutic monitoring of drugs is very helpful in maintaining desirable doses. To study a correlation between the blood level of metformin (to a lesser extent, glimepiride) and genotyping (mainly the SULT1A1 genotype). Determine drug levels using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) tool. A validated LC-MS/MS method was developed to determine metformin and glimepiride levels in human plasma. DNA extraction was performed using Jena Bioscience's Blood DNA preparation, in which a column kit was used to extract DNA for genetic polymorphism. The investigation was carried out using both medications in type 2 diabetes patients alongside the genetic polymorphism. One hundred and six patients were assessed. The prevalence of homozygosity for SULT1A1 and wild-type CYP2D6 * 4 were 72.6% and 73.6%, respectively. After adjustment for daily intake of metformin, three patients out of five with the highest levels of metformin had no homozygosity (SULT1A1 genotype). Statistically, variables that demonstrated an insignificant correlation with the level of metformin were body mass index (rs (87) = 0.32, P = 0.011) and age (rs (87) =0.26, P = 0.017). The homozygous (SULT1A1 genotype) correlation was moderate (rs (87) =0.21, P = 0.052). According to the findings, patients with the wt/wt CYP2D6 genotype had considerably greater levels of endoxifen than those with the v/v CYP2D6 genotype. The study's results reported a probable correlation between the blood level of metformin (to a lesser extent, glimepiride) and genotyping (mainly the SULT1A1 genotype). Genotype-guided drug therapy may provide a novel contribution to maximize drug efficacy and/or minimize toxicity., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology & Research.)

The toxicity of Orellanine (OR), a significant factor in mushroom poisoning, has severe effects on the kidneys, particularly the proximal tubules. This study investigated the acute toxicity of OR from the Cortinarius orellanus mushroom in human Primary Renal Tubular Proximal Epithelial Cells (RPTEC). Additionally, the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) of OR in MCF-7 cells was established. RPTEC were subjected to a 6.25 μg/ml dose of orellanine for 24 h, while Control cells were exposed to 0.05% DMSO (vehicle). The RT 2 Profiler™ PCR Array Human Nephrotoxicity was utilized to identify genes that were upregulated or downregulated. Western blotting confirmed the protein product of some significantly regulated genes compared to control cells. The IC 50 of OR was found to be 319.2 μg/ml. The mechanism of OR toxicity involved several pathways including apoptosis, metal ion binding, cell proliferation, tissue remodeling, xenobiotic metabolism, transporters, extracellular matrix molecules, and cytoskeleton pathways. Other genes from non-specific pathways were also identified. These findings enhance our understanding of OR nephrotoxicity and pave the way for future research into potential treatments or antidotes for natural mushroom poisoning., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study is the synthesis of α-MnO 2 -based cathode materials for rechargeable aqueous zinc ion batteries by hydrothermal method using KMnO 4 and MnSO 4 as starting materials. The aim is to improve the understanding of Zn 2+ insertion/de-insertion mechanisms. The as-prepared solid compounds were characterized by spectroscopy and microscopy techniques. X-ray diffraction showed that the hydrothermal reaction forms α-MnO 2 and Ce 4+ -inserted MnO 2 structures. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of α-MnO 2 with hexagonal MnO 2 and Ce-MnO 2 structures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the formation of nanostructured MnO 2 (nanofibers) and Ce-MnO 2 (nanorods). The electrochemical performance of MnO 2 was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) tests in half-cells. CV results showed the reversible insertion/de-insertion of Zn 2+ ions in MnO 2 and Ce-MnO 2 . GCD cycling tests of MnO 2 and Ce-MnO 2 at 2500 mA/g demonstrated an impressive electrochemical performance, excellent cycling stability throughout 500 cycles, and high rate capability. The excellent electrochemical performance and the good cycling stability of MnO 2 and Ce-MnO 2 nanostructures by simple method makes them promising cathode materials for aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 De Luna, Alsulaiti, Ahmad, Nimir and Bensalah.)