Heavy metal toxicity: An update of chelating therapeutic strategies

Series Preface. Preface. Acknowledgements. 1 Structural Properties. 1.1 Ionicity. 1.2 Elemental Isotopic Abundance and Molecular Weight. 1.3 Crystal Structure and Space Group. 1.4 Lattice Constant and Its Related Parameters. 1.5 Structural Phase Transition. 1.6 Cleavage Plane. 2 Thermal Properties. 2.1 Melting Point and Its Related Parameters. 2.2 Specific Heat. 2.3 Debye Temperature. 2.4 Thermal Expansion Coefficient. 2.5 Thermal Conductivity and Diffusivity. 3 Elastic Properties. 3.1 Elastic Constant. 3.2 Third-Order Elastic Constant. 3.3 Young's Modulus, Poisson's Ratio and Similar. 3.4 Microhardness. 3.5 Sound Velocity. 4 Lattice Dynamic Properties. 4.1 Phonon Dispersion Relation. 4.2 Phonon Frequency. 4.3 Mode Gruneisen Parameter. 4.4 Phonon Deformation Potential. 5 Collective Effects and Some Response Characteristics. 5.1 Piezoelectric and Electromechanical Constants. 5.2 Frohlich Coupling Constant. 6 Energy-Band Structure: Energy-Band Gaps. 6.1 Basic Properties. 6.2 E0-Gap Region. 6.3 Higher-Lying Direct Gap. 6.4 Lowest Indirect Gap. 6.5 Conduction-Valley Energy Separation. 6.6 Direct-Indirect-Gap Transition Pressure. 7 Energy-Band Structure: Effective Masses. 7.1 Electron Effective Mass: G Valley. 7.2 Electron Effective Mass: Satellite Valley. 7.3 Hole Effective Mass. 8 Deformation Potentials. 8.1 Intravalley Deformation Potential: G Point. 8.2 Intravalley Deformation Potential: High-Symmetry Points. 8.3 Intervalley Deformation Potential. 9 Electron Affinity and Schottky Barrier Height. 9.1 Electron Affinity. 9.2 Schottky Barrier Height. 10 Optical Properties. 10.1 Summary of Optical Dispersion Relations. 10.2 The Reststrahlen Region. 10.3 At or Near The Fundamental Absorption Edge. 10.4 The Interband Transition Region. 10.5 Free-Carrier Absorption and Related Phenomena. 11 Elastooptic, Electrooptic and Nonlinear Optical Properties 11.1 Elastooptic Effect. 11.2 Linear Electrooptic Constant. 11.3 Quadratic Electrooptic Constant. 11.4 Franz-Keldysh Effect. 11.5 Nonlinear Optical Constant. 12 Carrier Transport Properties. 12.1 Low-Field Mobility: Electrons. 12.2 Low-Field Mobility: Holes. 12.3 High-Field Transport: Electrons. 12.4 High-Field Transport: Holes. 12.5 Minority-Carrier Transport: Electrons in p-Type Materials. 12.6 Minority-Carrier Transport: Holes in n-Type Materials. 12.7 Impact Ionization Coefficient. Index.

Properties of group-IV, III-V and II-VI semiconductors

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) has an incidence of 1.32/100,000/years in high-income countries, and higher in middle- and low-income countries. CVT is more frequent in infants and children young adults and females, especially during pregnancy/puerperium. CVT are now being diagnosed with increasing frequency because of the increased awareness and higher use of magnetic resonance imaging (MR) for investigating patients with acute and subacute headaches and new onset seizures. CVT rarely present as a stroke syndrome. Their most frequent presentations are isolated headache, intracranial hypertension syndrome, seizures, a lobar syndrome and encephalopathy. The confirmation of the diagnosis of CVT relies on the demonstration of thrombi in the cerebral veins and/or sinuses by MR/MR venography or veno CT. The more frequent risk factors/associated conditions for CVT are genetic prothrombotic conditions, antiphospholipid syndrome and other acquired prothrombotic diseases, including cancer, oral contraceptives, puerperium and pregnancy, infections and trauma. The prognosis of CVT is in general favorable, as acute death rate is below 5% and only 15% of the patients remain dependent or die. Treatment in the acute phase includes management of the associated condition, anticoagulation with either low molecular weight or unfractionated heparin, treatment of intracranial hypertension, prevention of recurrent seizures and headache relief. In patients in severe condition on admission or who deteriorate despite anticoagulation, local thrombolysis or thrombectomy is an option. Decompressive surgery is lifesaving in patients with large venous infarcts or hemorrhage with impending herniation. After the acute phase, patients should anticoagulated for a variable period of time, depending on their inherent thrombotic risk. CVT patients may experience recurrent seizures. Prophylaxis with anti-epileptic drugs is recommended after the first seizure, in those with hemispheric lesions. There are several ongoing multicenter registries and trials, which will improve evidence-based and patient-centered management of CVT in the near future.

/pdf/cerebral-venous-thrombosis-i500r6huxe.pdf

Cerebral venous thrombosis

Copper (Cu) is an essential microelement found in all living organisms with the unique ability to adopt two different redox states—in the oxidized (Cu2+) and reduced (Cu+). It is required for survival and serves as an important catalytic cofactor in redox chemistry for proteins that carry out fundamental biological functions, important in growth and development. The deficit of copper can result in impaired energy production, abnormal glucose and cholesterol metabolism, increased oxidative damage, increased tissue iron (Fe) accrual, altered structure and function of circulating blood and immune cells, abnormal neuropeptides synthesis and processing, aberrant cardiac electrophysiology, impaired myocardial contractility, and persistent effects on the neurobehavioral and the immune system. Increased copper level has been found in several disorders like e.g.: Wilson’s disease or Menke’s disease. New findings with the great potential for impact in medicine include the use of copper-lowering therapy for antiangiogenesis, antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory purposes. The role of copper in formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, and successful treatment of this disorder in rodent model by copper chelating are also of interest. In this work we will try to describe essential aspects of copper in chosen diseases. We will represent the evidence available on adverse effect derived from copper deficiency and copper excess. We will try to review also the copper biomarkers (chosen enzymes) that help reflect the level of copper in the body.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10534-014-9736-5.pdf

The many "faces" of copper in medicine and treatment.

Background:Clinical presentations of Wilson's disease (WD) in childhood ranges from asymptomatic liver disease to cirrhosis or acute liver failure, whereas neurological and psychiatric symptoms are rare. The basic diagnostic approach includes serum ceruloplasmin and 24-hour urinary copper ex

Wilson's Disease in Children : A Position Paper by the Hepatology Committee of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

Background: Penicillamine is a standard therapy for Wilson disease (WD) but some patients have paradoxical worsening. Predictors of such deterioration have not been evaluated. This study documents frequency and predictors of deterioration following treatment in WD. Methods: 59 consecutive patients with neurologic WD and 4 asymptomatic siblings were prospectively evaluated. Their clinical, laboratory, ultrasound abdomen and cranial MRI findings with and without worsening were compared. Patients were treated with oral penicillamine and/or zinc and followed up at 1, 3 and 6 months or earlier if needed. Deterioration was defined by >10% worsening in baseline Burke-Fahn-Marsden score or appearance of new neurological sign. Results: Patients' median age was 13 years and 13 were females. 19 patients (30.2%) worsened following treatment; 10 within 1 month, 7 in 1-3 months, and 2 after 3 months of treatment. Deterioration was associated with drooling, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, splenomegaly and evidence of chronic liver disease. None of the asymptomatic patients following zinc therapy deteriorated. Conclusions: In the deteriorating group, withdrawal of penicillamine resulted in improvement/stabilization in 11 patients, 2 improved by trientine therapy and 4 continued to deteriorate till 3 months. 30.2% patients with WD deteriorated following penicillamine, especially those with chronic liver disease, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia.

Worsening of Wilson disease following penicillamine therapy.

First-principle calculations of the structural, electronic, optical and thermal properties of hydrogenated graphene have been performed for three stable structures: chair, boat and tricycle using the plane wave Pseudo-potential method within density functional theory (DFT). The band structure and density of states have been studied. The values of 19 parameters have been calculated for all three structures. Four parameters such as dielectric constants, birefringence, plasmon energy and Debye temperature have been studied for the first time. The calculated values are in good agreement with the available experimental and reported values.

First-principle calculations of structural, electronic, optical and thermal properties of hydrogenated graphene

This paper presents a self-generating square/triangular wave generator using only the CMOS Operational Transconductance Amplifiers (OTAs) and a grounded capacitor. The output frequency and amplitude of the proposed circuit can be independently and electronically adjusted. The proposed circuit validates its advantage by consuming less amount of power, which is about 71.3 µW. The theoretical aspects are authentically showcased using the PSPICE simulation results. The performance of the proposed circuit is also verified through pre layout and post layout simulation results using the 90 nm GPDK CMOS parameters. A prototype of this circuit has been made using commercially available IC CA3080 for experimental verification. Experimentation also gives the similar output as per the theoretical proposition. The designed circuit is also made applicable to perform pulse width modulation (PWM).

Generation of square and triangular wave with independently controllable frequency and amplitude using OTAs only and its application in PWM

Objective The prognosis of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) may be dependent on underlying causes and magnetic resonance imaging findings. We report the clinical, laboratory, and radiologic spectrum, and outcome of consecutive patients with CVST. Methods Consecutive patients with CVST over the last 15 years were subjected to detailed history, clinical examination, and laboratory tests as per fixed protocol. The diagnosis of CVST was based on MR venography. The magnetic resonance imaging findings and the sinuses involved were noted. The patients were treated with low-molecular-weight heparin or unfractionated heparin for 14 days, followed by oral anticoagulation. Hospital mortality and 3-month outcome (good or poor) were recorded and correlated with various clinical and laboratory parameters. Results There were 86 patients whose median age was 30 (6 to 76) years; 47 of them were females. Headache was present in 91.9%, vomiting in 68.6%, focal weakness in 53.5%, seizure in 51.2%, and altered sensorium in 53.5%. Female-specific etiology was present in 34%, prothrombotic condition in 62.8%, infections in 19.8%, and malignancy in 2.8%; no cause could be established in 25.6% of patients. Hyperhomocystinemia was present in 45.9% of patients. Five patients died in the unfractionated heparin group. At 3 months, 77 patients were followed up, of whom 68 had complete, 3 had partial, and 6 had poor recovery. The 3-month outcome was related to Glasgow Coma Scale score and type of heparin used. Conclusions In our study multiple prothrombotic conditions were common, and low-molecular-weight heparin reduces mortality and results in good outcome.

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis From a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in India.

The optical, elastic and thermal properties of zincblende aluminium nitride have been studied. The refractive index, absorption coefficient, reflectivity, dielectric constant, extinction coefficient, and energy-loss spectrum have been calculated using the pseudo-potential method under density functional theory at different pressures. The heat capacity, Debye temperature and phonon frequencies have been calculated using CASTEP code at 0 GPa. The elastic stiffness constants, bulk modulus, Young’s modulus, shear modulus and pressure derivatives of elastic constants have also been calculated. The calculated results are compared with the available experimental and theoretical data. Reasonably good agreement has been found between them.

Satish Chandra

Papers

Worsening of Wilson disease following penicillamine therapy.

First-principle calculations of structural, electronic, optical and thermal properties of hydrogenated graphene

Generation of square and triangular wave with independently controllable frequency and amplitude using OTAs only and its application in PWM

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis From a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in India.

Optical, elastic and thermal properties of ZB-AlN semiconductor from first-principle calculations