Antibacterial and anticancer activity of green synthesised silver nanoparticles using polysaccharides extracted from the marine alga Portieria hornemannii

The increasing incidence of cancer cases and multi-drug-resistant bacteria, which are major threats to humankind, forces the research world to innovate new molecules to deal with them.  The main aim of the present work is to prepare silver nanoparticles using macroalgal polysaccharides and to study biological activities. The silver nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared using polysaccharides extracted from the marine macro alga Portieria hornemannii by stirring them with 1 mM silver nitrate after 24 h at 90 ºC. The formed silver nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis, selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. UV-visible spectrum analysis revealed a surface plasmon peak at 380 nm, showing the development of silver nanoparticles. The nanoparticle size varied between 40 and 50 nm and the functional group was analyzed using FT-IR spectrum. The broadband was observed at 3304 cm-1 (hydroxyl and amino group) and the narrow band was observed at 2907 cm-1 (C–H stretching vibration), 1657 cm-1 (stretching of carbonyl groups), and 1001 cm-1 (C–O stretching vibration). The crystalline nature of silver NPs was confirmed by SAED. EDX analysis reveals the purity and the chemical composition of silver NPs. Nanoparticles were highly effective against Proteus mirabilis (24 mm zone of inhibition) and Bacillus substilis (24 mm zone of inhibition). The anticancer activity of the silver nanoparticles tested against colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines increased at increasing concentrations of nanoparticles

Ventilator-associated Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia

We report an outbreak of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in 6 infants with acute lower respiratory tract infection. Non-bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage isolated A. baumannii in all these infants. Environmental microbiological survey of the Pediatric intensive care unit and pediatric wards identified oxygen humidifying chambers as the source of Acinetobacter. Practices of cleaning and changing of the humidifiers were reviewed and the outbreak was controlled with new recommendations

Protective effect of bischalcone derivative in Drosophila melanogaster against electron beam radiation

In this paper the protective effect of (2E, 5E) – 2,5-bis (3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzylidene) cyclopentanone bischalcone derivative (Curcumin analogue, CA), on electron beam radiation induced oxidative stress in Drosophila melanogaster adult flies. Curcumin (CU) was taken as standard. The CA pre treated and irradiated flies were screened for wing shape abnormalities in F1 and F2 generations. There was considerable decrease in the wing shape abnormality frequency in the case of CA fed irradiated flies compared to control

Have greenhouse gases intensified the contrast between wet and dry regions?

While changes in land precipitation during the last 50 years have been attributed in part to human influences, results vary by season, are affected by data uncertainty and do not account for changes over ocean. One of the more physically robust responses of the water cycle to warming is the expected amplification of existing patterns of precipitation minus evaporation. Here, precipitation changes in wet and dry regions are analyzed from satellite data for 1988–2010, covering land and ocean. We derive fingerprints for the expected change from climate model simulations that separately track changes in wet and dry regions. The simulations used are driven with anthropogenic and natural forcings combined, and greenhouse gas forcing or natural forcing only. Results of detection and attribution analysis show that the fingerprint of combined external forcing is detectable in observations and that this intensification of the water cycle is partly attributable to greenhouse gas forcing

Metabolic phenotype of male obesity-related secondary hypogonadism pre-replacementand post-replacement therapy with intra-muscular testosterone undecanoate therapy

Aim: To explore the metabolic phenotype of obesity-related Secondary Hypogonadism (SH) in men pre- and post-replacement therapy with long-acting intramuscular (IM) testosterone undecanoate (TU). Methods: A prospective observational pilot study on metabolic effects of TU IM in male obesity-related SH (Hypogonadal [HG] group, n=13), including baseline comparisons with controls (Eugonadal [EG] group, n=15). Half the subjects (n=7 in each group) had Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D). Baseline metabolic assessment on Human Metabolism Research Unit: fasting blood samples; BodPod (body composition), and; whole-body indirect calorimetry. The HG group was treated with TU IM therapy for 6-29 months (mean 14.8-months [SD 8.7]), and assessment at the Human Metabolism Research Unit repeated. T-test comparisons were performed between baseline and follow-up data (HG group), and between baseline data (HG and EG groups). Data reported as mean (SD). Results: Overall, TU IM therapy resulted in a statistically significant improvement in HbA1C (9mmol/mol, P=0.03), with 52% improvement in HOMA%B. Improvement in glycaemic control was driven by the HG subgroup with T2D, with 18mmol/mol [P=0.02] improvement in HbA1C. Following TU IM therapy, there was a statistically significant reduction in fat mass (3.5Kg, P=0.03) and increase in lean body mass (2.9Kg, P=0.03). Lipid profiles and energy expenditure were unchanged following TU IM therapy. Comparisons between baseline data for HG and EG groups were equivalent apart from differences in testosterone, SHBG and BMR. Conclusion: In men with obesity-related SH (including a subgroup with T2D), TU IM therapy improved glycaemic control, beta cell function and body composition

1-(2-Bromo-5-meth­oxy­phen­yl)-8-chloro-6-(2-fluoro­phen­yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a][1,4]benzodiazepine

The title compound, Csb 23Hsb 15BrClFNsb 4O, is an analogue of sedatives such as midazolam and alprazolam. Its geometrical parameters are normal and comparable with those of related compounds. The only possible significant inter-molecular inter-action is a C-H⋅sO bond

Risk Factors for MDR and XDR-TB in a Tertiary Referral Hospital in India

BACKGROUND: India has a high burden of drug resistant TB, although there are few data on XDR-TB. Although XDR-TB has existed previously in India, the definition has not been widely applied, and surveillance using second line drug susceptibility testing has not been performed. Our objective was to analyze clinical and demographic risk factors associated with isolation of MDR and XDR TB as compared to susceptible controls, at a tertiary center. METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS: Retrospective chart review based on positive cultures isolated in a high volume mycobacteriology laboratory between 2002 and 2007. 47 XDR, 30 MDR and 117 susceptible controls were examined. Drug resistant cases were less likely to be extrapulmonary, and had received more previous treatment regimens. Significant risk factors for XDR-TB included residence outside the local state (OR 7.43, 3.07-18.0) and care costs subsidized (OR 0.23, 0.097-0.54) in bivariate analysis and previous use of a fluoroquinolone and injectable agent (other than streptomycin) (OR 7.00, 95% C.I. 1.14-43.03) and an initial treatment regimen which did not follow national guidelines (OR 5.68, 1.24-25.96) in multivariate analysis. Cavitation and HIV did not influence drug resistance. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: There is significant selection bias in the sample available. Selection pressure from previous treatment and an inadequate initial regimen increases risk of drug resistance. Local patients and those requiring financial subsidies may be at lower risk of XDR-TB

Governing stem cell therapy in India: regulatory vacuum or jurisdictional ambiguity?

Stem cell treatments are being offered in Indian clinics although preclinical evidence of their efficacy and safety is lacking. This is attributed to a governance vacuum created by the lack of legally binding research guidelines. By contrast, this paper highlights jurisdictional ambiguities arising from trying to regulate stem cell therapy under the auspices of research guidelines when treatments are offered in a private market disconnected from clinical trials. While statutory laws have been strengthened in 2014, prospects for their implementation remain weak, given embedded challenges of putting healthcare laws and professional codes into practice. Finally, attending to the capacities of consumer law and civil society activism to remedy the problem of unregulated treatments, the paper finds that the very definition of a governance vacuum needs to be reframed to clarify whose rights to health care are threatened by the proliferation of commercial treatments and individualized negligence-based remedies for grievances

Satellite observations for detecting and forecasting sea-ice conditions: A summary of advances made in the SPICES Project by the EU's Horizon 2020 Programme

The detection, monitoring, and forecasting of sea-ice conditions, including their extremes, is very important for ship navigation and offshore activities, and for monitoring of sea-ice processes and trends. We summarize here recent advances in the monitoring of sea-ice conditions and their extremes from satellite data as well as the development of sea-ice seasonal forecasting capabilities. Our results are the outcome of the three-year (2015-2018) SPICES (Space-borne Observations for Detecting and Forecasting Sea-Ice Cover Extremes) project funded by the EU's Horizon 2020 programme. New SPICES sea-ice products include pancake ice thickness and degree of ice ridging based on synthetic aperture radar imagery, Arctic sea-ice volume and export derived from multisensor satellite data, and melt pond fraction and sea-ice concentration using Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) radiometer data. Forecasts of July sea-ice conditions from initial conditions in May showed substantial improvement in some Arctic regions after adding sea-ice thickness (SIT) data to the model initialization. The SIT initialization also improved seasonal forecasts for years with extremely low summer sea-ice extent. New SPICES sea-ice products have a demonstrable level of maturity, and with a reasonable amount of further work they can be integrated into various operational sea-ice services

Capability of the variogram to quantify the spatial patterns of surface fluxes and soil moisture simulated by land surface models

Up to now, relatively little effort has been dedicated to the quantitative assessment of the differences in spatial patterns of model outputs. In this paper, we employed a variogram-based methodology to quantify the differences in the spatial patterns of root-zone soil moisture, net radiation, and latent and sensible heat fluxes simulated by three land surface models (SURFEX/ISBA, JULES and CHTESSEL) over three European geo- graphic domains – namely, UK, France and Spain. The model output spatial patterns were quantified through two metrics derived from the variogram: i) the variogram sill, which quantifies the degree of spatial variability of the data; and ii) the variogram integral range, which represents the spatial length scale of the data. The higher seasonal variation of the spatial variability of sensible and latent heat fluxes over France and Spain, compared to the UK, is related to a more frequent occurrence of a soil-moisture-limited evapotranspiration regime during summer dry spells in the south of France and Spain. The small differences in spatial variability of net radiation between models indicate that the spatial patterns of net radiation are mostly driven by the climate forcing data set. However, the models exhibit larger differences in latent and sensible heat flux spatial variabilities, which are related to their differences in i) soil and vegetation ancillary datasets and ii) physical process representation. The highest discrepancies in spatial patterns between models are observed for soil moisture, which is mainly related to the type of soil hydraulic function implemented in the models. This work demonstrates the capability of the variogram to enhance our understanding of the spatiotemporal structure of the uncertainties in land surface model outputs. Therefore, we strongly encourage the implementation of the variogram metrics in model intercomparison exercises