Antimicrobial Resistance in <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-Positive bacteria that are responsible to cause skin infections and also shows toxic shock syndrome. Several antibiotics were given against the S. aureus infections but eventually, the prevalence of multidrug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus started emerging. Since then Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains (MRSA)were very common which causes nosocomial infections. Microorganisms for the need of the survival undergoes mutational changes either in their chromosomal DNA/RNA which confers the resistance. One of the famous examples is the resistance against methicillin in Staphylococcus aureus. The evolution of S. aureus is successful in developing multiple resistant strains. Plasmids are capable of carrying the resistant genes and also several toxic genes. In a recent study, it has been observed that drug resistance genes are located in the R plasmids and they are also responsible in conferring multi drug resistance and induce less utilization of multiple antimicrobial therapy. MRSA was not only resistant to methicillin, studies proved MRSA strains were resistant to macrolides, tetracyclines, chloramphenicol. Resistance to vancomycin was very evidently observed, and its transfer among the population and rising of resistant strains was becoming a major threat globally. The resistance of all these antimicrobial agents against the pathogenic microorganisms are taking a rise in some patients due to prolong use of the antimicrobial agents by these patients. The multi drug resistance has enhanced the mortality and morbidity rate which referred to the infecting agents as the “Super Bugs”. Survival of the microorganisms has increased due to the gradual development of extensive resistance against varied antimicrobial drugs. Possible treatments with combinations are found to be the only hope for infections against S. aureus. Few drugs are in development such as Dalbavancin, Oritavancin, Tigecycline. These are the possible treatments upon which the work is going on to reduce the resistance against the invasive MRSA. This chapter highlights the profiles of Staphylococcus aureus and the resistance patterns along with transmission and the role of the plasmid in transmitting the resistance

Blockchain and the World of Data

This is a video recording of a Workshop presented during the AIS 2022 Student Chapter Leadership Conference (SCLC) Blockchain and the World of Dat

Exploring state-of-the-art advances in targeted nanomedicines for managing acute and chronic inflammatory lung diseases

Diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases pose serious challenges. Currently, diagnostic as well as therapeutic methods show poor efficacy toward drug-resistant bacterial infections, while chemotherapy causes toxicity and nonspecific delivery of drugs. Advanced treatment methods that cure lung-related diseases, by enabling drug bioavailability via nasal passages during mucosal formation, which interferes with drug penetration to targeted sites, are in demand. Nanotechnology confers several advantages. Currently, different nanoparticles, or their combinations, are being used to enhance targeted drug delivery. Nanomedicine, a combination of nanoparticles and therapeutic agents, that delivers drugs to targeted sites increases the bioavailability of drugs at these sites. Thus, nanotechnology is superior to conventional chemotherapeutic strategies. Here, the authors review the latest advancements in nanomedicine-based drug-delivery methods for managing acute and chronic inflammatory lung diseases

Chronic inflammation's transformation to cancer : a nanotherapeutic paradigm

The body’s normal immune response against any invading pathogen that causes infection in the body results in inflammation. The sudden transformation in inflammation leads to the rise of inflammatory diseases such as chronic inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune disorders, and colorectal cancer (different types of cancer develop at the site of chronic infection and inflammation). Inflammation results in two ways: short-term inflammation i.e., non-specific, involves the action of various immune cells; the other results in long-term reactions lasting for months or years. It is specific and causes angiogenesis, fibrosis, tissue destruction, and cancer progression at the site of inflammation. Cancer progression relies on the interaction between the host microenvironment and tumor cells along with the inflammatory responses, fibroblast, and vascular cells. The two pathways that have been identified connecting inflammation and cancer are the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. Both have their own specific role in linking inflammation to cancer, involving various transcription factors such as Nuclear factor kappa B, Activator of transcription, Single transducer, and Hypoxia-inducible factor, which in turn regulates the inflammatory responses via Soluble mediators cytokines (such as Interleukin-6, Hematopoietin-1/Erythropoietin, and tumor necrosis factor), chemokines (such as Cyclooxygenase-2, C-X-C Motif chemokines ligand-8, and IL-8), inflammatory cells, cellular components (such as suppressor cells derived from myeloid, tumor-associated macrophage, and acidophils), and promotes tumorigenesis. The treatment of these chronic inflammatory diseases is challenging and needs early detection and diagnosis. Nanotechnology is a booming field nowadays for its rapid action and easy penetration inside the infected destined cells. Nanoparticles are widely classified into different categories based on their different factors and properties such as size, shape, cytotoxicity, and others. Nanoparticles emerged as excellent with highly progressive medical inventions to cure diseases such as cancer, inflammatory diseases, and others. Nanoparticles have shown higher binding capacity with the biomolecules in inflammation reduction and lowers the oxidative stress inside tissue/cells. In this review, we have overall discussed inflammatory pathways that link inflammation to cancer, major inflammatory diseases, and the potent action of nanoparticles in chronic inflammation-related diseases

Laser-induced thermal lens study of the role of morphology and hydroxyl group in the evolution of thermal diffusivity of copper oxide

The paper explores the evolution of thermal behavior of the material by studying the variations in thermal diffusivity using the single beam thermal lens (TL) technique. For this purpose, the decomposition of Cu(OH)2 into CuO is studied in a time range up to 120 h, by subjecting the sample to morphological, structural, and spectroscopic characterizations. The time evolution of thermal diffusivity can be divided into three regions for demonstrating the dynamics of the reaction. When the reaction is complete, the thermal diffusivity is also found to be saturated. In addition to the morphological modifications, from rods to flakes, the variations in the amount of hydroxyl group are attributed to be responsible for the enhancement of base fluid’s thermal diffusivity by 165%. Thus the study unveils the role of hydroxyl groups in the thermal behavior of CuO

Studies on Various Levels of Organic Sources and Major Nutrients on Growth and Yield of Sprouting Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenck)

A field experiment was carried out at the Vegetable Research Farm, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur (U.P.) during Rabi season 2021-22. The experiment consists of twenty-four treatment combinations of six sources of organic manure and four levels of major nutrients. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design with replicated three times. Palam samridhi variety of broccoli was transplanted at spacing of 45x45 cm. Results of the experiment revealed that the growth characters of broccoli like plant height (cm), number of leaves plant-1, plant spread, stem diameter and Yield attributes viz total head yield per plot(kg) and total head yield (q/ha) were significantly higher under M6 (FYM 20t + Vermicompost 5 t + Poultry manure 5 t ha-1) source of manure which was at par application of M4 (Vermicompost 5 t ha-1) whereas in case of major nutrients it was significantly higher under application of (140:80:80 kg NPK ha-1) but it was at par with (120:60:60 kg NPK ha-1) and significantly superior to rest sources of organic manure

Social Indicators Research: A Retrospective Using Bibliometric Analysis

Social Indicators Research (SIR) publishes novel and groundbreaking research focusing on social indicators related to quality of life and sustainability. Using bibliometrics, this study aims to offer a retrospective of the major trends (e.g., publication, citation, and top contributing authors, institutions, and countries) and intellectual structure of SIR. The retrospective indicates that SIR, which has grown substantially in productivity and impact, attracts contributions worldwide, notably from the USA, with 11 major themes revealed between 1974 and 2019. Using a zero-inflated negative binomial regression, this study also reveals the factors that influence the citation count of SIR publications, namely article age, number of author keywords, title novelty, title length, USA affiliation, and number of authors. Noteworthily, this study, which represents the inaugural review of SIR, should be useful for readers to gain rich insights into the state of research on social indicators related to quality of life and sustainability

Birnessite-MnO2 nanostructures synthesized by facile hydrothermal and green method for dye degradation application

Water contamination resulting from the presence of organic dye pollutants in the ecosystem is a significant issue in the 21st century, that requires urgent resolution. Utilizing an effective nanocatalyst for the removal of dyes from water is a viable solution to address this problem. In this study, we proposed two distinct approaches for synthesizing δ-MnO2 nanostructures: an environmentally friendly, “green” method (MG) and a “cost-effective” hydrothermal method (MH). The leaf extract of Clinacanthus nutans was used for the preparation of MG, while MnSO4 was used for MH as a reducing agent, along with KMnO4, with the reaction time fixed at 90 °C. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that both approaches yielded δ-MnO2 nanostructures with a monoclinic Birnessite phase. The MG sample displayed a coagulated nanoflake-like morphology, as observed in FESEM images. On the other hand, the MH sample exhibited a distinct nanoflower morphology. The materials' optical properties were investigated using UV–visible spectra analysis, revealing direct bandgap energies of 2.2 eV and 2.58 eV for the MG and MH, respectively. The surface area of the MG sample was found to be higher as compared to the MH nanoflower, showcasing a mesoporous structure. XPS analysis was employed to determine the oxidation states of the elements. The effect of varying pH levels on the degradation of Methyl Orange dye by the two nanocatalysts was investigated. The results demonstrated that acidic pH led to higher decolouration efficiency, particularly notable for the MG nanocatalyst. Consequently, this study illustrates that the green δ-MnO2 nanocatalyst effectively degrades methyl orange dye under acidic conditions through photocatalysis