Fractional factorial design was utilized to evaluate the effect of combinations of nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, hydrochloric acid and water for microwave digestion of fish muscle. Upon digestion, copper, iron and zinc were determined by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. H2O2 and HCl volumes were found to be the most significant parameters which resulted in good metal recoveries. This is especially so for the effect of HCl on Fe recovery. The results indicated that the combination of 4 mL 65% HNO3, 2 mL 30% H2O2 and 2 mL 30% HCl gave the most satisfactory percentage recovery. There was good agreement between measured and certified values for all metals with respect to the DORM-3 fish protein.
Warm compaction is an advanced manufacturing technique which consists of two consecutive steps, i.e. powder compaction at above ambient temperature and sintering in a controlled environment. Due to the relative movement between the powder mass and die wall as well as sliding among powder particles, frictional force is generated during the compaction stage. Admixed lubricant is used during the compaction step in order to minimize friction and hence improve the uniformity of the density of distribution inside the component. However, during the sintering process, trapped lubricant is often found to be burnt out hence leaving pores or voids which result in the lower strength of the final products. Warm compaction was initiated in the nineties, however not much information has been published about the effects of lubrication on the quality of the components produced through this route. Therefore, this paper presents the outcome of an experimental investigation about the effects of lubrication on manufacturing near-net shape components through the warm compaction route. Iron powder ASC 100.29 was mixed mechanically with zinc stearate to prepare the feedstock. Mixing time, weight percentage of lubricant content and compaction temperature were varied during green compact generation while sintering temperature, heating rate and holding time were manipulated during sintering. The relative densities and strengths of the final products were investigated at every compaction as well as sintering parameter. The results revealed that lubrication could provide significant effects at the compaction temperature of 180ºC while no significant effect of lubrication was observed during sintering. The suitable lubricant content was found to be 0.4 wt% and mixing time was around 30 min and the sintering temperature was around 990ºC.
Silicon, as the most important electronic material, has a lot of applications in the electronic industry and this includes the use of silicon in solar cells. One of the solar grade silicon production processes is the use of acid leaching for the removal of metallic impurities from silicon. The main advantage of this process for silicon purification is that it is based on a low temperature process. The purification of metallurgical grade silicon by acid leaching was studied as a function of time, temperature and etching. Based upon experimental results and under optimum conditions, it was possible to remove 41%, 71% and 25% of iron, calcium and aluminum respectively, with the use of aqua regia.
Biodegradable stents are considered to be a recent innovation, and their feasibility and applicability have been proven in recent years. Research in this area has focused on materials development and biological studies, rather than on how to transform the developed biodegradable materials into the stent itself. Currently available stent technology, the laser cutting-based process, might be adapted to fabricate biodegradable stents. In this work, the fabrication, characterization and testing of biodegradable Fe-Mn stents are described. A standard process for fabricating and testing stainless steel 316L stents was referred to. The influence of process parameters on the physical, metallurgical and mechanical properties of the stents, and the quality of the produced stents, were investigated. It was found that some steps of the standard process such as laser cutting can be directly applied, but changes to parameters are needed for annealing, and alternatives are needed to replace electropolishing.
A study of 23 patients with Hb H disease and their 82 relatives in 17 families showed that 2 types of this condition exist. One is associated with the presence of a small slow-moving component, which we tentatively called the X component and which was invariably present in one parent. Some siblings also had it. The other type was not associated with this component. Two patients without X component had a newborn with Bart’s haemoglobin without X component. None of the parents of 20 newborns with Hb Bart’s without the X component had the X component. It was present in only one parent of each of 2 newborns with Hb Bart’s and the X component. They are thought to represent Hb H disease in the newborn period. We suggest that at least 3 abnormal genes may lead to Hb H disease, which results when 2 of the 3 combine. Severity of clinical and haematological symptoms depends upon which abnormal gene is present and which 2 are involved in any particular combination.
Key Words: a-Thalassaemia; Haemoglobin Bart’s; Haemoglobin H disease; Haemoglobinopathies
Iron deficiency is prevalent in childhood in the developed and developing countries. Programs of presumptive therapy, mass supplementation and food fortification have been introduced in many countries. The unresolved debate over the interaction of iron and infection in the clinical setting prompts re-evaluation of these practices. Situations of iron overload are associated with increased susceptibility to certain infections, although the exact mechanisms may vary with the main pathology. Iron treatment has been associated with acute exacerbations of infection, in particular malaria. In most instances parenteral iron was used. In the neonate parenteral iron is associated with serious E. coli sepsis. In one country, with endemic malaria, parenteral iron was associated with increased rates of malaria and increased morbidity due to respiratory disease in infants. In contrast in non-malarious countries studies of oral iron supplementation have if anything shown a reduction in infectious morbidity. Methodological problems in the latter reports indicate the need for further controlled prospective studies with accurate morbidity recording if informed recommendations are to be made.
Twenty-seven Dorper lambs were used to determine the effect of supplementing corn as a source of energy into the palm kernel cake (PKC) urea-treated rice straw basal diet on the blood metabolic profile and metals in lambs. The lambs were randomly allotted to three experimental treatments according to their initial body weight for a 120 day trial. Dietary treatments were: T1 (control diet) = 75.3% of PKC + 0% corn, T2 = 70.3% of PKC + 5% corn, and T3 = 65.3% of PKC + 10% corn. The results of this study indicated that copper (Cu), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) concentration intake, retention, and its absorption from the gut and apparent mineral digestibility were highly significant for the levels of corn supplementation. The biochemical and hematological parameters remained within normal levels with the treatments, but the white blood cell, eosinophil count, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) were significantly higher in T3. Treatment 3 significantly increased the concentration of Se and Fe, while Zn was reduced in the blood serum of lambs on day 120. The result shows that the inclusion of corn has no effect on the hematological and biochemical parameters of lambs after incorporating corn into the PKC-based diet at 5% and 10%.
This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of anaemia amongst the Malaysian Cohort participants and the associated risk factors. This was a cross-sectional study that involved 102,388 participants from The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) aged between 35 and 70 years old recruited from April 2006 to September 2012. Venous blood was taken for the full blood count. The prevalence of anaemia was 13.8% with majority having the microcytic-hypochromic type (59.7%). Comparison between the ethnic groups showed that Indians have the highest prevalence of anaemia (19.9%), followed by Malays (13.1%), and Chinese (12.0%). The prevalence of anaemia was substantially higher in females (20.1%) compared to males (4.9%). Amongst the female participants, the prevalence of anaemia was highest amongst those who were younger than 49 years old and decreased as the age increased. In contrast, the prevalence of anaemia in males increased with age. Gender, ethnicity, age, marital status, presence of platelet disorders and kidney disease were significant risk factors associated with anaemia and contributed to 14.9% of the risk of developing anaemia in this population. The prevalence of anaemia amongst the Malaysian Cohort participants is 13.8% with the majority having the microcytic and hypochromic type implying iron deficiency as the main cause. It is important that those who have anaemia be further investigated and treated.
Study name: The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) project
The concentrations of non-haem iron, ferritin and ferritin-iron were measured in the livers of 137 adults and children collected at necropsy. The concentrations of non-haem and ferritin iron were found to be 146.6 +/- 95.2 micrograms/g and 61.6 +/- 32.4 micrograms/g, respectively, in males and 108.0 +/- 61.7 micrograms/g and 60.6 +/- 26.4 micrograms/g, respectively, in females. The values for males in Singapore were lower than those reported in developed Western countries. No correlation was observed between storage iron and age, or ferritin concentration and age. Concentrations of non-haem iron and ferritin were similar for persons dying from accident and coronary heart disease. The non-haem iron concentration in Chinese (187.9 +/- 101.0 micrograms/g) was significantly greater than that in Indians (103.1 +/- 65.8 micrograms/g), while the ferritin concentration in Chinese (6.18 +/- 2.37 mg/g) was significantly greater than either Malays (3.81 +/- 1.8 mg/g) or Indians (3.52 +/- 1.6 mg/g). A significant positive correlation was observed between the non-haem iron and ferritin and also ferritin-iron in Chinese males (r values of 0.678 and 0.598, respectively) and Indian males (r values of 0.576 and 0.612, respectively). However, the correlation between these indices was not significant in the case of Malay males. In premenopausal women the non-haem iron correlated well with ferritin (r = 0.737) and ferritin iron (r = 0.826) while the correlation was lacking in postmenopausal women.
This study aimed at optimizing the production of hyaluronic acid by Lactobacillus acidophilus FTDC 1231 using response surface methodology and evaluating the effects of divalent metal ions along the production pathway using molecular docking. Among different divalent metal ions that were screened, only iron (II) sulphate and copper (II) sulphate significantly (P iron (II) sulphate and 0.16 mol L(-1) of copper (II) sulphate (103 % increase compared to absence of divalent metal ions). Data from molecular docking showed Fe(2+) improved the binding affinity of UDP-pyrophophorylase towards glucose-1-phosphate, while Cu(2+) contributed towards the interaction between UDP-glucose dehydrogenase and UDP-glucose. We have demonstrated that lactobacilli could produce hyaluronic acid at increased concentration upon facilitation by specific divalent metal ions, via specific targets of enzymes and substrates along pentose phosphate pathway.
Conventional techniques to remove Fe impurities in kaolin typically involve high environmental impact and cost. Alternative methods have been focused on the use of bioleaching where Fe in kaolin is reduced with microorganisms. Early results established a noticeable effect of the bacteria on the redox state of Fe, but knowledge gaps persist such as details on the bacterial-kaolin interactions during attachment of bacteria onto kaolin surface, the metabolites produced by bacteria, and changes in Fe(II)/Fe(III) ion equilibria in solution. To bridge these gaps, this study was conducted to determine the detailed physicochemical changes in bacteria and kaolin during bioleaching through surface, structural, and chemical analysis. Bioleaching experiments were conducted for 10 days where each of the three Bacillus sp. was put in contact (at 9 × 108 CFU) with 20 g of kaolin powder using 200 mL of 10 g/L glucose solution. All samples treated with bacteria showed increasing trends in Fe(III) reduction up until day 6 or 8 followed by a slight decrease towards the end of the ten-day period. Examination of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images suggests that bacterial activity damaged the edges of kaolin particles during bioleaching. Ion chromatography (IC) results showed that during bioleaching, Bacillus sp. produced organic acids such as lactic acid, formic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, and succinic acid. EDS analysis of kaolin before and after bioleaching showed Fe removal efficiencies of up to 65.3%. Analyses of color properties of kaolin before and after bioleaching showed an improvement in whiteness index of up to 13.6%. KEY POINTS: • Dissolution of iron oxides by Bacillus species proven with phenanthroline analysis. • Organic acid type and concentration unique to species detected during bioleaching. • Whiteness index of kaolin is improved after bioleaching.
The use of leaded gasoline adversely affects cardiovascular, nervous, and immune systems. Study projects to rule out different variables of prognostic importance in lead-exposed subjects. A total of 317 traffic wardens with 5 years of outdoor experience and Hb levels iron, minerals, oxidative stress, and lipid peroxidation were estimated with help of their standard ELISA and spectrophotometric methods respectively. The present study show increased levels of lead in subjects (29.8 ± 3.8 vs. 1.5 ± 0.2 µg/dl) that may be involved in increasing oxidative stress, i.e., levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), and isoprostanes were increased in subjects (4.6 ± 0.5, 4.3 ± 0.6 and 37.2 ± 5.1). Moreover, levels of antioxidants, i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and catalase (CAT), were decreased. It also exhibits reduced levels of different enzymes in anemic traffic wardens. Current study concludes that wardens exposed to environmental lead are more susceptible to develop cardiovascular and neurological disorders. It shows that toxicity of lead maybe responsible for redox imbalance and production of proinflammatory cytokines. Thus, early detection of these biomarkers may help to reduce lead toxicity and it also may help to control the dilemma of uncontrolled environmental pollution by implicating strict actions against substandard gasoline.
We conducted a cross sectional study to examine the association of intestinal parasitic infections and protein energy malnutrition (PEM) with iron-status indicators and anaemia among Orang Asli children in Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 281 children aged 2 - 15 years were studied. The data were collected using structured questionnaires, anthropometric measurements and laboratory analysis for blood and faecal samples. All children were infected either by A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura or hookworm and almost 19%, 26% and 3% of the children had severe infection of ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection respectively. The prevalence of giardiasis among them was 24.9%. Overall, 41.5% of the children were anaemic (haemoglobin < 11.0 g/dL). Of these 61.0% of the children had iron deficiency and 36.5% had iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), which accounted for 88.0% of anaemia in this population. Severe trichuriasis had the most significant correlation with anaemia and iron deficiency in this population. It contributed to low concentrations of haemoglobin, serum iron and serum ferritin and high total iron binding capacity (TIBC). Significant underweight and stunting were associated with low concentrations of haemoglobin and serum iron while significant wasting was significantly associated with low concentration of serum ferritin. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that severe trichuriasis was a strong predictor of IDA. It also confirmed that children who were significantly underweight and whose mother was working were independent predictors of IDA in this population.
Malnutrition is highly prevalent in Malaysian dialysis patients and there is a need for a valid screening tool for early identification and management. This cross-sectional study aims to examine the sensitivity of the Dialysis Malnutrition Score (DMS) and Malnutrition Inflammation Score (MIS) tools in predicting protein-energy wasting (PEW) among Malaysian dialysis patients.
A nutritional status study was carried out among a group of young Chinese adults, aged between 19 and 25, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Subjects comprised 108 young adults (55 women, 53 men) who were students at two institutes of higher learning. Physical characteristics were evaluated by anthropometric measurements while food intake was determined with a 3-day food record. Blood cholesterol and triglyceride were assessed using the Reflotron analyser. Birthweight was obtained from birth certificates or by proxy. The results showed that the mean body mass index (BMI) for men and women was 21.4 ± 3.3 and 20.0 ± 2.0, respectively, indicating normal weight. Further analysis of BMI classification demonstrated that 28% of men and 39% of women were underweight, 11% of men and 2% of women were overweight while 2% of men were obese. Mean waist-to-hip ratio showed that the subjects had a low risk of developing cardiovascular disease (0.72 ± 0.03 women; 0.81 ± 0.05 men). Mean energy intake was 8841 ± 1756 kJ per day for men and 6426 ± 1567 kJ per day for women. Closer analysis of energy intake of the subjects showed that 86% of men and 91% of women were consuming below the Malaysian recommendation for energy. Nutrients found to be deficient in at least one third of women were calcium, vitamin A, niacin and iron. Mean cholesterol intake in the diet was 278.7 ± 108.7 mg in men and 207.0 ± 82.5 mg in women and there was a significant difference between genders. Blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels were 3.88 ± 0.76 mmol/L and 1.08 ± 0.33 mmol/L, respectively in men, while these levels were lower in women, 3.87 ± 0.80 mmol/L for cholesterol and 0.99 ± 0.29 mmol/L for triglyceride. A general trend of higher mean blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels was shown in adults who were born with lower birthweights.
Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency in the world affecting the general health and wellbeing of millions. In Malaysia, moderately high prevalences of anaemia have been reported amongst infants, young children and women of childbearing age. Data is scant for the adolescents. This study was undertaken to assess the iron status and dietary intake of 165 adolescents, comprising 74 male and 91 female subjects, aged 12 to 19 years, from the rural communities in Tuaran District of Sabah, Malaysia. Convenience sampling was used for the selection of study subjects. Multiple iron status indicators namely, serum ferritin (SF), transferrin saturation (TS), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and haemoglobin (Hb) were determined for the study. The mean age of the subjects was 15.2 +/-2.1 years. While the majority of the subjects (77.6%) had normal body mass index (BMI) values, 17.6% were underweight and 4.8% overweight. About 35% to 40% of the subjects showed deficient values for haematocrit, serum ferritin, serum iron, mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and transferrin saturation (TS), and 20% were anaemic (Hb <12 g/L). Using the multiple criteria of iron status indicators, the prevalence of iron depletion, iron deficiency and IDA in the male and female adolescents were 5.4% vs. 6.6%, 18.9% vs. 26.4% and 5.4% vs. 26.4%, respectively. Iron deficiency anaemia (85.0%) contributed largely to the prevalence of anaemia. The dietary iron intake of the adolescents was unsatisfactory, with approximately 98% of subjects failing to meet the Malaysian RDA level. Almost all the female subjects (91%) had dietary iron intake below two-thirds of the RDA level compared with a much smaller proportion for the male adolescents (68%). The prevalence of IDA in the present study population, especially in the female adolescents, appears to be a significant public health problem. Priority should therefore be given to the eradication of iron deficiency in adolescents from low-income areas by dietary modification and micronutrient supplementation amongst female adolescents.
Identifying the nutrition problems of Asia and the Pacific is made difficult by the enormous geographic, socioeconomic and cultural diversity that exists in these areas. With increasing longevity and reduced infant mortality, the more chronic diseases are becoming increasingly important. For almost 90% of the countries that keep such data in the Western Pacific Region of WHO, at least three of the five leading causes of death are noncommunicable diseases. Nevertheless undernutrition is still the most important nutritional problem in the Region. Even though there have been some encouraging declines in the proportion of malnourished under 5-year-olds, increasing populations have meant the actual numbers have not declined. Vitamin A deficiency, iodine deficiency disorders and iron deficiency anaemia remain major public health problems in many countries. There is evidence that vitamin A deficiency is appearing in countries in which it has not previously been a problem. New challenges are occurring, such as childhood obesity, the susceptibility of undernourished populations to the human immunodeficiency virus and the increase in noncommunicable diseases. The three arms of clinical nutrition: therapeutic, research and public health will need to work closely to meet the considerable and continuing threat posed by the nutrition-related diseases.
In a population sample of 385 children, 6 to 11 years old, venous blood parameters-hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin, red blood cell count (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), C-reactive protein (CRP), and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP)-were determined to get insight into the iron status. The prevalence of anemia was 11.4%; 5.6% had iron deficiency (ID), whereas 0.4% had ID anemia. Correction for inflammation based on CRP and AGP did not markedly change the overall prevalence of ID and ID anemia. Stunted children had lower Hb and ferritin values compared with nonstunted children, and thin children had lower values compared with normal-weight or overweight and obese children. Many nonanemic children had alert values for RBC, MCV, MCH, and MCHC. It is concluded that although the prevalence of anemia is of the magnitude of a mild public health problem, the iron status of many nonanemic children is borderline, as indicated by a high number of children with low values for red blood cytology.
The effect of parity on the hematological response to supplemental hematinics and the relationship between birth weight and Hb concentration were examined in 67 pregnant rural Kelantanese Malay women recruited at 20-24 weeks of gestation. Among initially anemic women (Hb concentration at recruitment < 110 g/l), a significant supplementation effect was observed in the lower parae (3 or less children) but not in the higher parae. Among initially nonanemic women, a progressive decline in mean Hb concentration was observed in the higher parae; in the lower parae, however, an initial fall in mean Hb concentration was followed by a rise to almost the initial level. Birth weight was inversely related to initial Hb concentration. There was no association between birth weight and final measured Hb level, parity or any of the measured maternal characteristics. These observations suggest: a) women with initially lower Hb concentration might have experienced a greater acceleration of plasma volume expansion than those with initially higher Hb level; and b) hemopoiesis might be impaired in the higher multiparae.