Magnitude and Time Trend of Acute Respiratory Infections (Aris) Among Male School Students and Employees in Aleith

A setting-based descriptive study was conducted to study magnitude and time trend of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) among male school students and employees in Aleith. Data about Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) among school students and employees in Aleith during the last three years were collected by reviewing monthly and annual reports in school health units. The proportion of acute reparatory infections in the last three years among male student and employees in Aleith was high in year 1435 which was 50.2%, followed by the year 1437 which was 47% and 1436 was 43.3%. The time distribution of acute respiratory infections illustrates that the percentage of infection occurred during Jumada-Al-Thani (21.9%) in the year 1435, Moharam and Rabi-Al-Thani (17.3%) in the year 1436 and Jumada-Al-Awwal (18%) in the year 1437. In the year 1435, acute respiratory infection among student was 811(63.7%) and among employees was 462 (36.3%); in the year 1436, the disease was 1177 (71.4%) in students while in employees was 471 (28.6%) and in the year1437, the percentage was 747(64.7%) in students and 408(35.3%) in employees. The high percentages of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) occurred among primary school students was high 35.6%, 45.5% and 48.1% in the years 1435, 1436 and 1437 respectively. The peak of ARIs occurred during the year 1435 and the minimum proportion rate of cases was found in 1436. The study concluded that ARIs were still high and more frequent in winter months

Presence of BlaPER-1 and BlaVEB-1 Beta-Lactamase Genes among Isolates of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa from Burn and Trauma Hospital Peshawar, Pakistan

Pseudomonas aeruginosa spp are the most prevalent bacteria that cause nosocomial infections in hospitals. Most antibiotics, including novel new β-lactams, are already resistant to them, and they can become resistant during treatment, which can make the treatment fail. P. aeruginosa isolates from ICU patients who had Per-1 and VEB-1 were the main focus of this study. These two ESBLs are the two most common in ICU patients who had them. 50 isolates were gathered from Peshawar\u27s LRH ICU facilities in the year 2021. The antibiotic susceptibility test was conducted in accordance with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute\u27s standards (CLSI). The combination disc test used to identify isolates that produce ESBLs. Ceftazidime MIC was determined using the agar dilution method using particular primers, the PER-1 and VEB-1 genes were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Fifty-six percent patients (n=40) male, whereas forty percent (n=25) were female. Augmentin (96.6%, n=61) and cefpodoxim (86.7%, n=55) resistance was found in the majority of ICU isolates. Fifty isolates (77%) tested positive for ESBL, with 94 percent (n=47) carrying the PER-1 gene and VEB-1 gene 52 percent (n=26). Ten isolates had blaPER1 and blaVEB1 present at the same time, and seven of them amplified all three genes. ESBL producers were found in a large number of ICU P. aeruginosa isolates. Although blaVEB1 and blaPER1 were found in a small number of isolates, their frequency was very high. Furthermore, carbapenem resistance was negligible. Because of drug-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates, it is vital to monitor ICU centers

Manufactured Nano-Objects Confer Viral Protection against Cucurbit Chlorotic Yellows Virus (CCYV) Infecting Nicotiana benthamiana

Nanotechnology has emerged as a new tool to combat phytopathogens in agricultural crops. Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) mainly infects Solanaceae crops and causes significant crop losses. Nanomaterials (NMs) may have efficacy against plant viruses, but the mechanisms underlying complex nanomaterials-plant-virus interactions remain elusive. We challenged Nicotiana benthamiana plants with GFP-tagged CCYV and observed morphological, physiological, and molecular changes in response to 21-d foliar exposure to nanoscale Fe and Zn and C60 fullerenes at 100 mg/L concentration for 21 days. We observed that in response to C60 (100 mg/L) treatment, plants displayed a normal phenotype while the viral infection was not seen until 5 days post-inoculation. On the contrary, Fe and Zn were unable to suppress viral progression. The mRNA transcriptional analysis for GFP and viral coat protein revealed that the transcripts of both genes were 5-fold reduced in response to C60 treatment. Evaluation of the chloroplast ultrastructure showed that NMs treatment maintained the normal chloroplast structure in the plants as compared to untreated plants. C60 upregulated the defense-related phytohormones (abscisic acid and salicylic acid) by 42–43%. Our results demonstrate the protective function of carbon-based NMs, with suppression of CCYV symptoms via inhibition of viral replication and systemic movement

ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PATHOGENIC PSEUDOMONAS SPECIES FROM URINARY TRACT INFECTION (UTI)AND WOUNDS IN SAUDI ARABIA AT MAKKAH REGION

<p><strong>Background: </strong><i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>(<i>p.aeruginosa</i>) is an opportunistic infection that causes severe urinary tract infection, it is well established That its common species in wound infection (chronic wound) is <i>aeruginosa</i>, here we studied the clinical isolates in urine and wound and their sensitivity pattern.</p><p><strong>Materials and Methods: </strong>This was a cross-sectional study aimed to isolate and characterizing the <i>p. aeruginosa</i> from urine and wound samples, 106 participants were enrolled for this study, patients under antibiotic and unconsented were excluded, bacteria were isolated with automated instrument, data was analyzed by SPSS V26, p.value<0.050 was considered significant data was expressed as percentage.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>One hundred sex participants were enrolled for this study, n=77(72.64%) Saudi and n=29(27.35) was non-Saudi nationality. The male was n=56(<strong>52.83%)</strong>, while female n=50<strong>(47.16%)</strong> study participants. We included the wound sample which comprises 49.05% and urine samples 50.94% table (1). Of 106 isolates of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> enrolled for this study, the overall drug resistance was moderate ranging from 6(5.66%) to 27(25.47%) to the all 13psudomonal antibiotic tested. Piperaquine is the lowest resistance in comparison to other antibiotics (5.66% p.value<0.050 while the ipeneme is the most resistant in comparison to the other 12 antibiotics 25.47% p.value<0.050. finally, the overall multiple drug resistance of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> was 16.11%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The clinical isolates of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> in urine and wound samples were moderate resistance further hospitals survey was required.</p><p> </p&gt

Manufactured Nano-Objects Confer Viral Protection against Cucurbit Chlorotic Yellows Virus (CCYV) Infecting Nicotiana benthamiana

Nanotechnology has emerged as a new tool to combat phytopathogens in agricultural crops. Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) mainly infects Solanaceae crops and causes significant crop losses. Nanomaterials (NMs) may have efficacy against plant viruses, but the mechanisms underlying complex nanomaterials-plant-virus interactions remain elusive. We challenged Nicotiana benthamiana plants with GFP-tagged CCYV and observed morphological, physiological, and molecular changes in response to 21-d foliar exposure to nanoscale Fe and Zn and C-60 fullerenes at 100 mg/L concentration for 21 days. We observed that in response to C-60 (100 mg/L) treatment, plants displayed a normal phenotype while the viral infection was not seen until 5 days post-inoculation. On the contrary, Fe and Zn were unable to suppress viral progression. The mRNA transcriptional analysis for GFP and viral coat protein revealed that the transcripts of both genes were 5-fold reduced in response to C-60 treatment. Evaluation of the chloroplast ultrastructure showed that NMs treatment maintained the normal chloroplast structure in the plants as compared to untreated plants. C-60 upregulated the defense-related phytohormones (abscisic acid and salicylic acid) by 42-43%. Our results demonstrate the protective function of carbon-based NMs, with suppression of CCYV symptoms via inhibition of viral replication and systemic movement.Peer reviewe

Evaluating the Total Phenolic, Protein Contents, Antioxidant and Pharmacological Effects of Cynodon dactylon Extracts Against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

The study was aimed to characterize the antioxidant and anti-microbial activities of Cynodon dactylon with special reference on its precise biochemical analysis. Physiological analysis that total carotenoids content (0.3884 ± 0.0172 mg/g), total chlorophyll content (6.1460 ± 0.2915 mg/g), total phenolic contents (13.4703 ± 0.1494 mg/g), chlorophyll a (3.7708 ± 0.1528 mg/g, catalase (CAT) contents (40.2844 ± 0.1515 units/ mg), total anthocyanin contents (5.0166 ± 0.2966 g–1 FW) total soluble proteins (2.9916 ± 0.1734 mg/g) and total flavonoids content (TFC) (4.7863 ± 0.0442 μg/g) was found higher in the leaves of the Cynodon dactylon whereas, chlorophyll b (2.4881 ± 0.1326 mg/g) was found higher in the stem of Cynodon dactylon, while, peroxidase (POD) contents (81.8763 ± 4.6609 units/mg) and superoxidase dismutase (SOD) activity (80.4346 ± 5.9367 units/mg) was investigated higher in roots of Cynodon dactylon. The anti-microbial activity of Cynodon dactylon extracts was performed using a good diffusion technique against two microbial strains. Among all the plant extracts, the methanolic extracts showed a maximum inhibition zone (26.87 mm) against anti-bacterial strain Escherichia coli whereas n-hexane extract showed a maximum inhibition zone (17.88 mm) against anti-fungal strain Candida albicans. This study reported the antimicrobial activity of Cynodon dactylon against some common pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans, which are highly associated with nosocomial infection. From the given results it is concluded that Cynodon dactylon could be exploited in pharmacology due to its antioxidant and anti-microbial properties

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using the Plant Extract of Acer oblongifolium and Study of Its Antibacterial and Antiproliferative Activity via Mathematical Approaches

In this study, the antibacterial and antifungal properties of silver nanoparticles synthesized with the aqueous plant extract of Acer oblongifolium leaves were defined using a simplistic, environmentally friendly, reliable, and cost-effective method. The aqueous plant extract of Acer oblongifolium, which served as a capping and reducing agent, was used to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles. UV visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy were used to analyze the biosynthesized Acer oblongifolium silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus paramycoides and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) were used to test the AgNPs’ antibacterial activity. The presence of different functional groups was determined by FTIR. The AgNPs were rod-like in shape. The nanoparticles were more toxic against Escherichiacoli than both Bacillus cereus and Bacillus paramycoides. The AgNPs had IC50 values of 6.22 and 9.43 and mg/mL on HeLa and MCF-7, respectively, proving their comparatively strong potency against MCF-7. This confirmed that silver nanoparticles had strong antibacterial activity and antiproliferative ability against MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines. The mathematical modeling revealed that the pure nanoparticle had a high heat-absorbing capacity compared to the mixed nanoparticle. This research demonstrated that the biosynthesized Acer oblongifolium AgNPs could be used as an antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer agent in the future

Insulinotropic Potential of Moxifloxacin and Gemifloxacin: An In Vivo Rabbits Model Study Followed by Randomized Phase I Clinical Trial

Fluoroquinolones (FQs) have been reported to cause dysglycemia in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients. However, diabetic patients are usually on polypharmacy, so we cannot attribute the dysglycemia specifically to FQs. To answer the question as to whether Moxifloxacin and Gemifloxacin influence blood glucose levels and serum insulin levels or otherwise, rabbits were used as experimental animals in an in vivo model followed by a phase I randomized clinical trial in euglycemic healthy volunteers. The effects on the serum insulin and blood glucose levels in the Moxifloxacin and Gemifloxacin treated groups were, respectively, determined on the fifth day in both the in-vivo rabbits model and in the test subjects of the phase I clinical trial. The effects of these drugs were also checked on the histomorphology of the pancreas in the rabbits. The findings of our study suggest that Moxifloxacin and Gemifloxacin significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the blood glucose levels via a subsequent significant shift in the serum insulin levels both in the in vivo animal model and in the test subjects of the phase I clinical trial. No prominent effects on the beta cells histomorphology were noted in this study. Moxifloxacin showed a more significant effect than Gemifloxacin. The insulinotropic effect was comparable to the effect of Glibenclamide. It is concluded that Moxifloxacin and Gemifloxacin have a significant blood glucose lowering effect mediated through insulinotropic action. (Clinical Trials.gov identifier: NCT04692623)

Myogenesis and Analysis of Antimicrobial Potential of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) against Pathogenic Bacteria

The widespread and indiscriminate use of broad-spectrum antibiotics leads to microbial resistance, which causes major problems in the treatment of infectious diseases. However, advances in nanotechnology have opened up new domains for the synthesis and use of nanoparticles against multidrug-resistant pathogens. The traditional approaches for nanoparticle synthesis are not only expensive, laborious, and hazardous but also have various limitations. Therefore, new biological approaches are being designed to synthesize economical and environmentally friendly nanoparticles with enhanced antimicrobial activity. The current study focuses on the isolation, identification, and screening of metallotolerant fungal strains for the production of silver nanoparticles, using antimicrobial activity analysis and the characterization of biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles by X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In total, 11 fungal isolates were isolated and screened for the synthesis of AgNPs, while the Penicillium notatum (K1) strain was found to be the most potent, demonstrating biosynthetic ability. The biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles showed excellent antibacterial activity against the bacteria Escherichia coli (ATCC10536), Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC9144), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC10145), Enterococcus faecalis, and Listeria innocua (ATCC13932). Furthermore, three major diffraction peaks in the XRD characterization, located at the 2θ values of 28.4, 34.8, 38.2, 44, 64, and 77°, confirmed the presence of AgNPs, while elemental composition analysis via EDX and spherical surface topology with a scanning electron microscope indicated that its pure crystalline nature was entirely composed of silver. Thus, the current study indicates the enhanced antibacterial capability of mycologically synthesized AgNPs, which could be used to counter multidrug-resistant pathogens