Bacteriocinogenic potential and genotypic characterization of three Enterococcus faecium isolates from Algerian raw milk and traditional butter

The detection of bacteriocinogenic potential of Enterococcus sp. isolates from Algerian raw milk coded LO4 and LO12 and from traditional butter coded BRO2 was carried on M17 buffered medium. PCR amplification of Enterococcus sp. DNA using specific enterococcal primers gave 733 bp fragments. The phylogenetic analysis using the neighbour joining method further supported the identification of the three strains as Enterococcus faecium. These bacteria were bacteriocinogenic against Pseudomonas sp, Proteus mirabilis and E. faecium. Lyophilisate extracts were tested for sensitivity to enzymes, heating and effect of pH. Complete inactivation in bacteriocinogenic activity was observed after treatment with proteolytic enzymes. The antibacterial activity from E faecium LO12 was stable (1280 AU/ml) for range pH 2 to 12. Maximal activity from BRO2 strain was at pH 7 (20480 AU/ml) and from LO4 strain was at pH 7 and 6 (2560 AU/ml). Antibacterial activities of E. faecium BRO2 (5120 AU/ml) and E. faecium LO12 (640 AU/ml) remained stable at 60°C for 30 min. The antibacterial activity of .E faecium LO4 was stable at 100°C for 30 min (5120 AU/ml)

Gender and Tahrir Square: contesting the state and imagining a new nation

This article argues that the concepts of ‘State’ and ‘Nation’ should be treated as separate from one another, hence, more than one image of the nation is possible at one given time. During the early days of the January 2011 Egyptian revolution, a contestation emerged between Mubarak’s state and the protesters in Tahrir Square over the image and notion of the Egyptian nation. Both the state and the protesters attempted to exclude one another from their respective discourse of the Egyptian nation. While reflecting back on a number of women’s voices who joined the early days of the Tahrir Square protests and using qualitative fieldwork interviews with Cairo-based feminist and political activists, this article points to the complexity of a newly forged image of Egyptian nationhood. In Tahrir Square, this image appeared to be largely framed within gendered criteria where notions of manhood and hyper visible gender equality were intrinsically linked to the broader objective of removing Mubarak and his regime. This raises the question of whether new gender paradigms of equality can continue to exist beyond Tahrir Square’s imagination of a ‘new’ nation

Use of ring-expanded diamino- and diamidocarbene ligands in copper catalyzed azide-alkyne "click" reactions

The two-coordinate ring-expanded N-heterocyclic carbene copper­(I) complexes [Cu­(RE-NHC)₂]⁺ (RE-NHC = 6-Mes, 7-<i>o</i>-Tol, 7-Mes) have been prepared and shown to be effective catalysts under neat conditions for the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of alkynes and azides. In contrast, the cationic diamidocarbene analogue [Cu­(6-MesDAC)₂]⁺ and the neutral species [(6-MesDAC)­CuCl]₂ and [(6-MesDAC)₂(CuCl)₃] show good activity when the catalysis is performed on water

Synthesis of homoleptic and heteroleptic bis-N-heterocylic carbene group 11 complexes

A straightforward synthetic route has been developed permitting the formation of homoleptic and heteroleptic bis-N-heterocyclic carbene metal complexes. The methodology has proven efficient for all group 11 members. These complexes are easily synthesized using [M(Cl)(NHC)] with different NHC salts in the presence of inexpensive bases such as sodium hydroxide. These systems were fully characterized and displayed high stability even in the presence of light

A 3-day regimen with azithromycin 1.5% eyedrops for the treatment of purulent bacterial conjunctivitis in children: efficacy on clinical signs and impact on the burden of illness

Dominique Bremond-Gignac,1,2 Riadh Messaoud,3 Sihem Lazreg,4 Claude Speeg-Schatz,5 Didier Renault,6 Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Chiambaretta7,8 On behalf of the Azithromycin Pediatric Study Group 1Ophthalmology Department, Centre St Victor, University Hospital of Amiens, Picardie Jules Verne University, Amiens, France; 2CNRS FR3636, Paris V University, France; 3Ophthalmology Department, Tahar Sfar University Hospital, Mahdia, Tunisia; 4Dar El Beida, Blida, Algeria; 5Ophthalmology Department, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; 6Laboratoires TH&Eacute;A, Clermont-Ferrand, France; 7Ophthalmology Department, University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, Gabriel Montpied Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand, France; 8EA 7281 R2D2, Auvergne University, Clermont-Ferrand, France Purpose: To compare the efficacy of azithromycin 1.5% versus tobramycin 0.3% eyedrops on clinical ocular signs and symptoms of bacterial conjunctivitis in children and to assess the parents&rsquo; satisfaction regarding the dosing regimen.Patients and methods: An international, multicenter, randomized, investigator-masked, controlled clinical trial conducted in children (1 day to 18 years old) with bulbar conjunctival hyperemia and purulent discharge. Azithromycin 1.5% was administered as 1 drop twice daily for 3 days, and tobramycin 0.3% as 1 drop every 2 hours for 2 days, then 4 times daily for 5 days.Results: A total of 286 patients (mean age: 3.2 years) were enrolled. In children with bacteriologically positive cultures (N=203), azithromycin produced a significantly greater improvement in conjunctival discharge (P&lt;0.01) and a trend (P=0.054) toward improvement in conjunctival hyperemia at day 7 than did tobramycin. Complete resolution of conjunctival discharge was significantly more frequent at day 3 on azithromycin than tobramycin (P=0.005). More parents found azithromycin easier to use (in terms of treatment duration, total number of instillations, instilling drops during the day, and difficulty in performing daily activities) than tobramycin.Conclusion: The azithromycin 1.5% regimen produced a rapid resolution of cardinal signs of purulent bacterial conjunctivitis with a more convenient dosage regimen. Such improved convenience is likely to improve compliance and lessen the burden of illness for patients and carers. Keywords: acceptability, azithromycin, bacterial conjunctivitis, children, compliance, topical antibiotics, QO

Homoleptic and heteroleptic bis-NHC Cu(i) complexes as carbene transfer reagents

Homo- and heteroleptic bis-NHC copper(i) complexes have been efficiently used as carbene transfer reagents to Au and Pd. The simple and straightforward procedure allows for the synthesis of well-known gold complexes as well as novel cationic bis-NHC Pd(ii) species