ASSESSMENT OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF Salmonella spp. ISOLATED FROM FARMED ASIAN CLAM Corbicula fluminea

U ovom istraživanju, Salmonella spp. je uspješno izolirana iz azijskog školjkaša Corbicula fluminea primjenom Ksiloza Lizin Deoksiolata (XLD) selektivnog agara. Ukupno je izolirano 200 bakterijskih kolonija iz živih azijskih školjkaša i podvrgnuto ispitivanju osjetljivosti na antimikrobne tvari primjenom disk difuzije. U istraživanju je primijenjeno ukupno 18 antibiotika, i to: oksolinska kiselina, nalidiksična kiselina, eritromicin, tetraciklin, doksiciklin, oleandomicin, oksitetraciklin, spiramicin, ampicillin, kanamicin, fosfomicin, florfenikol, linkomicin, novobiocin, kloramfenikol, amoksicilin, flumekvin i sulfametoksazol. Rezultati ove studije ukazali su da je ukupni uzorak osjetljivih na antibiotike za Salmonella spp. izolirane iz uzorka C. fluminea bilo 50% ili 1800 slučajeva. Potom su uslijedili slučajevi rezistencije na antibiotike od 45% ili 1620 slučajeva i posredno osjetljivih na antibiotike (5% ili 180 slučajeva). Na temelju rezultata, tetraciklin, doksiciklin, oksitetraciklin i flumekvin pokazali su najveću inhibiciju izolirane Salmonella spp. Indeks višestruke rezistencije na antibiotike (MAR) bio je 0,36, što ukazuje da su uzorci školjkaša bili visoko izloženi testiranim antibioticima.In the present study, Salmonella spp. was successfully isolated from Asian clam Corbicula fluminea by using Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate (XLD) selective agar. A total of 200 bacterial colonies from live Asian clams were isolated and subjected to antimicrobial sensitivity test by using disc diffusion method. A total of 18 antibiotics was applied in the present study, namely oxolinic acid, nalidixic acid, erythromycin, tetracycline, doxycycline, oleandomycin, oxytetracycline, spiramycin, ampicillin, kanamycin, fosfomycin, florfenicol, lincomycin, novobiocin, chloramphenicol, amoxycillin, flumequine and sulphamethoxazole. The findings of the present study showed that total antibiotic sensitive case for Salmonella spp. isolated from C. fluminea sample was 50% or 1800 cases. This was followed by antibiotic resistance case 45% or 1620 cases and intermediary antibiotic sensitive case (5% or 180 cases). Based on the results of the present study, tetracycline, doxycycline, oxytetracycline and flumequine showed the highest inhibition of isolated Salmonella spp. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index was 0.36, indicating the sampled clams were highly exposed to the tested antibiotics

Genetic Diversity Analysis of Sapindus in China and Extraction of a Core Germplasm Collection Using EST-SSR Markers

Sapindus is an important forest tree genus with utilization in biodiesel, biomedicine, and it harbors great potential for biochemical engineering applications. For advanced breeding of Sapindus, it is necessary to evaluate the genetic diversity and construct a rationally designed core germplasm collection. In this study, the genetic diversity and population structure of Sapindus were conducted with 18 expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers in order to establish a core germplasm collection from 161 Sapindus accessions. The population of Sapindus showed high genetic diversity and significant population structure. Interspecific genetic variation was significantly higher than intraspecific variation in the Sapindus mukorossi, Sapindus delavayi, and combined Sapindus rarak plus Sapindus rarak var. velutinus populations. S. mukorossi had abundant genetic variation and showed a specific pattern of geographical variation, whereas S. delavayi, S. rarak, and S. rarak var. velutinus showed less intraspecific variation. A core germplasm collection was created that contained 40% of genetic variation in the initial population, comprising 53 S. mukorossi and nine S. delavayi lineages, as well as single representatives of S. rarak and S. rarak var. velutinus. These results provide a germplasm basis and theoretical rationale for the efficient management, conservation, and utilization of Sapindus, as well as genetic resources for joint genomics research in the future.Peer reviewe

Promising drug delivery approaches to treat microbial infections in the vagina: a recent update

An optimal host–microbiota interaction in the human vagina governs the reproductive health status of a woman. The marked depletion in the beneficial Lactobacillus sp. increases the risk of infection with sexually transmitted pathogens, resulting in gynaecological issues. Vaginal infections that are becoming increasingly prevalent, especially among women of reproductive age, require an effective concentration of antimicrobial drugs at the infectious sites for complete disease eradication. Thus, topical treatment is recommended as it allows direct therapeutic action, reduced drug doses and side effects, and self-insertion. However, the alterations in the physiological conditions of the vagina affect the effectiveness of vaginal drug delivery considerably. Conventional vaginal dosage forms are often linked to low retention time in the vagina and discomfort which significantly reduces patient compliance. The lack of optimal prevention and treatment approaches have contributed to the unacceptably high rate of recurrence for vaginal diseases. To combat these limitations, several novel approaches including nano-systems, mucoadhesive polymeric systems, and stimuli-responsive systems have been developed in recent years. This review discusses and summarises the recent research progress of these novel approaches for vaginal drug delivery against various vaginal diseases. An overview of the concept and challenges of vaginal infections, anatomy and physiology of the vagina, and barriers to vaginal drug delivery are also addressed

Brain game based on auditory attention detection (AAD)

Auditory attention decoding (AAD) is promising for use in auditory-assistive devices. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a recording method of electrical brainwave activity for numerous diagnostic and research purposes. AAD can train subjects in achieving high AAD performance which would increase the application potential. This project involves the development of a real-time neurofeedback Brain Computer Interface (BCI) Unity game designed for normal hearing subjects, using EEG signals acquired from Muse 2 headset to decode the subject’s attentional state in the game. Furthermore, this project aims to explore the feasibility of building a user-friendly and functional AAD system. This entails a high temporal resolution and an automated closed-loop neurofeedback system. The experiment conducted provided subjects with visual feedback on their ongoing performance. The data were collected from subjects and the results of the classification accuracies were evaluated to assess the performance of these normal hearing subjects. The experiment results conclude that high AAD accuracies can be achieved with a trial length of 4 seconds for single and two talker conditions. In the single talker condition experiment, most of the subjects have better decoding accuracies when attending to the left ear (88%) than the right ear (74%) at 5% significance level. Also, in the two-talker condition experiment that involves dichotic listening tasks, most ofthe subjects have better decoding accuracies when attending to the right ear (79%) than the left ear (42%) at 5% significance level. This exploratory result proves that further investigations can be done with a larger sample size population using a better ergonomic design of EEG devices.Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science

Remanufacturing index of wind turbine systems

The use of wind energy has seen unprecedented growth in recent years. In the face of rising energy prices and concerns over the emission of greenhouse gases, countries are increasingly looking toward using wind energy to generate clean energy for their economic growth and sustainable development. Despite this seemingly advantageous method of generating energy, the wind turbine does pose an adverse impact on the environment. The life cycle of the wind turbine includes stages such as processing the raw material, manufacturing its components, assembly of these product components and disposal of the wind turbine at its end of life. These stages cause detrimental effects, which threaten the environment. Therefore, this report seeks to use the process of remanufacturing to reduce the environmental impact of the wind turbine at its end of life. Through remanufacturing, virgin material and manufacturing processes of new components can be saved. This will significantly lower the environmental impact of the wind turbine at its end of life. By formulating a remanufacturing index, this report illustrates the feasibility of remanufacturing with regards to wind turbine systems. It uses a mathematical approach, which incorporates the economics of a wind turbine, to formulate an output that demonstrates the extent of remanufacturability. In addition to the remanufacturing index, qualitative support is provided through the usage of a ReOpt Tool offered by the Center for Remanufacturing and Reuse (CRR) in the United Kingdom. The scope of this report is not limited to the end of life process of the wind turbine. Instead, analysis is also done on the life cycle of the wind turbine. The Eco Audit Tool from the Cambridge Engineering Selector (CES) calculates its energy usage and carbon footprint throughout its product life. This delivers a greater understanding of the total environmental impact the wind turbine creates throughout its entire life cycle.Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering

Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella spp. Isolated from Farmed Asian Clam Corbicula Fluminea

In the present study, Salmonella spp. was successfully isolated from Asian clam Corbicula fluminea by using Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate (XLD) selective agar. A total of 200 bacterial colonies from live Asian clams were isolated and subjected to antimicrobial sensitivity test by using disc diffusion method. A total of 18 antibiotics was applied in the present study, namely oxolinic acid, nalidixic acid, erythromycin, tetracycline, doxycycline, oleandomycin, oxytetracycline, spiramycin, ampicillin, kanamycin, fosfomycin, florfenicol, lincomycin, novobiocin, chloramphenicol, amoxycillin, flumequine and sulphamethoxazole. The findings of the present study showed that total antibiotic sensitive case for Salmonella spp. isolated from C. fluminea sample was 50% or 1800 cases. This was followed by antibiotic resistance case 45% or 1620 cases and intermediary antibiotic sensitive case (5% or 180 cases). Based on the results of the present study, tetracycline, doxycycline, oxytetracycline and flumequine showed the highest inhibition of isolated Salmonella spp. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index was 0.36, indicating the sampled clams were highly exposed to the tested antibiotics

Promising Drug Delivery Approaches to Treat Microbial Infections in the Vagina: A Recent Update

An optimal host–microbiota interaction in the human vagina governs the reproductive health status of a woman. The marked depletion in the beneficial Lactobacillus sp. increases the risk of infection with sexually transmitted pathogens, resulting in gynaecological issues. Vaginal infections that are becoming increasingly prevalent, especially among women of reproductive age, require an effective concentration of antimicrobial drugs at the infectious sites for complete disease eradication. Thus, topical treatment is recommended as it allows direct therapeutic action, reduced drug doses and side effects, and self-insertion. However, the alterations in the physiological conditions of the vagina affect the effectiveness of vaginal drug delivery considerably. Conventional vaginal dosage forms are often linked to low retention time in the vagina and discomfort which significantly reduces patient compliance. The lack of optimal prevention and treatment approaches have contributed to the unacceptably high rate of recurrence for vaginal diseases. To combat these limitations, several novel approaches including nano-systems, mucoadhesive polymeric systems, and stimuli-responsive systems have been developed in recent years. This review discusses and summarises the recent research progress of these novel approaches for vaginal drug delivery against various vaginal diseases. An overview of the concept and challenges of vaginal infections, anatomy and physiology of the vagina, and barriers to vaginal drug delivery are also addressed

A multinational, multicentre study on the psychological outcomes and associated physical symptoms amongst healthcare workers during COVID-19 outbreak

Objective: Since the declaration of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak as pandemic, there are reports on the increased prevalence of physical symptoms observed in the general population. We investigated the association between psychological outcomes and physical symptoms among healthcare workers. Methods: Healthcare workers from 5 major hospitals, involved in the care for COVID-19 patients, in Singapore and India were invited to participate in a study by performing a self-administered questionnaire within the period of February 19 to April 17, 2020. Healthcare workers included doctors, nurses, allied healthcare workers, administrators, clerical staff and maintenance workers. This questionnaire collected information on demographics, medical history, symptom prevalence in the past month, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) and the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) instrument. The prevalence of physical symptoms displayed by healthcare workers and the associations between physical symptoms and psychological outcomes of depression, anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were evaluated. Results: Out of the 906 healthcare workers who participated in the survey, 48 (5.3%) screened positive for moderate to very-severe depression, 79 (8.7%) for moderate to extremely-severe anxiety, 20 (2.2%) for moderate to extremely-severe stress, and 34 (3.8%) for moderate to severe levels of psychological distress. The commonest reported symptom was headache (32.3%), with a large number of participants (33.4%) reporting more than four symptoms. Participants who had experienced symptoms in the preceding month were more likely to be older, have pre-existing comorbidities and a positive screen for depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD. After adjusting for age, gender and comorbidities, it was found that depression (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.54–5.07, p = 0.001), anxiety (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.36–3.48, p = 0.001), stress (OR 3.06, 95% CI 1.27–7.41, p = 0.13), and PTSD (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.12–4.35, p = 0.023) remained significantly associated with the presence of physical symptoms experienced in the preceding month. Linear regression revealed that the presence of physical symptoms was associated with higher mean scores in the IES-R, DASS Anxiety, Stress and Depression subscales. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates a significant association between the prevalence of physical symptoms and psychological outcomes among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. We postulate that this association may be bi-directional, and that timely psychological interventions for healthcare workers with physical symptoms should be considered once an infection has been excluded. © 2020 Elsevier Inc