Abstract Current analysis were performed to investigate the activity of various digestive enzymes, such as lipases, proteases and amylases in gut and their relationship to the other morphometric variables in a wild marine fish, Terapon jarbua. The descriptive data of the studied traits included fish weight, fish total length, gut weight, gut length, relative gut length, relative gut mass, Fulton’s condition factor, standard length and Zihler’s index. Gut length showed positive correlation with fish total length and gut weight, relative gut length (RGL) showed positive correlation with gut length. Relative gut mass (RGM) also showed positive correlation with total length (TL), gut weight (GW) and gut length (GL). Fulton’s condition factor showed positive correlation with fish weight, while negative correlation with fish total length and relative gut mass. Standard length displayed positive correlation with gut weight and gut length while, it showed negative correlation with Fulton’s factor. Zihler’s Index displayed positive correlation with gut length, RGL and Zihler’s RGM while, while showed negative correlation with Fulton’s factor and fish weight. Lipase showed negative correlation with gut weight. Amylase and protease activity have no correlation with other studied traits. Lipase activity displayed negative significant correlation with gut weight. Lipase activity showed significantly negative effect on gut-weight. Amylase activity on y-axis (PC2) contributed 13% in variation but not significantly correlated with first two principal components. It showed non-significant negative correlation with fish weight, fish length and Fulton’s factor while positive but not-significant correlation with other traits. Protease has positive and non-significant correlation with fish weight, RGL, Fulton’s factor, lipase and amylase while non-significant negative correlation with all other traits.

Resumo No presente estudo, as análises atuais foram realizadas para investigar a atividade de várias enzimas digestivas, como lipases, proteases e amilases no intestino e sua relação com as outras variáveis morfométricas em um peixe marinho selvagem denominado “Terapon jarbua”. Os dados descritivos das características estudadas incluíram o peso e o comprimento total do peixe, o peso e o comprimento do intestino, o comprimento e a massa relativos do intestino, o fator de condição de Fulton, o comprimento padrão e o índice de Zihler. O comprimento do intestino apresentou correlação positiva com o comprimento total e o peso do intestino dos peixes, o comprimento relativo do intestino (RGL) mostrou correlação positiva com o comprimento do intestino. A massa relativa do intestino (RGM) também apresentou correlação positiva com comprimento total (TL), peso do intestino (GW) e comprimento do intestino (CG). O fator de condição de Fulton apresentou correlação positiva com o peso do peixe, enquanto correlação negativa com o comprimento total do peixe e a massa relativa do intestino. O comprimento padrão apresentou correlação positiva com o peso e o comprimento do intestino, enquanto apresentou correlação negativa com o fator de Fulton. O índice de Zihler apresentou correlação positiva com o comprimento do intestino, RGL e RGM de Zihler, enquanto apresentou correlação negativa com o fator de Fulton e o peso do peixe. A lipase mostrou correlação negativa com o peso do intestino. A atividade de amilase e protease não tem correlação com outras características estudadas. Já a atividade da lipase apresentou correlação negativa em relação ao peso do intestino. A atividade da lipase mostrou um efeito significativamente negativo no peso do intestino. A atividade da amilase no eixo y (PC2) contribuiu com 13% na variação, mas não se correlacionou significativamente com os dois primeiros componentes principais, demonstrando correlação negativa e não significativa em relação ao peso e comprimento e fator de Fulton, enquanto correlação positiva, mas não significativa com outras características. A protease tem correlação positiva e não significativa com o peso do peixe, RGL, fator de Fulton, lipase e amilase, enquanto correlação negativa não significativa com todas as outras características.

Resumo A tuberculose é uma doença transmissível com altas taxas de morbimortalidade nos países em desenvolvimento. O objetivo principal do estudo é comparar métodos convencionais, como cultura de bacilo álcool-ácido resistente (BAAR) e microscopia, com métodos de diagnóstico rápido. O objetivo secundário é comparar os achados histopatológicos e microbiológicos em pacientes com suspeita de linfadenite tubercular. Um total de 111 amostras (agosto de 2018 a setembro de 2019) de gânglios linfáticos foi processado para microscopia de AFB, culturas de AFB, teste de susceptibilidade a drogas (DST), histopatologia e Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)/ensaios de resistência à rifampicina (RIF). Das 111 amostras de linfonodos, 6 (5,4%) foram positivas para baciloscopia de AFB, 84 (75,6%) foram positivas para cultura de AFB, 80 (70,7%) foram positivas para o GeneXpert e 102 (91,8%) foram indicativas de tuberculose para estudos histopatológicos. A positividade da cultura do tubo indicador de crescimento de micobactérias (MGIT) foi 84 (75,6%), maior que a cultura sólida de Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ), 74 (66,6%). As culturas positivas foram submetidas a DST fenotípico. Dois casos eram multirresistentes (MDR) ao DST, enquanto três casos eram resistentes à rifampicina no GeneXpert. A sensibilidade do GeneXpert foi 62% contra o método convencional de cultura AFB. O fraco desempenho dos métodos convencionais de diagnóstico de linfadenite requer metodologia de diagnóstico precoce e precisa. O teste Xpert MTB/RIF pode ajudar no tratamento de casos de tuberculose multirresistente. No entanto, métodos rápidos e convencionais devem ser usados para o isolamento completo do Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Abstract Tuberculosis is a communicable disease with high morbidity and mortality rates in developing countries. The study's primary objective is to compare conventional methods such as acid-fast bacillus (AFB) culture and microscopy with rapid diagnostic methods. The secondary objective is to compare histopathological and microbiological findings in suspected patients with tubercular lymphadenitis. A total of 111 samples (August 2018 to September 2019) of lymph nodes were processed for AFB microscopy, AFB cultures, drug-susceptibility testing (DST), histopathology, and Xpert Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB)/resistance to Rifampin (RIF) assays. Out of 111 lymph node samples, 6 (5.4%) were positive for AFB smear microscopy, 84 (75.6%) were positive for AFB culture, 80 (70.7%) were positive on Gene Xpert, and 102 (91.8%) were indicative of tuberculosis for histopathology studies. Mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) culture positivity was 84 (75.6%) higher than solid Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) culture 74 (66.6%). Positive cultures underwent phenotypic DST. Two cases were Multidrug-resistant (MDR) on DST, while three cases were Rifampicin resistant on Gene Xpert. The sensitivity of Genexpert was (62%) against the conventional AFB culture method. The poor performance of conventional lymphadenitis diagnostic methods requires early and accurate diagnostic methodology. Xpert MTB/RIF test can help in the treatment of multidrug-resistant TB cases. Nonetheless, rapid and conventional methods should be used for complete isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

This study reports the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) by means of ionizing radiations. Kinetic studies with aqueous concentrations of 4.6, 10, 15, 17.9 mg/L reveals that degradation of CIP follows pseudo-first order kinetics and the decay constant increased with decrease in initial concentration of CIP. The removal efficiency, represented by G-value, decreased with increasing absorbed dose and increased with higher [CIP]0 concentration at a given absorbed dose. The effects of bubbling CIP solution with N2, N2O or air on CIP degradation were also studied. The influence of various radical scavengers like tert-butanol, iso-propanol, HCO3- , CO3(2-) , NO3- and NO2- as radical scavengers in N2- saturated solutions of CIP indicated that 'OH were more closely associated with the radiolytic decomposition of CIP than other radicals, such as e-aq or ·H. The pH value of aqueous media played a crucial role in the degradation of CIP. It was observed that degradation efficiency was higher under acidic condition compared to degradation in natural or alkaline media. F-, CH3COO- and HCOO- were formed as a result of CIP degradation that were analyzed by ion-chromatography.

O comportamento eletroquímico do 1-ferrocenil-3-fenil-2-propen-1-ona (ferrocenilona), e sua interação com DNA, foi estudado usando eletrodo de carbono vítreo em técnica de voltametria cíclica (VC). Os resultados da VC foram confirmados por espectrometria UV-Visível, em condições similares. O pico potencial positivo deslocado na VC e o deslocamento batocrômico no espectro UV-Vis sugerem um modo de ligação intercalativo. A constante de ligação (K = 1,39 ± 0,02 × 10(4) mol-1 L) e o tamanho de ligação (0.53 bp) foram obtidos de dados voltamétricos levando a uma energia livre padrão de Gibbs ((ΔGº= -RT lnK) de -23,64 kJ mol-1 indicando assim a espontaniedade da interação. Os valores de constante de ligação obtidos com medidas UV-Vis e VC, 1,26 ± 0.01 × 10(4) and 1,39 ± 0.02 × 10(4) mol-1 L respectivamente, mostraram uma boa concordância.

The electrochemical behavior of 1-ferrocenyl-3-phenyl-2-propen-1-one (ferrocenylone) and its interaction with DNA was studied by a glassy carbon electrode using cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique. The results from CV were supported by UV-Visible spectroscopy performed under the similar conditions. The positive peak potential shift in CV and the bathochromic shift in the UV-Vis absorption spectra suggested an intercalative mode of binding. The binding constant (K = 1.39 ± 0.02 × 10(4) mol-1 L) and the binding site size (0.53 bp) were obtained from voltammetric data which leads to a standard Gibbs free energy change (ΔGº= -RT lnK) of -23.64 kJ mol-1 and hence indicated the spontaneity of the binding interaction. The values of binding constants obtained from UV-Vis absorption and CV measurements, 1.26 ± 0.01 × 10(4) and 1.39 ± 0.02 × 10(4) mol-1 L respectively, were in close agreement.

Electrical conductivities were measured to calculate critical aggregation concentration (cac) of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) at various temperature from 298-313K with an increment of 5 K and in this way its thermodynamic parameters like Gibbs energy of aggregation ( ΔGagg), enthalpy of aggregation (ΔHagg ) and entropy of aggregation (ΔSagg) were estimated. The results demonstrate that DSP forms enthalpy driven aggregates through open association process. Furthermore, its interaction with DNA was studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The binding constant of DSP-DNA interaction was evaluated at 298 K and 310 K. Gibbs energy of drug-DNAcomplexation was determined by ΔG= -RT 1n k b , enthalpy of its interaction (ΔH) and entropy of adduct formation (ΔS) were obtained from Van't Hoff equation.