Hydrazine, cancer, the Internet, isoniazid, and the liver

A smartphone-adaptable chromogenic and fluorogenic sensor for rapid visual detection of toxic hydrazine in the environment

Hydrazine is an essential chemical in industries, but its high toxicity poses great threats to human health and environmental safety. Hence, it is of great significance to monitor the hydrazine in environment. In this work, we presented a chromogenic and fluorogenic dual-mode sensor RA for the detection of hydrazine based on nucleophilic substitution reaction. A linear relationship was obtained between the fluorescence intensity and the concentrations of N₂H₄ ranging from 0 to 35 μM (R² = 0.9936). The sensor can determine hydrazine with fast response (within 12 min), low limit of detection (0.129 μM) and high selectivity. RA was successfully used to detect N₂H₄ in real water samples with good recoveries and the results corresponded to the standard method. Furthermore, the sensor-coated portable test papers were fabricated, which can visually quantify hydrazine solutions with obvious fluorescence transformation from colorless to red. Moreover, RA-loaded papers were used to create a smartphone-adaptable RGB values analytical method for quantitative N₂H₄ detection.

Identifying Complementary and Alternative Medicine Usage Information from Internet Resources. A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

Identify and highlight research issues and methods used in studying Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) information needs, access, and exchange over the Internet.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines from PubMed to identify articles that have studied Internet use in the CAM context. Additional searches were conducted at Nature.com and Google Scholar.

RESULTS

The Internet provides a major medium for attaining CAM information and can also serve as an avenue for conducting CAM related surveys. Based on the literature analyzed in this review, there seems to be significant interest in developing methodologies for identifying CAM treatments, including the analysis of search query data and social media platform discussions. Several studies have also underscored the challenges in developing approaches for identifying the reliability of CAM-related information on the Internet, which may not be supported with reliable sources. The overall findings of this review suggest that there are opportunities for developing approaches for making available accurate information and developing ways to restrict the spread and sale of potentially harmful CAM products and information.

CONCLUSIONS

Advances in Internet research are yet to be used in context of understanding CAM prevalence and perspectives. Such approaches may provide valuable insights into the current trends and needs in context of CAM use and spread.

The Technological Growth in eHealth Services

The infusion of information communication technology (ICT) into health services is emerging as an active area of research. It has several advantages but perhaps the most important one is providing medical benefits to one and all irrespective of geographic boundaries in a cost effective manner, providing global expertise and holistic services, in a time bound manner. This paper provides a systematic review of technological growth in eHealth services. The present study reviews and analyzes the role of four important technologies, namely, satellite, internet, mobile, and cloud for providing health services.

Biological evaluation of isoniazid derivatives as an anticancer class

A series of thirty-two isoniazid derivatives have been evaluated for their activity against four human cancer cell lines with potent cytotoxicity (IC50 ranging from 0.61 to 3.36 μg/mL). The structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis indicated the number, the positions, and the types of substituents attached to the aromatic ring as being critical factors for the biological activity. Briefly, we observed that the presence of a hydroxyl group on the benzene ring plays an important role in the anticancer activity of this series, especially when it is located in ortho-position. Among the thirty-two compounds, three displayed good cytotoxic activity when compared to the reference drug doxorubicin and are thus being considered leading compounds of this new class.

Arylamine N-acetyltransferases and drug response

Arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) play an important role in the interaction of competing metabolic pathways determining the fate of and response to xenobiotics as therapeutic drugs, occupational chemicals and carcinogenic substances. Individual susceptibility for drug response and possible adverse drug reactions are modulated by the genetic predisposition (manifested for example, by polymorphisms) and the phenotype of these enzymes. For all drugs metabolized by NATs, the impact of different in vivo enzyme activities is reviewed with regard to therapeutic use, prevention of side effects and possible indications for risk assessment by phenotyping and/or genotyping. As genes of NATs are susceptibility genes for multifactorial adverse effects and xenobiotic-related diseases, risk prediction can only be made possible by taking the complexity of events into consideration.

Drug-induced liver disease

This year's review is divided into several sections: the first describes drug withdrawals and new general reviews of drug-induced liver disease (DILD), including a review of a classification of drug injury. We review agents newly described as causing DILD, and new reports of DILD from established agents appearing in the year 2000. New aspects regarding the treatment of acetaminophen toxicity are included, and in the final section we deal with prevention of DILD as well as issues surrounding the use of potentially hepatotoxic medications in patients with underlying chronic disease.