High added-value compounds with antibacterial properties from Ginja Cherries by-products

Purpose: To test the antimicrobial properties of the extracts of stems and leaves of Ginja cherry plant. Both stems and leaves are waste in the production of the cherry liquor and they could be valorised by extracting valuable compounds, making the process more environmentally sustainable. Methods: The ethanol extracts from both stems and leaves were analysed by LC-ESI/MS to determine the phenolic composition. They were tested against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus MSSA, Staphylococcus aureus MRSA, Pseudomonas sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Flavobacterium sp., Escherichia coli, Salmonella), using the disk diffusion technique and the broth dilution technique. Results: The extracts showed good antibacterial properties towards Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The values of the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) were lower for Gram positive bacteria (10–15 mg/ml) than for Gram negative ones (10–100 mg/ml). The values of Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were between 2 and 4 times higher than the MICs. Conclusions: The waste from Ginja cherry plants can be successfully employed to extract valuable compounds such as polyphenols, with antibacterial properties.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bistability and Bacterial Infections

Bacterial infections occur when the natural host defenses are overwhelmed by invading bacteria. The main component of the host defense is impaired when neutrophil count or function is too low, putting the host at great risk of developing an acute infection. In people with intact immune systems, neutrophil count increases during bacterial infection. However, there are two important clinical cases in which they remain constant: a) in patients with neutropenic-associated conditions, such as those undergoing chemotherapy at the nadir (the minimum clinically observable neutrophil level); b) in ex vivo examination of the patient's neutrophil bactericidal activity. Here we study bacterial population dynamics under fixed neutrophil levels by mathematical modelling. We show that under reasonable biological assumptions, there are only two possible scenarios: 1) Bacterial behavior is monostable: it always converges to a stable equilibrium of bacterial concentration which only depends, in a gradual manner, on the neutrophil level (and not on the initial bacterial level). We call such a behavior type I dynamics. 2) The bacterial dynamics is bistable for some range of neutrophil levels. We call such a behavior type II dynamics. In the bistable case (type II), one equilibrium corresponds to a healthy state whereas the other corresponds to a fulminant bacterial infection. We demonstrate that published data of in vitro Staphylococcus epidermidis bactericidal experiments are inconsistent with both the type I dynamics and the commonly used linear model and are consistent with type II dynamics. We argue that type II dynamics is a plausible mechanism for the development of a fulminant infection

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

Pleomorphic Adenoma in the Infra-temporal Space: The First Case Report

The infratemporal fossa is a deep retromaxillary space corresponding to the inferior aspect of the middle cranial fossa. Tumours in the infratemporal fossa are very rare; therefore experience in their diagnosis and therapeutic management is very limited. Tumors that are reported commonly in the infratemporal region are nasopharyngeal carcinomas, juvenile angiofibromas and adenoid cystic carcinomas. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in the English language literature of a pleomorphic adenoma presenting in the infratemporal space and probably arising from an ectopic minor salivary gland, along with a brief description of the surgical technique

Lipid Addition to Improve Barrier Properties of Edible Starch-based Films and Coatings

Effects of formulation (lipid presence, type of starch, and plasticizer) on microstructure, water vapor (WVP) and gas (GP) permeabilities of films and coatings were analyzed. Plasticizer was necessary to maintain film and coating integrity and to avoid pores and cracks. Films made from high amylose starch showed lower WVP and GP than regular corn starch films; permeabilities of films with sorbitol (20 g/L) were lower than those with glycerol. The addition of 2g/L sunflower oil to the formulations decreased WVP of starch-based films; X-ray diffraction and Differential Scanning Calorimetry experiments demonstrated that films with plasticizer and lipid showed lower crystalline-amorphous ratio compared to films without additives. Microstructural observations helped explain the decrease of the film permeabilities during storage.Fil: Garcia, Maria Alejandra. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Martino, Miriam Nora. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ingenierí­a. Departamento de Ingeniería Química; ArgentinaFil: Zaritzky, Noemi Elisabet. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ingenierí­a. Departamento de Ingeniería Química; Argentin