Numerical Recipes in Python

Numerical Recipes in Python is to serve as Laboratory Manual of Simplified Numerical Analysis (Python Version): A companion book of the principal book: Simplified Numerical Analysis (Fourth Edition) by Dr. Amjad Ali

An endophytic fungus Aspergillus violaceofuscus can be used as heat stress adaptive tool for Glycine max L. and Helianthus annuus L.

High temperature is one of the leading threats to the plants that severely affects crop quality as well as quantity. Endophytic fungi might be a new tool to safeguard crops against the perilous effects of global warming. In this context, we isolated a thermal stress mitigating endophytic fungus from the fern Dryopteris filix L. The phylogenetic study and 18S rRNA sequence similarity confirmed the potential strain as Aspergillus violaceofuscus. The culture filtrate of A. violaceofuscus exhibited higher concentration of secondary metabolites that enhanced the total chlorophyll content, plant height and biomass of sunflower and soybean seedlings under heat stress. Conversely, the A. violaceofuscus associated plants achieved low levels of reactive oxygen species, abscisic acid, catalase, ascorbic acid oxidase, proline and an overall improved the nutritional value. The current study suggests that A. violaceofuscus can be used as heat stress adaptive tool in crops to achieve sustainable agriculture

Medical perspective of cupping therapy (Ḥijama): a review

Traditional and alternative medicine practitioners have used cupping therapy for centuries.Growing data suggests that it may help treat disorders that are associated to pain in recentyears. An overview of the use of cupping therapy is provided in this article. One of themost effective treatments for Ilaj bil Tadbeer is hijama. A vacuum is created to eitherrelease blood from beneath the skin's surface or merely suction the area without allowingany blood out in this unique therapeutic method, which involves positioning cup-shapedveins on the body's surface. However, the effects in certain clinical trials were really strong.It is suggested that medical professionals or researchers in order to ascertain the efficacyof hijama in the treatment of various illnesses

Simultaneous determination of domperidone and Itopride in pharmaceuticals and human plasma using RP-HPLC/UV detection : method development, validation and application of the method in in-vivo evaluation of fast dispersible tablets

Domperidone and Itopride are pro-kinetic agents, regulating the gastric motility and are commonly prescribed as anti emetic drugs. In the present study a simple, rapid and sensitive RP-HPLC/UV method was developed for simultaneous determination of Domperidone and Itopride in pharmaceutical samples and human plasma, using Tenofavir as internal standard. Experimental conditions were optimized and method was validated according to the standard guidelines. Combination of water (pH 3.0) and acetonitrile (65:35 v/v) was used as mobile phase, pumped at the flow rate of 1.5 ml/min. Detector wavelength was set at 210 nm and column oven temperature was 40oC. Unlike conventional liquid-liquid extraction, simple precipitation technique was applied for drug extraction from human plasma using acetonitrile for deprotienation.The method showed adequate separation of both the analytes and best resolution was achieved using Hypersil BDS C8 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm). The method was quite linear in the range of 20-600 ng/ml. Recovery of the method was 92.31% and 89.82% for Domperidone and Itopride, respectively. Retention time of both the analytes and internal standard was below 15 min. The lower limit of detection (LLOD) and lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for Domperidone were 5 and 10 ng/ml while for Itopride was 12 and 15 ng/ml, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for in-vivo analysis of fast dispersible tablets of Domperidone in healthy human volunteer. The proposed method was a part of formulation development study and was efficiently applied for determination of the two drugs in various pharmaceutical products and human plasma

Effect of clopidogrel on the hydroxylation and sulfoxidation of omeprazole

Based upon the known potential interaction between omeprazole (OMP) and clopidogrel (CLOP), the current study was designed to evaluate the effect of CLOP on disposition of OMP and its two major metabolites, 5-hy- droxyomeprazole (5-OH-OMP) and omeprazole sulfone (OMP-S) in healthy clinical subjects. A randomized, open label, 2-period, crossover study was designed. Twelve volunteers were selected, of whom eight were extensive metabolizers (EM) of CYP2C19 and 4 were poor metabolizers (PM). They received single dose of OMP either alone or in combination with CLOP (single dose) and samples were collected periodically to calculate various pharmacokinetic parameters. Changes in most of the pharmacokinetic parameters of OMP, 5-OH-OMP and OMP- S were insignificant (P ˃ 0.05) both in EM and PM except for the maximum concentration (Cmax) of 5-OH-OMP and OMP-S in EM. The OMP Cmax and AUC0-∞ was increased both in EM and PM after concomitant administration of OMP with CLOP. The 5-OH-OMP Cmax was decreased in both EM and PM, demonstrating that CLOP inhibits hydroxylation of OMP. The OMP-S Cmax and AUC0-∞ were increased both in EM and PM showing that CLOP may induce sulfoxidation of OMP. It was concluded that CLOP may inhibit hydroxylation of OMP to a greater extent in EM than in PM, leading to higher OMP Cmax and AUC0-∞. Furthermore, the sulfoxidation of OMP may also be induced by CLOP. So, it is suggested that both these drugs should be carefull prescribed together to avoid any harm to the patients. (Application number13/EC/Pharm. Ref number 12/Pharm)

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

Suppression of PGE2 production via disruption of MAPK phosphorylation by unsymmetrical dicarbonyl curcumin derivatives

Curcumin is an important molecule found in turmeric plants and has been reported to exhibit some profound anti-inflammatory activities by interacting with several important molecular targets found in the mitogen-activated protein kinase and NF-κβ pathways. As part of our continuing effort to search for new anti-inflammatory agents with better in vitro and in vivo efficacies, we have synthesized a series of new unsymmetrical dicarbonyl curcumin derivatives and tested their effects on prostaglandin E2 secretion level in interferon-γ/lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophage cells. Among those, five compounds exhibited remarkable suppression on prostaglandin E2 production with IC50 values ranging from 0.87 to 18.41 µM. The most potent compound 17f was found to down-regulate the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA suggesting that this series of compounds could possibly target the mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathway. Whilst the compound did not affect the expression of the conventional mitogen-activated protein kinases, the results suggest that it could disrupt the phosphorylation and activation of the proteins particularly the c-Jun N-terminal kinases. Finally, the binding interactions were examined using the molecular docking and dynamics simulation approaches

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication