Towards large-cohort comparative studies to define the factors influencing the gut microbial community structure of ASD patients.

Differences in the gut microbiota have been reported between individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and neurotypical controls, although direct evidence that changes in the microbiome contribute to causing ASD has been scarce to date. Here we summarize some considerations of experimental design that can help untangle causality in this complex system. In particular, large cross-sectional studies that can factor out important variables such as diet, prospective longitudinal studies that remove some of the influence of interpersonal variation in the microbiome (which is generally high, especially in children), and studies transferring microbial communities into germ-free mice may be especially useful. Controlling for the effects of technical variables, which have complicated efforts to combine existing studies, is critical when biological effect sizes are small. Large citizen-science studies with thousands of participants such as the American Gut Project have been effective at uncovering subtle microbiome effects in self-collected samples and with self-reported diet and behavior data, and may provide a useful complement to other types of traditionally funded and conducted studies in the case of ASD, especially in the hypothesis generation phase

Xerophiles and other fungi associated with cereal baby foods locally produced in Uganda

Fifty samples from five baby food products mainly made of cereal flour(s) were analyzed. The moisture contents of these products were between 11.14% and 11.9%, a level below 14.0%, the recommended level for safe storage of cereal grains and their products. The mycological analysis was carried out using the dilution plate method and two isolation media (DG18 for isolation of xerophilic fungi and DRBC for fungi in general). A total of 80 species related to 37 genera in addition to some unidentified fungal and yeast species were recorded on both media from the five products. The products were contaminated abundantly by xerophilic fungi which were occurring in 88% of food samples and accounting for 18.1% of the total CFU as recorded on DG18. The highest contamination level by xerophiles was registered in Mwebaza rice porridge (a component of rice flour) and the lowest in Mukuza (a product of maize, soyabean and sorghum flours). 11 xerophilic species were recorded of which Aspergillus and Eurotium (4 species each) were the predominant giving rise to 9.1% and 8.9% of the total CFU, with A. wentii, A. candidus, E. cristatum and E. repens were the most contaminating species. Of the fungi recorded other than xerophiles, species of Aspergillus (particularly A. flavus followed by A. niger), Penicillium (P. citrinum, P. oxalicum), Fusarium (F. solani, F. tricinctum), Cladosporium (C. sphaerospermum) and yeasts were the most predominant. Contamination of such foods is a matter of health hazard as these foods are for babies. So, the use of fresh, well-dried and uncontaminated flours for production of such foods is recommended

Nanotheranostics: A Possible Solution for Drug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and their Biofilms?

Staphylococcus aureus is a notorious pathogen that colonizes implants (orthopedic and breast implants) and wounds with a vicious resistance to antibiotic therapy. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is a catastrophe mainly restricted to hospitals and emerged to community reservoirs, acquiring resistance and forming biofilms. Treating biofilms is problematic except via implant removal or wound debridement. Nanoparticles (NPs) and nanofibers could combat superbugs and biofilms and rapidly diagnose MRSA. Nanotheranostics combine diagnostics and therapeutics into a single agent. This comprehensive review is interpretative, utilizing mainly recent literature (since 2016) besides the older remarkable studies sourced via Google Scholar and PubMed. We unravel the molecular S. aureus resistance and complex biofilm. The diagnostic properties and detailed antibacterial and antibiofilm NP mechanisms are elucidated in exciting stories. We highlight the challenges of bacterial infections nanotheranostics. Finally, we discuss the literature and provide “three action appraisals”. (i) The first appraisal consists of preventive actions (two wings), avoiding unnecessary hospital visits, hand hygiene, and legislations against over-the-counter antibiotics as the general preventive wing. Our second recommended preventive wing includes preventing the adverse side effects of the NPs from resistance and toxicity by establishing standard testing procedures. These standard procedures should provide breakpoints of bacteria’s susceptibility to NPs and a thorough toxicological examination of every single batch of synthesized NPs. (ii) The second appraisal includes theranostic actions, using nanotheranostics to diagnose and treat MRSA, such as what we call “multifunctional theranostic nanofibers. (iii) The third action appraisal consists of collaborative actions

Nanotheranostics: A Possible Solution for Drug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and their Biofilms?

Staphylococcus aureus is a notorious pathogen that colonizes implants (orthopedic and breast implants) and wounds with a vicious resistance to antibiotic therapy. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is a catastrophe mainly restricted to hospitals and emerged to community reservoirs, acquiring resistance and forming biofilms. Treating biofilms is problematic except via implant removal or wound debridement. Nanoparticles (NPs) and nanofibers could combat superbugs and biofilms and rapidly diagnose MRSA. Nanotheranostics combine diagnostics and therapeutics into a single agent. This comprehensive review is interpretative, utilizing mainly recent literature (since 2016) besides the older remarkable studies sourced via Google Scholar and PubMed. We unravel the molecular S. aureus resistance and complex biofilm. The diagnostic properties and detailed antibacterial and antibiofilm NP mechanisms are elucidated in exciting stories. We highlight the challenges of bacterial infections nanotheranostics. Finally, we discuss the literature and provide “three action appraisals”. (i) The first appraisal consists of preventive actions (two wings), avoiding unnecessary hospital visits, hand hygiene, and legislations against over-the-counter antibiotics as the general preventive wing. Our second recommended preventive wing includes preventing the adverse side effects of the NPs from resistance and toxicity by establishing standard testing procedures. These standard procedures should provide breakpoints of bacteria’s susceptibility to NPs and a thorough toxicological examination of every single batch of synthesized NPs. (ii) The second appraisal includes theranostic actions, using nanotheranostics to diagnose and treat MRSA, such as what we call “multifunctional theranostic nanofibers. (iii) The third action appraisal consists of collaborative actions

Foliar application of chitosan zinc oxide nanoparticles on wheat productivity and water use efficiency under deficit irrigation water

The effectiveness of chitosan zinc oxide nanoparticles (CS-ZnO-NPs) on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L., Sakha-93), zinc content and water use efficiency (WUE) under water stress were investigated. A pot experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design by foliar application of CS-ZnO-NPs. Wheat plants were sprayed four times at 15, 30, 45 and 60 days after sowing. The treatments were: control (treated with distilled water), 50, 100 and 150 ppm of CS-ZnO-NPs under 100, 80 and 60% of field capacity. Water shortage has a negative effect on growth parameters and productivity of wheat plants. While the foliar application of 150 ppm CS-ZnO-NPs significantly increased (P≤0.05) NPK content, growth parameters which in turn led to increase the productivity. The highest values of wheat yield were: 4990.55, 4453.50 and 4350.50 kg/ha under 100 80 and 60% of irrigation water, respectively at 150 ppm CS-ZnO-NPs. The highest values of N, P and K content in wheat grain were 1.95, 0.43 and 1.66, respectively at 100% FC under150 ppm CS-ZnO-NPs compared to control. Zn content in wheat grain significantly increased (P≤0.05) by application of CS-ZnO NPs. The interaction of supplementary irrigation water and CS-ZnO-NPs treatments gave clear variation in water use efficiency. The highest relative increase of WUE (23.03%) was at the highest rate of CS-ZnO-NPs (150 ppm). Overall, the data suggested that the foliar application of CS-ZnO-NPs can be an efficient strategy for improving wheat yield, water use efficiency under deficit water and one of the solutions for Zn deficiency in wheat grains

pH-Sensitive nanoparticles containing 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin as an improved anti-cancer option for colon cancer

Parenteral administration of chemotherapeutic drugs, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV), is commonly used to treat large bowel carcinomas such as colon cancer (CC) and colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Our study aims to design a novel nanoparticulate drug-delivery vehicle for oral use capable of colon-specific release. A modified double-emulsion solvent evaporation method was used in the preparation of pH-responsive Eudargit S100 polymeric nanoparticles, loaded with 5-FU/LV combination (5-FU/LV-loaded Eudargit S100 NPs). Our optimized drug-loaded NP showed a pH-responsive drug release and exhibited significantly more cytotoxic actions in cancer-cell lines than free drugs. These findings open the way for conducting clinical trials for colon malignancies treated with nanoparticles

Antiscaling Evaluation and Quantum Chemical Studies of Nitrogen-Free Organophosphorus Compounds for Oilfield Scale Management

Nonpolymeric aminomethylenephosphonates are widely used as powerful scale inhibitors in the petroleum industry. However, most of these inhibitors have certain drawbacks, such as low biodegradability and incompatibilities with high calcium brines. Therefore, there is a great need to explore more biodegradable phosphonated oilfield scale inhibitors affording high calcium-ion tolerance. In this project, known and new nitrogen-free phosphonates have been tested as scale inhibitors against carbonate and sulfate scales according to the Heidrun oilfield, Norway. The considered nitrogen-free scale inhibitors are 1,2,4-phosphonobutanetricarboxylic acid (PBTCA), hydroxyphosphonoacetic acid (HPAA), phosphonoacetic acid (PAA), and 3-phosphonopropanoic acid (PPA). A high-pressure dynamic tube-blocking test, calcium tolerance, thermal aging, and seawater biodegradation were used to assess the antiscaling performance of these inhibitors. A very good to excellent performance of all nitrogen-free phosphonate scale inhibitors has been observed against the calcite scaling. A biodegradable naturally occurring PAA displayed a very good calcite inhibition efficiency and afforded excellent thermal stability at 130 °C for 7 days under anaerobic conditions. PAA also gave outstanding tolerance activity with all concentrations up to 10 000 ppm calcium ions. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations predicted higher affinities of the commercial SIs compared to the nitrogen-free molecules, which is in line with their calcium compatibilities. The high calcium tolerance of nitrogen-free molecules makes them more efficient than commercial inhibitors. Further, DFT solid-state simulations reveal that the affinities of the nitrogen-free molecules for the calcite surface are higher than the barite surface, which agrees well with the experimental fail inhibitor concentration (FIC) data. The sluggish and complicated kinetics of the barite scale formation compared to the calcite scale explain well the high concentrations of the nitrogen-free molecules required for barite inhibition. In summary, our results showed that the nitrogen-free molecules show good potential as scale inhibitors for both calcite and barite. However, for the latter scale, further optimization is needed for optimal performance.publishedVersio

Morphological and Molecular Analysis of Three Celery Accessions

Celery (Apium graveolens L.), a culinary herb and vegetable, is considered a good source of the essential oil and phenolic acids for use as a food, medicine, and flavoring agent. Substantial plant to plant variation within celery, however, indicates a high degree of genetic inconsistency that affects plant quality and yield. This study evaluated the fresh and dry weights and leaf characteristics of three celery genotypes grown in a greenhouse. The genotypes were also screened for polymorphic RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) markers. Celery Accessions were found to differ in fresh and dry weight. Our study demonstrated that RAPD technique could be a suitable tool for genotypes identification and classification in celery