Trimethyltin-induced cerebellar damage on adult male Wistar rats. Trimetil estaño induce daño cerebral en ratas machos adultas Wistar.

Abstract: This research work was done to investigate the acute toxicological effect of trimethyltin chloride on the cerebellum of Wistar rat. Ten adult male Wistar rats were used for the study. The animals were grouped into two: Group A and B, with five adult male Wistar rats in each group. Group A serves as the trimethyltin (TMT) group, while group B serves as the normal saline (NS) group. 3mg/kg of trimethyltin chloride was administered to animals in the TMT group, while 1.0mls of normal saline was administered to the animals in the NS group via intraperitoneal route for 3 hours respectively. The animals were sacrificed at the Histology Laboratory, University of Ilorin, using 25mg/kg of ketamine administered intramuscularly to anesthetize the animals; followed by perfusion fixation through the heart. The brains were harvested, and the tissues were processed and stained using H & E, and crystal violet stains. The cerebellar cortex and nissl substances of the cerebellum were analyzed and showed a mild distortion in the layers of the cerebellar cortex. Biochemical analysis was undertaken to investigate the disruption of the oxidative status in the animal tissue, using Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD). Oxidative stress was found to increase significantly (p \u3c 0.05) in the TMT groups compared with the NS group, because the SOD activity decreased more in the brain homogenates of the TMT group. The result demonstrated that trimethyltin exerts its toxic effect by promoting oxidative stress in the brain and this may affect normal brain functioning and growth. Resumen: Este trabajo de investigación se realizó para investigar el efecto toxicológico agudo del cloruro de trimetil estaño en el cerebelo de la rata Wistar. Se utilizaron diez ratas Wistar macho adultas para el estudio. Los animales se agruparon en dos: Grupo A y B, con cinco ratas Wistar macho adultas en cada grupo. El grupo A sirve como grupo trimetil estaño (TMT), mientras que el grupo B sirve como grupo salino normal (NS). Se administraron 3 mg / kg de cloruro de trimetil estaño a animales en el grupo TMT, mientras que se administraron 1,0 ml de solución salina normal a los animales en el grupo NS por vía intraperitoneal durante 3 horas respectivamente. Los animales se sacrificaron en el Laboratorio de Histología, Universidad de Ilorin, usando 25 mg / kg de ketamina administrada por vía intramuscular para anestesiar a los animales; seguido por la fijación de la perfusión a través del corazón. Los cerebros se recolectaron y los tejidos se procesaron y se tiñeron con H&E y tintes de violeta cristal. Se analizaron la corteza cerebelosa y las sustancias nissl del cerebelo y mostraron una leve distorsión en las capas de la corteza cerebelosa. Se llevó a cabo un análisis bioquímico para investigar la alteración del estado oxidativo en el tejido animal, utilizando la superóxido dismutasa (SOD). Se encontró que el estrés oxidativo aumentaba significativamente (p \u3c0,05) en los grupos de TMT en comparación con el grupo de NS, porque la actividad de SOD disminuyó más en los homogeneizados de cerebro del grupo de TMT. El resultado demostró que la trimetilestina ejerce su efecto tóxico al promover el estrés oxidativo en el cerebro y esto puede afectar el funcionamiento y el crecimiento normal del cerebro

Development of A Fingerprint Biometric Authentication System For Secure Electronic Voting Machines

            Democratic government in the world today rely on electronic voting as the foremost means of providing credible, transparent and fair elections for the electorate. There is a need for developed electronic voting systems to be security enhanced to ensure the authenticity of the developed system. Traditional paper balloting systems suffer from vote tampering, multiple voting and illegal voting by unregistered voters. They are also, susceptible to under aged voting due to the difficulty in authenticating the identity of prospective voters. Manual collation and publication of vote results also leads to slow response times and inaccuracies in published results. This research paper proposes a system to combat the current challenges through the development of a fingerprint biometric authentication system for secure electronic voting machines. It uses a fingerprint biometric sensor, integrated via Python to verify users of the system. The inclusion of biometrics improves the security features of the system. The secure voting system is built using PHP and easy to use Graphical User Interface was designed using HTML and CSS. Users are required to interact with the machine via a 7” touchscreen interface. From the results, it shows that the developed machine has a minimum response time of 0.6 seconds for specific operation, an FAR of 2%, FRR of 10% and overall system accuracy of 94%. The developed machine is able to combat the challenges of authentication of users, thereby guaranteeing the transparency, credibility, integrity and vote authenticity of the elections

Comparing the effects of focal and conventional tDCS on motor skill learning: A proof of principle study

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has emerged as a promising intervention in clinical and behavioral neuroscience; however, the response variability to this technique has limited its impact, partly due to the widespread of current flow with conventional methods. Here, we investigate whether a more targeted, focal approach over the primary motor cortex (M1) is advantageous for motor learning and targeting specific neuronal populations. Our preliminary results show that focal stimulation leads to enhanced skill learning and differentially recruits distinct pathways to M1. This finding suggests that focal tDCS approaches may improve the outcomes of future studies aiming to enhance behavior

From bioavailability science to regulation of organic chemicals

The bioavailability of organic chemicals in soil and sediment is an important area of scientific investigation for environmental scientists, although this area of study remains only partially recognized by regulators and industries working in the environmental sector. Regulators have recently started to consider bioavailability within retrospective risk assessment frameworks for organic chemicals; by doing so, realistic decision-making with regard to polluted environments can be achieved, rather than relying on the traditional approach of using total-extractable concentrations. However, implementation remains difficult because scientific developments on bioavailability are not always translated into ready-to-use approaches for regulators. Similarly, bioavailability remains largely unexplored within prospective regulatory frameworks that address the approval and regulation of organic chemicals. This article discusses bioavailability concepts and methods, as well as possible pathways for the implementation of bioavailability into risk assessment and regulation; in addition, this article offers a simple, pragmatic and justifiable approach for use within retrospective and prospective risk assessmen

Risk of Acquiring Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase–Producing Klebsiella Species and Escherichia coli from Prior Room Occupants in the Intensive Care Unit

OBJECTIVE. To quantify the association between admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) room most recently occupied by a patient positive for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (EBSL)-producing gram-negative bacteria and acquisition of infection or colonization with that pathogen. DESIGN. Retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PATIENTS. The study included patients admitted to medical and surgical ICUs of an academic medical center between September 1, 2001, and June 30, 2009. METHODS. Perianal surveillance cultures were obtained at admission to the ICU, weekly, and at discharge from the ICU. Patients were included if they had culture results that were negative for ESBL-producing gram-negative bacteria at ICU admission and had an ICU length of stay longer than 48 hours. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed on ESBL-positive isolates from patients who acquired the same bacterial species (eg, Klebsiella species or Escherichia coli) as the previous room occupant. RESULTS. Among 9,371 eligible admissions (7,651 unique patients), 267 (3%) involved patients who acquired an ESBL-producing pathogen in the ICU; of these patients, 32 (12%) were hospitalized in a room in which the prior occupant had been positive for ESBL. Logistic regression results suggested that the prior occupant's ESBL status was not significantly associated with acquisition of an ESBL-producing pathogen (adjusted odds ratio, 1.39 [95% confidence interval, 0.94-2.08]) after adjusting for colonization pressure and antibiotic exposure in the ICU. PFGE results suggested that 6 (18%) of 32 patients acquired a bacterial strain that was the same as or closely related to the strain obtained from the prior occupant. CONCLUSIONS. These data suggest that environmental contamination may not play a substantial role in the transmission of ESBL-producing pathogens among ICU patients. Intensifying environmental decontamination may be less effective than other interventions in preventing transmission of ESBL-producing pathogens. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2013;34(5):453-458Keywords: Enterobacteriaceae, Colonization pressure, Vancomycin resistant enterococci, Infection, Staphylococcus aureus, To patient transmission, Comorbidity index, Pneumoniae, Acquisition, Bacteri

Mitochondrial toxicity of triclosan on mammalian cells

Effects of triclosan (5-chloro-2’-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol) on mammalian cells were investigated using human peripheral blood mono nuclear cells (PBMC), keratinocytes (HaCaT), porcine spermatozoa and kidney tubular epithelial cells (PK-15), murine pancreatic islets (MIN-6) and neuroblastoma cells (MNA) as targets. We show that triclosan (1 – 10 μg ml-1) depolarised the mitochondria, upshifted the rate of glucose consumption in PMBC, HaCaT, PK-15 and MNA, and subsequently induced metabolic acidosis. Triclosan induced a regression of insulin producing pancreatic islets into tiny pycnotic cells and necrotic death. Short exposure to low concentrations of triclosan (30 min, ≤ 1 μg / ml) paralysed the high amplitude tail beating and progressive motility of spermatozoa, within 30 min exposure, depolarized the spermatozoan mitochondria and hyperpolarised the acrosome region of the sperm head and the flagellar fibrous sheath (distal part of the flagellum). Experiments with isolated rat liver mitochondria showed that triclosan impaired oxidative phosphorylation, downshifted ATP synthesis, uncoupled respiration and provoked excessive oxygen uptake. These exposure concentrations are 100 - 1000 fold lower that those permitted in consumer goods. The mitochondriotoxic mechanism of triclosan differs from that of valinomycin, cereulide and the enniatins by not involving potassium ionophoric activity.Peer reviewe

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Toward sustainable environmental quality : priority research questions for Europe

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals have been established to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. Delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals will require a healthy and productive environment. An understanding of the impacts of chemicals which can negatively impact environmental health is therefore essential to the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, current research on and regulation of chemicals in the environment tend to take a simplistic view and do not account for the complexity of the real world, which inhibits the way we manage chemicals. There is therefore an urgent need for a step change in the way we study and communicate the impacts and control of chemicals in the natural environment. To do this requires the major research questions to be identified so that resources are focused on questions that really matter. We present the findings of a horizon-scanning exercise to identify research priorities of the European environmental science community around chemicals in the environment. Using the key questions approach, we identified 22 questions of priority. These questions covered overarching questions about which chemicals we should be most concerned about and where, impacts of global megatrends, protection goals, and sustainability of chemicals; the development and parameterization of assessment and management frameworks; and mechanisms to maximize the impact of the research. The research questions identified provide a first-step in the path forward for the research, regulatory, and business communities to better assess and manage chemicals in the natural environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;9999:1-15

Antiplatelet therapy with aspirin, clopidogrel, and dipyridamole versus clopidogrel alone or aspirin and dipyridamole in patients with acute cerebral ischaemia (TARDIS): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 superiority trial

Background: Intensive antiplatelet therapy with three agents might be more effective than guideline treatment for preventing recurrent events in patients with acute cerebral ischaemia. We aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of intensive antiplatelet therapy (combined aspirin, clopidogrel, and dipyridamole) with that of guideline-based antiplatelet therapy. Methods: We did an international, prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint trial in adult participants with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) within 48 h of onset. Participants were assigned in a 1:1 ratio using computer randomisation to receive loading doses and then 30 days of intensive antiplatelet therapy (combined aspirin 75 mg, clopidogrel 75 mg, and dipyridamole 200 mg twice daily) or guideline-based therapy (comprising either clopidogrel alone or combined aspirin and dipyridamole). Randomisation was stratified by country and index event, and minimised with prognostic baseline factors, medication use, time to randomisation, stroke-related factors, and thrombolysis. The ordinal primary outcome was the combined incidence and severity of any recurrent stroke (ischaemic or haemorrhagic; assessed using the modified Rankin Scale) or TIA within 90 days, as assessed by central telephone follow-up with masking to treatment assignment, and analysed by intention to treat. This trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN47823388. Findings: 3096 participants (1556 in the intensive antiplatelet therapy group, 1540 in the guideline antiplatelet therapy group) were recruited from 106 hospitals in four countries between April 7, 2009, and March 18, 2016. The trial was stopped early on the recommendation of the data monitoring committee. The incidence and severity of recurrent stroke or TIA did not differ between intensive and guideline therapy (93 [6%] participants vs 105 [7%]; adjusted common odds ratio [cOR] 0·90, 95% CI 0·67–1·20, p=0·47). By contrast, intensive antiplatelet therapy was associated with more, and more severe, bleeding (adjusted cOR 2·54, 95% CI 2·05–3·16, p<0·0001). Interpretation: Among patients with recent cerebral ischaemia, intensive antiplatelet therapy did not reduce the incidence and severity of recurrent stroke or TIA, but did significantly increase the risk of major bleeding. Triple antiplatelet therapy should not be used in routine clinical practice