Ultrasonicated synthesis of some potent antimicrobial aryl sulphonamides

1373-1377Nine N-(2,4-difluorophenyl) substituted benzene sulphonamides have been synthesized by ultrasonication method within short reaction time having more than 90% yield. These sulphonamides have been analyzed by spectral and analytical techniques. The higher yields of sulphonamides have been found to be in case of ultrasonication process as compared to microwave and conventional heating methods. The antimicrobial activities of these sulphonamides have been evaluated using Bauer-Kirby disc diffusion method by means of measurement of mm of zone of inhibition

Increased susceptibility of 129SvEvBrd mice to IgE-Mast cell mediated anaphylaxis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Experimental analyses have identified strain-dependent factors that regulate susceptibility to anaphylaxis in mice. We assessed the susceptibility of the widely used 129SvEvBrd (also known as 129S5) mouse strain to IgE/mast cell-mediated anaphylaxis as compared to BALB/c. Mice were subjected to passive and oral Ovalbumin [OVA]-induced active anaphylaxis. Tissue mast cell, plasma histamine, total IgE and OVA-specific IgE levels and susceptibility to histamine i.v infusion were assessed. Bone marrow mast cell (BMMC)s were examined for Fc_εRI, c-kit, degranulation efficiency, proliferation, apoptosis and cytokine profile.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>129S5 mice had significantly increased susceptibility to passive and oral OVA-induced active anaphylaxis. Increased susceptibility to anaphylaxis was associated with increased homeostatic mast cell levels but not OVA-specific IgE or IgG₁levels. <it>In vitro </it>analyses of BMMCs revealed no difference in Fc_εRI and c-Kit expression, however, 129S5 BMMCs possessed greater proliferative capacity and reduced caspase-3-mediated apoptosis. IgE-BMMC degranulation assays demonstrated no difference in degranulation efficiency. Furthermore, 129S5 mice possessed increased sensitivity to histamine-induced hypothermia.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We conclude that 129S5 mice have increased susceptibility to anaphylaxis as compared to BALB/c strain and their increased susceptibility was associated with altered mast cell proliferation and homeostatic tissue levels and responsiveness to histamine. Given the wide spread usage of the 129SvEvBrd strain of mice in experimental gene targeting methodology, these data have important implications for studying IgE-reactions in mouse systems.</p

W-shaped chirp free and chirped bright, dark solitons for perturbed nonlinear Schrödinger equation in nonlinear optical fibers

In the present investigation, we employed the Jacobi elliptic function (JEF) method to invoke the perturbed nonlinear Schrödinger equation with self-steepening (SS), self-phase modulation (SPM), and group velocity dispersion (GVD), which govern the propagation of solitonic pulses in optical fibres. The proposed algorithm proves the existence of the family of solitons in optical fibers. Consequently, chirped and chirp free W-shaped bright, dark soliton solutions are obtained from dn(ξ), cn(ξ) and sn(ξ) functions. The final results are displayed in three-dimensional plots with specific physical values of GVD, SPM and SS for an optical fiber

Leukocyte- and Platelet-Derived Microvesicle Interactions following In Vitro and In Vivo Activation of Toll-Like Receptor 4 by Lipopolysaccharide

BACKGROUND: Pro-coagulant membrane microvesicles (MV) derived from platelets and leukocytes are shed into the circulation following receptor-mediated activation, cell-cell interaction, and apoptosis. Platelets are sentinel markers of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) activation. Experiments were designed to evaluate the time course and mechanism of direct interactions between platelets and leukocytes following acute activation of TLR4 by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Blood from age-matched male and female wild type (WT) and TLR4 gene deleted (dTLR4) mice was incubated with ultra-pure E. coli LPS (500 ng/ml) for up to one hour. At designated periods, leukocyte antigen positive platelets, platelet antigen positive leukocytes and cell-derived MV were quantified by flow cytometry. Numbers of platelet- or leukocyte-derived MV did not increase within one hour following in vitro exposure of blood to LPS. However, with LPS stimulation numbers of platelets staining positive for both platelet- and leukocyte-specific antigens increased in blood derived from WT but not dTLR4 mice. This effect was blocked by inhibition of TLR4 signaling mediated by My88 and TRIF. Seven days after a single intravenous injection of LPS (500 ng/mouse or 20 ng/gm body wt) to WT mice, none of the platelets stained for leukocyte antigen. However, granulocytes, monocytes and apoptotic bodies stained positive for platelet antigens. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Within one hour of exposure to LPS, leukocytes exchange surface antigens with platelets through TLR4 activation. In vivo, leukocyte expression of platelet antigen is retained after a single exposure to LPS following turn over of the platelet pool. Acute expression of leukocyte antigen on platelets within one hour of exposure to LPS and the sustained expression of platelet antigen on leukocytes following a single acute exposure to LPS in vivo explains, in part, associations of platelets and leukocytes in response to bacterial infection and changes in thrombotic propensity of the blood

Approaches in biotechnological applications of natural polymers

Natural polymers, such as gums and mucilage, are biocompatible, cheap, easily available and non-toxic materials of native origin. These polymers are increasingly preferred over synthetic materials for industrial applications due to their intrinsic properties, as well as they are considered alternative sources of raw materials since they present characteristics of sustainability, biodegradability and biosafety. As definition, gums and mucilages are polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates consisting of one or more monosaccharides or their derivatives linked in bewildering variety of linkages and structures. Natural gums are considered polysaccharides naturally occurring in varieties of plant seeds and exudates, tree or shrub exudates, seaweed extracts, fungi, bacteria, and animal sources. Water-soluble gums, also known as hydrocolloids, are considered exudates and are pathological products; therefore, they do not form a part of cell wall. On the other hand, mucilages are part of cell and physiological products. It is important to highlight that gums represent the largest amounts of polymer materials derived from plants. Gums have enormously large and broad applications in both food and non-food industries, being commonly used as thickening, binding, emulsifying, suspending, stabilizing agents and matrices for drug release in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In the food industry, their gelling properties and the ability to mold edible films and coatings are extensively studied. The use of gums depends on the intrinsic properties that they provide, often at costs below those of synthetic polymers. For upgrading the value of gums, they are being processed into various forms, including the most recent nanomaterials, for various biotechnological applications. Thus, the main natural polymers including galactomannans, cellulose, chitin, agar, carrageenan, alginate, cashew gum, pectin and starch, in addition to the current researches about them are reviewed in this article.. }To the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientfíico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for fellowships (LCBBC and MGCC) and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nvíel Superior (CAPES) (PBSA). This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, the Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462) and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) (JAT)

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p&lt;0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p&lt;0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles 2018 (MISEV2018):a position statement of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles and update of the MISEV2014 guidelines

The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications describing physiological and pathological functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a collective term covering various subtypes of cell-released, membranous structures, called exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, apoptotic bodies, and many other names. However, specific issues arise when working with these entities, whose size and amount often make them difficult to obtain as relatively pure preparations, and to characterize properly. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) proposed Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (“MISEV”) guidelines for the field in 2014. We now update these “MISEV2014” guidelines based on evolution of the collective knowledge in the last four years. An important point to consider is that ascribing a specific function to EVs in general, or to subtypes of EVs, requires reporting of specific information beyond mere description of function in a crude, potentially contaminated, and heterogeneous preparation. For example, claims that exosomes are endowed with exquisite and specific activities remain difficult to support experimentally, given our still limited knowledge of their specific molecular machineries of biogenesis and release, as compared with other biophysically similar EVs. The MISEV2018 guidelines include tables and outlines of suggested protocols and steps to follow to document specific EV-associated functional activities. Finally, a checklist is provided with summaries of key points

Study on changes in ultrastructure of Banana cv. Grand Naine during ripening

The periodical changes occurred at tissue level in fruit pulp and peel of banana cv. Grand Naine belongs to AAA genome was studied during storage period. In banana, structural modification in cell walls became apparent at advanced stages of ripening and showed predominantly dissolution of the middle lamella and gradual degradation of starch granules during ripening in fruit pulp and peel. In this study, four physiological stages of ripening of banana fruit peel and pulp were examined periodically under scanning electron microscope, elucidated degradation of starch granules at the time of ripening